The 510 Factor

We get asked about the meaning behind the name Grasshopper 510 a lot, so here’s the scoop: color is measured on a wavelength in units called nanometers, and 510 represents the measurement in nanometers for the color green. Combine the 510 with the symbolism of a grasshopper--prosperity, wisdom and a leap of faith-- and we’ve got a name that speaks to the environmental movement and our own wild ride of becoming entrepreneurs.

grasshopper Broadly, we use the “510 Factor” as a way to talk about what makes a product or process environmentally responsible:

Recycled: We look for things made of recycled material such as glass, plastic, paper, cotton, silver and gold, as well as aluminum and stainless steel, two metals that have inherently high recycled content and are infinitely recyclable.

Organic: We seek out organic fabrics, like cotton, and organic ingredients in our bath and body products. As an example of why this is a good thing for us and the earth, organic cotton is grown without using harmful pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, whereas conventional cotton accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the world’s pesticides.

Sustainable: We focus on materials that are sustainable, like bamboo—one of the fastest growing plants on earth. We also seek out sustainably harvested wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): the FSC is an independent, not for profit organization that has established a set of international forest management standards and offers certification only to organizations that comply with strict environmental and social standards.

Reclaimed: Not all of the wood in our store is FSC-certified; some of it is reclaimed. This means the designer may have found old building wood or a fallen tree and turned it into something beautiful and useful.

Repurposed: We find artists who take what might be considered trash and repurpose it into incredible pieces of art: leather jackets into purses; traffic signs into wall art; bicycle inner tubes into bags--you get the picture.

Vintage: We source unique vintage pieces, since re-using something over and over is one of the most environmentally responsible decisions a person can make.

All-Natural: We mentioned organic bath and body products above; while some of our lines are not certified organic, they are still paraben-free, sulfate-free and are never tested on animals.

Green Manufacturing: In addition to the raw materials, a product’s manufacturing process is also very important. We try to find vendors who reduce their manufacturing footprint by using renewable energy sources, reducing wasteful byproducts, and reusing scrap materials. Other examples of green manufacturing might be a company that is highly invested in cradle to cradle design, a concept calling for items to be easily disassembled so their components can be reused for their next lifetime. On a micro-level, many of our artists feel it is important that they live in close proximity to their studios since that reduces their transportation carbon footprint, and they make an effort to reduce the amount of waste they produce in terms of packaging (it is very common for us to receive shipments in packaging that has been used and reused many times over—which we then may pass on to you).

With respect to our own operations, we designed and run our business with the 510 Factor in mind:

Retail Space

We used zero VOC paint on the walls.
We re-used all the furnishings and supplies that we could from the prior tenant.
We scoured antique stores to give old pieces a new home.
David Greene from Chicago Iron and Wire made our display cases out of iron that would have otherwise been sent to a recycling facility.
Jeff Payne of JK Chicago made our large display table out of wood reclaimed from the “urban forest” (trees salvaged from Chicago area homes and fallen trees).
Brandon Morrison from Whyr’Hymer custom-made our chandeliers out of reclaimed wood and recycled glass.
All of our store packaging is made of recycled paper.
Our marketing materials are printed on recycled paper using earth-friendly inks.
We re-use or recycle all the packaging that we receive from our vendors.

E-Commerce

Unless instructed otherwise, we ship all items together instead of sending them out one at a time.
If it makes sense, we may have items sent directly from our designers to our customers to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation miles.
Whenever possible, customer's orders will be shipped using a "pre-loved" box and packaging. If we do need to use a new box, it will be made of recycled materials.