If you haven’t yet visited The Green Store Cincy, you have until July 23 to stop by the pop-up shop to gain insight, purchase sustainable clothing or perhaps engage in Namast’ay Green — a community yoga class.
The Green Store is the result of Joi Sears’ innovative idea made possible by People’s Liberty and one of its three annual Globe grants.
With $15,000 in funding and a free space to utilize (PL's storefront, the Dept. of Doing), Sears operates her shop from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturdays, and hosts special events on Sundays. She opened her shop at the end of June, and will occupy the storefront on Elm for six weeks.
She says she would love to look into expansion. “I'd love to see a Green Store New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam and/or Berlin in the future. But in the near future, I would love to find a permanent home for The Green Store in the ‘Nati — and I already have a bunch of ideas on what that could look like.”
The shop currently houses Sears’ own sustainable clothing brand — Amsterdamage — in addition to other local and international brands.
Events she’s hosted so far include everything from workshops and classes like Recycling 101 and Zero Waste Cooking to a “Sunday Funday” event called Waves, which served as a fundraiser for Charity Water.
According to Sears, the average American produces nearly 1,700 pounds of waste each year, and the reason so many individuals — particularly millennials — say they care about the environment but don’t necessarily shop sustainably is because they don’t understand what eco-fashion is. They don’t think they can afford it or they simply don’t know where to find sustainably stylish items.
Sears is here to change that. She’s conducted her research and is now putting her ideas into action via creative placemaking and the support of her community.
Learn more about The Green Store Cincy here.
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