AmericasMart to host ‘green’ showcase

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 6/4/2007 12:31:00 PM

Atlanta -- AmericasMart Atlanta will host its first showing of eco-friendly, sustainable source designs and lines in the AmericasMart Green Product Showcase during the July 10-18 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and the Atlanta International Area Rug Market.

The Green Product Showcase will feature more than 300 products, including area rugs, apparel, gourmet, furniture and furnishings, gifts and decorative accessories. Entries were selected based on their use of environmentally friendly products/ingredients, biodegradability, responsible use of sourcing and manufacturing, use of certified organic, pesticide-free low toxicity materials, and utilization of renewable resources.

Laura Turner Seydel, ecological activist and philanthropist and daughter of CNN founder Ted Turner, will make a special appearance during the Friday, July 13 grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting from 4:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m. Turner Seydel serves as founder of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Fund, trustee of the Turner and Jane Smith Turner Foundations, as well as Chairman of the Board of the Captain Planet Foundation, a nonprofit that funds school-based environmental initiatives.

The Green Product Showcase will be open Wednesday, July 11 through Monday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in AmericasMart 2, floor 12, 1201. Eco-friendly bags, made in the United States and constructed of 100% organic cotton canvas, will be available to retailers exclusively and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.