Our Sustainability


The story of Cream City Ribbon is a woven from the fabric of American industrialization. Our origin
is the local leather industry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin of the late 1800's and still sustains relevance today. 

Our artisans craft Cream City Ribbon on the very same original machines. The unique manufacturing techniques are sustained to make this ribbon like none other on the planet.

All Warp - No Weft

Cream City Ribbon's unique unwoven fabric is made with horizontal strands (warp) and without a cross-stitch (weft). Strands are held together with a water-soluble adhesive, giving Cream City Ribbon its strength, vibrant colors and signature paper-like feel.

Less Is More

Cream City Ribbon is made of cotton yarn that is 100% grown and dyed in the United States. Every aspect of the ribbon crafting process is examined to ensure a sustainable product and responsible business, employment and manufacturing practices.

.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS INCLUDE

- Chlorine, acid and lignin free water-based dyes.
- Soy based, non-toxic ink.
- Water-soluble non-toxic adhesives that are USDA approved for indirect food use.
- Compliant with CA proposition 65.
- Nearly paper-free operations.
- Carbon Neutral Shipping with UPS.

Our cotton yarn is biodegradable by its very nature. Our mill meets the material safety standards for EATD (The Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers) according to ETAD34 standards, the associated EU Risk Phrases, and many other demonstrable safety factors. Our mill also meets air and water quality and consumption standards including water re-use and low-flow dyeing machines.

Our adhesive is water-based and US made from bovine collagen which is a by-product of the meat and leather industry. Using an aqueous process (without the use of any solvents and/or harmful materials), this renewable adhesive is sustainable and low-impact on the environment. This natural product is approved by the FDA to be used as an adhesive for foodstuffs packing.

A majority of our ribbon is unprinted and therefore requires no ink, including our stripes and borders. Our inks are formulated of renewable resources, including but not limited to soy, linseed, china wood and corn oils. Resins are natural (hydrocarbon, malaic, and phenolic). There are no harmful pigments used in our formulas and all inks meet the standards for indirect food contact.


Messages to a loved one written on ribbon and left in the woods.