Cream City Ribbon®: The Natural American Ribbon

Where do you buy your ribbons? The bookstore? The mall? Did it ever occur to you where your ribbons came from, or how they were made? Did you ever stop and think whether the simple decorative ribbons you use affect the environment?

In this time when our country is suffering from recession, when most jobs are outsourced and more products are being imported instead of exported, it is important to remember that solidarity among Americans is vital to our survival.

In this time when the environment has already suffered so much, and nature is little by little getting back at us because of our wasteful and apathetic lifestyle, it is important to remember that it is now time for us to be careful, and think of the environment.

Imagine your imported plastic ribbons, probably made by underpaid factory workers, travelling thousands of miles, just to end up in your landfill, floating in a local lake, or worse, eaten by a bird.

Cream City Ribbon caters to commercial and industrial companies. To date, it is being used for industrial and manufacturing purposes. Now, Cream City Ribbon extends its product line to decorative ribbons for crafting, scrapbooking, and various creative home solutions.

Cream City Ribbon proudly offers you our all-American ribbon, natural in every way. For all your gift wrapping, crafts, home decorations, and scrapbooking needs, Cream City Ribbon has everything you need. With 29 colors and 33 designs to choose from, Cream City Ribbon is your ultimate decoration solution.

Made from natural cotton responsibly grown and dyed in the US, our natural ribbons are 100% safe, non-toxic, and biodegradable. You can discard your ribbons after use; recycle it in your garden; tie up your plants; or it can go to straight to the compost bin. With our biodegradable ribbons, you don’t have to worry about hurting the environment. Cream City Ribbon is absolutely “green” in every gorgeous color.

Cream City Ribbon is the only American company that manufactures natural and biodegradable ribbons in the country. Acid and lignin free, our ribbons are safe for children and pets, so you don’t have to worry about keeping it away from them. Now, you can enjoy your projects with your kids, without having to worry about chemical components and its effects on your child.

Various Project Suggestions for Cream City Ribbons:

· Place settings

· Ornaments

· Home décor

· Greeting cards

· Scrapbooks

· Paper bags

· Gift wrapping design

· Garlands

What You Can Do with Cream City Ribbons:

· Curl it

· Shred it

· Tie it

· Fold it

· Strip it

· Print on it

· Cut it

· Weave it

· Quill it

25% of energy purchased by our manufacturing facility is derived from renewable alternative energy sources. Our goal at Cream City Ribbon is to give you ribbons that are “green” in every color.

For any occasion, presentation is crucial. With Cream City ribbons, you can do what you can’t with ordinary plastic ribbons. Go green. Explore your possibilities.

Help Cream City Ribbon preserve nature.

Buy natural.

Buy American.

Buy Cream City ribbons!

Cream City Ribbon: The Green Ribbon

The phrase, “green ribbon” has had many meanings since it was worn as a symbol of solidarity during the English Civil War. In the 20^th century, the green ribbon was associated with support for agricultural families, freedom, peace and other awareness campaigns. In the 21^st century, “green” has become the mantra, and sometimes the lifestyle for millions of people who believe in healthy living and preserving our environment for future generations. And, for the first time “green ribbon” refers to an actual ribbon – a natural, biodegradable, and eco-friendly ribbon made from cotton.

A Ribbon from History

During the 1920s, the manufacture of cotton ribbons was brought to the U.S. from Germany, and several companies were established to make it. Today, only one remains. After passing through several owners and names, Cream City Ribbon was purchased in 1988 by Lorette Russenberger, who saw the beauty of the technology and the importance of continuing the tradition of manufacturing a natural ribbon rather than plastic.

To bring this historic technology into the modern age, the equipment is now located in a climate-controlled factory near the revitalized center of Milwaukee, WI. “I originally thought that we would eventually replace the old equipment with something more modern, says Russenberger, but we have learned over time that those guys back in the 1920s knew what they were doing. We haven’t found anything that does the job better, and the machines were built to last forever.”

Cream City Ribbon was, and still is, made from continuous lengths of cotton yarn, laid parallel to one another, and bound together with a non-toxic, water-soluble adhesive. For many years, the ribbon was used primarily for industrial packaging, but Cream City Ribbon now produces decorative ribbon, custom ribbons and personalized ribbons, and colorful and printed ribbon for craft work and gift wrapping purposes using colored yarns dyed with water based agents, and soy-based inks. Its materials and manufacturing process make Cream City Ribbon biodegradable in the environment, and naturally acid and lignin free.

The non-woven nature of Cream City Ribbon allows for its flexibility in design and use. It can be shredded, curled, woven, folded, cut, or tied. Fans of Cream City Ribbon are especially taken with its rich colors, which can only be obtained with yarn-dyed cotton fibers. For eco friendliness, malleability, colors and designs, Cream City Ribbon has become a popular “natural choice” for industrial, commercial, and personal users.

Cream City Ribbon: Campaign and Product Spooled into One

In the 1950s, it was discovered that a film of polypropylene could be extruded in large volumes at an extremely low cost, and a new ribbon technology was born. Today, plastic ribbons remain the most common type of ribbon in the market.

Over the past several years, a lot of products, companies, and organizations have begun advocating environmental awareness, and “green” campaigns have been going about many cities throughout the world.[i] However, Cream City Ribbon remains the first and only company in America that manufactures biodegradable, eco-friendly “green” ribbons.

One of the goals of Cream City Ribbon is to increase awareness among individuals and businesses about the growing effects of plastic materials and harmful chemicals to the environment. What sets Cream City Ribbon apart from other ribbons is its lack of petroleum and polypropylene compounds. It may seem like a little thing, but Russsenberger believes that any contribution to the health of the environment is a good thing. “The presence of plastics is causing a lot of mayhem for the environment and wildlife,”[ii]she says.

Apart from their green product, Cream City Ribbon also works with the Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center to increase urban exposure to the natural environment. Russenberger supports their programs, which help to expose urban children to the natural world, and teaches them how plants, animals and the environment are interconnected. A special gift package of 20 spools with 5 yards each of Cream City Ribbon was packaged as an Urban Ecology fund raising product; a percentage of sales from each package is donated to the organization.

After 23 years in business, Cream City Ribbon remains true to the heart and soul of its business – beautiful, high quality ribbon, produced by US workers with US materials, a connection to our history, and commitment to the environment. Cream City Ribbon is truly “green in every color.”

With Cream City Ribbon, you can explore your possibilities. For all your craft needs, we have it for you. From printed ribbon and personalized ribbon, to gift wrapping ribbon and wholesale ribbon, let Cream City Ribbon be your natural choice.

Go “Green” today.

Use natural and biodegradable ribbons.

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[i] Post, M. (2008). Cream City Ribbon Gives Back to Earth, Community. OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved from http://www.onmilwaukee.com/market/articles/creamcityribbon.html

[ii] Post, M. (2008). Cream City Ribbon Gives Back to Earth, Community. OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved from http://www.onmilwaukee.com/market/articles/creamcityribbon.html