Scott James' sports balls are eco-friendly. Matthew Minard
DCL
Scott James is a father, recreational soccer player, and an advocate for fair trade and the environment. He left a job in technology and started Fair Trade Sports because he wanted to be able to tell his children that his job helps people. He combined his interest in sports, social causes, ecology and charity to create Fair Trade Sports.
Fair Trade Sports is the first U.S. sports equipment maker to launch a line of Fair Trade-certified balls that are built by adult workers who are guaranteed healthy working conditions and fair wages. The company has already helped hundreds of families earn a decent living.
"If parents are paid a fair wage, they don't have to force their kids to go to work, paying adults fair wages hits at the root of child poverty." ~ Scott James
What is so bad about the sports ball industry? Its production is notorious for exploiting child labor and it engages in eco-unfriendly practices. Fair Trade Sports uses rubber from certified forests in Sri Lanka and South India to make his soccer balls, basketballs and footballs. The company only works with fair-trade certified factories. No animal byproducts are used (the balls are vegan). All the products conform to international standards for sports balls, and they are packaged deflated to minimize shipping costs.
Fair Trade Sports is modeled after Newman's Own, the charitable food company co-founded by Paul Newman. Scott expects his company to be profitable by the end of this year, and he has pledged to donate all after-tax profits to children's charities including Room to Read and the Boys & Girls Club.
"We designate all our after-tax profits for charity. Until we hit profitability (this quarter, we hope!) we've been donating $1,000 annually to our children's charities." ~ Scott James
Business Week recognized Fair Trade Sports last year as one of "America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs" and Forbes Magazine has us profiled Scott as a leading eco-entrepreneur.
Fair Trade Sports started small, but has big goals. Scott wants to change the sports ball industry. To learn more about Fair Trade Sports, check out their recent profile on the Daily Grommet.
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