Over the summer, one North Harford alumni created her very own business. Lauren Palmieri graduated 2 years ago and has been working to start her own sustainable shop. 

     The online shop Palmieri has worked hard to establish is named “Human Nature”.  She sells a variety of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and even stickers, handmade with environmental designs. 

     Palmieri has been creating art for as long as she can remember. She says she has always enjoyed art and it’s “really therapeutic to me.” 

     As a child, Palmieri shared she was always running lemonade stands and trying to sell things. She has had an interest in entrepreneurship since she was a kid. A dream of Palmieri’s has been to “find a way to combine my passions for the outdoors, photography, environmentalism and art in a way that helps people and the environment.” 

     Because of this, Palmieri donates a percentage of proceeds to multiple charitable organizations and nonprofit groups.  She’s been wanting to donate to these charities for a while so that she could “give back to the community.” 

     “I’m targeting pretty much anyone who is interested in art and anything animal, ocean, and environment related,” she explained. Palmieri even did all the planning and purchasing of materials during quarantine in the spring of 2020. 

     Her goal is to enjoy what she is making as well as listening to feedback and learning from the experience. “I’m partnered with a company that prints and ships sustainably,” Palmieri stated. In addition, all materials are kept in the warehouses. 

      Sustainability is at the forefront of Palmieri’s business venture.  “We only produce items we get an order for,” she advertises on her website. This process helps avoid textile waste from overproduction.

     “Our clothing is printed with the direct-to-garment (DTG) printing method,” Palmieri described. The printing tech they use is made with sustainability in mind, and the DTG printers use almost zero wastewater and less energy, lowering their carbon footprint.

​     Each product featured on the Human Nature website is made on-demand. Once an order is placed, Palmieri’s team produces it specifically for the consumer. “We pride ourselves on being part of the sustainable fashion movement,” she says on her website. ​

    Palmieri adds,  “The inks we use for printing are water-based and free of harmful chemicals.” They carefully dispose of any left-over ink according to the ink supplier guidelines, so they’re not harming the environment.

     “It takes time for us to create and send out the product, but making each order on-demand allows us to avoid overproduction,” Palmieri says. All of the products for sale on Human Nature are part of the sustainable fashion movement.