Sticking to an Environmental Mission

Amongst a sea of folding tables promoting pens, tote bags, candy wrappers, and more single-use plastics that will end up in the landfill, the EcoStiks booth definitely turned heads. “We probably made a few people uncomfortable,” said Julie Schneiderman, CEO of EcoStiks, an environmentally friendly sticker brand, recapping her time at the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) expo last week. Jury-rigged from old surfboards, a used desk, and signs written on driftwood, their eco-friendly display stood in stark contrast with the hundreds of plastic folding tables. To offer an alternative solution for businesses using environmentally harmful promotional products, Schneiderman and her team packed up their unique stickers made out of recycled water bottles and carpooled from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas for the expo.

Schneiderman came to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB in 1992 then went on to get her Master’s in international law in Spain and law degree at Santa Barbara College of Law. When life as she knew it was turned upside down due to her divorce, Schneiderman had what she called a “spiritual awakening” one day in the water. During her transition to becoming a single mom and feeling stuck at her stable job in corporate tech, Schneiderman was “finding her sense of self” and decided to quit her job and take a chance as an entrepreneur.

What is now known as EcoStiks, the company that makes waterproof stickers out of recycled water bottles began as an idea to make stick-on patches that surfers could put on their wetsuits. As surfing was one of the only things getting Schneiderman through the difficult times, she wanted to create a product not only to support her local community of surfers and artists, but give back to the ocean.

Prototype after prototype, it was becoming evident to Schneiderman and her small team that they were not going to be able to create something out of recycled materials that would stick to neoprene. “It was the best mistake because we found out [the product that we landed on] had way more uses in the sense that it works on surfboards and bike bags and helmets and jackets.” They were able to achieve a stretchy, durable sticker with beautiful vibrant designs on a fabric called Repreve, made from plastic water bottles.

“I thought it was going to be so easy. I thought, oh my god, I’m going to make a billion dollars in a year,” Schneiderman said, having no idea about the stress and excitement that lay ahead. Shortly after she quit her job, the pandemic hit, making the first few years of business particularly volatile. Putting all her financial resources towards her production and warehouse space (next to the Silo 118 Gallery in the Funk Zone), Schneiderman spent the first year of operation living in her van.

Through the support of her family and local organizations, Schneiderman has been able to grow her business, move into a home without wheels, and give back to the community by working with local artists and spreading awareness about single-use plastics. With the little money that her mom left to her, a loan from Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), and advisors from the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Schneiderman put everything she had into EcoStiks and established a strong support system that she still leans on today.

Feeling thankful that her sacrifices and creativity paid off, Schneiderman came to realize that the environmentally friendly aspect of EcoStiks was becoming the most important part to her. “I started getting more involved in understanding my own impact. It was just part of the journey of EcoStiks.” In order to further educate herself and delve deeper into the EcoStiks mission of constantly improving their practices, she took the CEC Climate Steward Program and became 1% for the Planet Green Certified.

For her second year in a row attending the PPAI expo, Schneiderman was once again shocked by the amount of plastic that she saw, knowing that the majority of it would end up in the landfill within a year. She took the opportunity to educate buyers and suppliers about sustainability and the response was amazing. After getting to speak with about 150 of the top execs in the promotional products industry, she realized “they have real goals about sustainability.”

She continued, “It’s not necessarily about buying the EcoStiks, it’s about thinking about the planet when you buy something for promo,” explaining that she takes a gentle approach because she knows this is an issue that can’t be solved overnight.

With big plans for the future of the brand, Schneiderman is taking what she calls a “multiple pronged approach” to continue to expand. The first prong focuses on connecting with more promo distributors to bring more awareness to the harm of single-use plastics, like she did at the expo. The second avenue for growth is ambassador referral program, which Schneiderman aims to “blow up.” In the ambassador program, EcoStiks connects with people who are already doing great work in the community and want to rep the product for a percentage of the sales. In addition to the corporate route and individual route, the final prong is the nonprofit partner program. Aligning with their own missions of supporting the community and environment, qualifying nonprofits receive 15 percent discounts on EcoStiks products to help amplify their missions.

Attributing much of her success to the amazing women who have supported her throughout this journey, Schneiderman started an organization with her friend and fellow water enthusiast, Lyndsey Kenefick, called Women in the Water. “Our idea is to educate, inspire, and network,” Schneiderman said. They host monthly events that are open to anyone who identifies as a woman and hope to start an annual Women’s Water Festival.

Women in the Water is one way to connect with Schneiderman and her team, but you can also find her at the Mason Street Gallery, 121 E. Mason St. #A. For more updates, follow @EcoStiks on Instagram or visit ecostiks.com.