Everyone loves a good T-shirt.
Especially 2004 Marquette graduate Tim Cigelske.
Cigelske, communication specialist in the Office of Marketing and Communication, came up with the idea of T-shirt recycling while paging through a copy of Rolling Stone. He was dismayed to see advertisements for T-shirts with movie slogans selling for $25.
“Remember Napoleon Dynamite shirts? Where are they now?” he said.
Realizing he had far cooler vintage shirts in his own wardrobe from thrift stores and rummage sales, Cigelske and his wife Jess decided to begin a Web site to sell used T-shirts for less expensive prices. Jess will discuss social entrepreneurship in the Alumni Memorial Union today at noon.
They launched Teecycle.org in April 2008. Cigelske searches through garage sales, thrift stores and donations to find T-shirts, which are then displayed on the Web site. The shirts are sold for $7 plus shipping costs.
Cigelske said the company has sold more than 400 shirts so far, including to buyers as far away as Australia and Malaysia.
In 2009, Pepsi recognized Teecycle by giving the organization $4,500 through a contest recognizing community-oriented businesses.
Since selling recycled T-shirts doesn’t bring in a huge profit, Cigelske’s day job includes being the voice of the official Marquette Facebook page and Twitter account.
On his own time, Cigelske runs Teecycle. Although the venture is time consuming, Cigelske said he doesn’t mind the work.
“It’s OK when you are obsessed with used T-shirts,” he said.
Plus, Teecycle.org has been helpful for his work as Marquette’s social media guru.
“A lot of what I use at Marquette on a daily basis, like using social networks effectively, I learned through experimentation with Teecycle,” he said.
It’s not just about recycling cool shirts, though. One dollar from every sale goes to the River Revitalization Foundation, a Milwaukee nonprofit organization that restores areas around the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers.
The organization works to protect and preserve the Milwaukee river basin, according to Kimberly Gleffe, executive director of River Revitalization Foundation.
Cigelske believes a company’s success comes from being sustainable and by giving back, not entirely based off profits. He decided by giving back to the River Revitalization Foundation, he would not only be able to prevent T-shirts from filling landfills, but he would also improve the Milwaukee area.
“I really thought what Tim was doing was great,” Gleffe said. “He was kind enough to name us as the nonprofit he was supporting, and for about two years now we have received a dollar for every sale.”
These dollars are adding up and being used to buy land to protect the river corridors, fund work on public access projects and restoration, and support education throughout the region.
The River Revitalization Foundation is another way Teecycle is advertising.
“It is a mutual publicizing of each other that really benefits both organizations,” Gleffe said. “It has generated interest in us, and I think it has generated a lot of T-shirt donations, too.”
Emily Tau, a senior in the College of Communication, has worked with Cigelske on numerous social media projects, and she has purchased shirts from Teecycle to help support his efforts.
“I actually have two shirts from Tim,” she said. “And I’ve donated shirts I’m not using. It’s cool to help his cause and promote social responsibility.”