Supply chain transparency is one of the most common things brands promise and one of the rarest things they actually deliver. Bean Products does something most don't: they tell you exactly where the hemp comes from (Romania), exactly where the curtain is made (their own factory in Chicago, Illinois), and they've been doing it since 1987. That specific, traceable disclosure is why they earned the supply chain transparency position in our best hemp shower curtains guide — and why that position matters.
The Founder: Chuck Blumenthal and Why He Started This
Bean Products was founded by Chuck Blumenthal in Chicago in 1987. In a blog post published on their own site in March 2025, Chuck describes why: "I started a long time ago in the late 1970s... I realized I wanted a profession in the energy saving or zero impact living world." He describes Bean Products as "an attempt to counter the mass eco-cide momentum against our planet from unfettered commerce and consumption" — and frames the mission around durability as much as sustainability: "making eco-friendly, local, and especially long lasting durable useful products that can be passed on to future generations."
That framing — durable, long-lasting, not fast or cheap — runs through every product Bean Products makes. The hemp shower curtain is designed to be a multi-year purchase, not an annual replacement. That philosophy is what makes hemp shower curtains genuinely different from plastic alternatives, and it's what drove Chuck to start making them in the first place.
"What I find most credible about Chuck's founding story is that it predates the entire sustainable consumer goods market. Bean Products started in 1987 — this isn't a brand that pivoted to sustainability when it became a marketing advantage. It's a brand built by someone who cared about these issues before most of the frameworks for talking about them existed. Nearly four decades of consistent eco-friendly manufacturing in Chicago is evidence that this is genuine conviction rather than positioning."
Bean Products operates out of their facility at 1500 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60608, where they manufacture, warehouse, and ship all their products. They are open Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, and can be reached by phone at (312) 666-3600.
The Supply Chain: Romania to Chicago, Named and Verified
The reason Bean Products earns the supply chain transparency position in our guide is simple: they name every stage of production when most brands in this category do not. Vague claims like "sustainably sourced" or "made in USA and Europe" are common. Bean Products goes further.
Grown in Romania
Hemp plants grown naturally without pesticides or fertilizers
Woven in Romania
Hemp fiber processed into yarn, woven into 9oz canvas using "old world European ecological method, avoiding all harsh chemicals" — supporting well-paid workers in Romania
Cut & Sewn in Chicago
Curtains handcrafted at Bean Products' own factory at 1500 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL. Grommeted with nickel-plated brass.
That three-stage supply chain — grown Romania, woven Romania, sewn Chicago — is explicitly documented on their product pages. It's the kind of specific disclosure that allows verification rather than just trust. The "old world European ecological method" for processing the hemp fiber means traditional retting and processing that avoids the chemical baths used in industrial textile production. The Romanian growing and weaving operation supports workers in what Bean Products describes as "an emerging East European democracy."
"Supply chain disclosure is one of the most important things I evaluate when reviewing an ethical brand, because it's the difference between a verifiable claim and an unverifiable one. When Bean Products says the hemp is grown in Romania, woven in Romania using a specific processing method, and cut and sewn at their own factory in Chicago — that's a claim with enough specificity to investigate. Most brands in this category give you 'sustainably sourced' and leave it there. That gap is significant."
The Hemp Shower Curtain: What You're Actually Buying
Before buying any natural fibre shower curtain, understanding what hemp shower curtains are and what they aren't will set the right expectations. Bean Products is admirably direct about this on their product pages.
Hemp Shower Curtain — $109.95
The curtain is constructed from 9oz Romanian hemp canvas — heavy, tightly woven, and breathable. It blocks water splashes without a plastic liner, dries relatively quickly, and resists mildew through hemp's natural antimicrobial fibre properties. The grommets are high-quality rustproof nickel-plated brass — a detail that matters for longevity, since cheap grommets corrode and tear the fabric over time.
Available sizes:
Extended lengths (70"×84", 70"×94") and custom dimensions are also available — an important feature for non-standard tub or shower configurations. The curtain can be used inside or outside the tub, and pairs with Bean Products' optional easy-roll nickel shower curtain rings for smooth movement on any rod.
On mould resistance: Bean Products is honest in a way that many brands aren't — their product page states the curtain is "NOT guaranteed against mildew." Hemp's natural antimicrobial properties are real and well-documented, but they're not a substitute for proper care and adequate bathroom ventilation. Wash at least once per month and allow the curtain to dry fully extended between uses. Our guide on hemp curtain mould resistance covers the science and what realistic care looks like.
What Bean Products Has — and What to Know Going In
✓ What Bean Products Has
- Full named supply chain: Romanian hemp grown and woven → Chicago sewn — the clearest disclosure in our reviewed set
- 37+ years of eco-friendly manufacturing in Chicago since 1987
- 9oz heavy-duty hemp canvas — substantial fabric weight
- Rustproof nickel-plated brass grommets
- Multiple sizes including custom — the widest size flexibility in the category
- Handcrafted at their own Chicago facility (not outsourced)
- Honest about mildew — "NOT guaranteed against mildew" stated on product page
- Traditional, chemical-free Romanian processing method
- PVC-free, no off-gassing
⚠ What to Know Going In
- No third-party certifications — no GOTS, Oeko-Tex, or organic certification. The hemp is described as grown without pesticides and fertilizers but is not certified organic.
- Natural fibre care requirements — wash monthly, dry fully extended, ensure adequate ventilation
- No liner included — order separately if needed for poorly ventilated bathrooms
- Hemp canvas is initially stiff — softens with washing over time
"The 'not certified organic' detail is worth holding alongside the supply chain transparency. Bean Products can tell you exactly where the hemp comes from and how it's processed — that's more than most brands can say. But they can't point to an independent third party that has verified their 'grown without pesticides' claim. Those are different levels of assurance. For a brand that leads on supply chain transparency, the absence of GOTS or equivalent certification is a gap I'd like to see closed. It doesn't undermine what they do offer — it just means the verification sits with the brand's own word rather than with an auditor."
The Environmental Commitments Beyond the Curtain
Bean Products documents several operational environmental commitments. According to their Global Green listing, they have planted 10,000 trees to offset their carbon footprint through a non-profit partner creating food forests on multiple continents. They reuse large quantities of corrugated shipping cartons daily — reducing virgin carton requirements and cutting waste pickups at their building from 35 per week to 2. They retrofitted their factory to LED lighting to reduce energy consumption. These are operational commitments, not marketing badges, and they speak to a business that applies its environmental values internally as well as in its products.
Why "Made in Chicago" Is More Than a Label
Manufacturing in Chicago means wages paid in an economy with established labour protections, supply chains that can be visited, and a facility whose practices can be investigated. When Bean Products says their curtains are handcrafted at their factory at 1500 S Western Ave — a real address, with a real phone number — that's accountability of a specific kind that "manufactured overseas" simply doesn't provide.
It also means shorter shipping distances for finished goods reaching US customers — a genuine emissions reduction compared to curtains shipped from Asia. And it means that when something goes wrong with an order, you're dealing with a team in Chicago, not a distant intermediary.
For the supply chain transparency buyer, that combination — Romanian hemp disclosed by name, Chicago manufacturing at a specific address — is the most complete picture of origin available in our reviewed hemp curtain set.
The Wider Bean Products Range
The shower curtain is one product category in a much broader range built around the same natural materials philosophy. Bean Products' catalogue spans:
The product range reflects Chuck Blumenthal's original vision: durable, natural-material home and wellness goods that are designed to last rather than to be replaced. Custom orders are available on most products — including the shower curtain in non-standard sizes — which is a meaningful service for customers with unusual bathroom configurations or specific requirements.
Where Bean Products Fits in the Ethical Bathroom
Understanding why hemp beats plastic for your health and the environment is the first step — and once you've made that decision, Bean Products offers the clearest answer to the question "but where exactly does this come from?" of any brand in our reviewed set. For buyers who want a supply chain they can trace, a manufacturer they can call, and a brand with nearly four decades of consistent practice, that combination is genuinely distinctive.
Where you'll see Bean Products in our guides: Bean Products appears in our best hemp shower curtains guide as the supply chain transparency pick — the brand that explicitly names where the hemp is grown (Romania), where it's woven (Romania), and where the curtain is cut and sewn (their own factory in Chicago). For buyers who want to know exactly what they're supporting, that specificity has no equal in the category.
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