ecoFib #4 : That One is Worse!

ecoFib #4 : That One is Worse!

I couldn’t wait to get to this one!  Oh, how we love to think that the products we use with the organic, green claims are so much better!

We just feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that the shampoo we use every morning is xx% organic!  Although the argument can be made that it is better – at least “something” is organic – it is by no means chemical-free, or even really all that better for the environment.  Just consider a 70% organic shampoo.  70% of most shampoos are water.  The problem is that water is not considered in the organic equation.  It is not an agricultural product.  Therefore, 70% of the 30% left-over may be organic… OR worse yet, the water is infused with some organic tea bags!  So, in the end, we are blindly paying a whole lot extra for some tea!  Not all that beneficial for our bodies when it is mixed with a chemical stew!

The bottom line – a product claiming to be the better option because it is “greener” – a radical example such as cigarettes made with organic tobacco, is green, and obscuring the fact that smoking is damaging.

What we’ve covered so far…

ecoFib#1 : Hidden Trade-Off

ecoFib #2 : Can’t Prove the Claim!

ecoFib #3 : Broad & Vague

ecoFib #4 : That One is Worse!

ecoFib #3 : Broad & Vague

ecoFib #3 :  Broad & Vague

I picked up an old tube of Suave Naturals I found hidden under the seat of our car.  I know it is old because I haven’t purchased any since early 2006!  And… the lotion was still… creamy, silky smooth!  I thought to myself, “if natural existed in this tube it would be well past mold-stage by now!”    But it wasn’t!  It was just fine… and Suave Natural really isn’t au’naturel!

I did take a look at the ingredient list and I found raspberry extract among the ingredients, but that was the only word that even related to anything I would put in my mouth.

So, what exactly is ecoFib #3?  It is the action of making a broad, vague claim about being natural, green, or environmentally friendly.  The claim can not be easily understood from the label, packaging, and any other marketing material in plain view. Therefore, the consumer is likely to be mislead.

Here’s the ecoFib list so far:

ecoFib#1 : Hidden Trade-Off

ecoFib #2 : Can’t Prove the Claim!

ecoFib #3 : Broad & Vague

ecoFibbing #2 : Can’t Prove It!

ecoFib #2 – Can’t prove the claim!

Just a little honesty, is that too much to ask?   Apparently so these days.  Since we are the people handing over the cash, I don’t think it is asking too much for transparency and proof of organic/green certification from a third party.  Of course, many certifications fall short of being organic/green/natural themselves.  At any rate, where certification exists, it should be posted for all to see.  And if certification doesn’t exist, at least every ingredient should be!

Remember:  ecoFib #1 – Hidden Trade Offs ::  ecoFib#2 – Can’t prove the claim!

ecoFibbing #1: Just Little White Lies

Green washing is ecoFibbing – that’s about as simple as it gets. All the hype following the organic, natural, green movement has brought the devil out in some (actually, many) people, entrepreneurs, and companies. ecoFibbing is slowly choking the organic, natural, green industry. It’s a shame!

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing has identified six patterns to green washing. For the next 6 entries, we’ll take a look at each pattern of ecoFibbing! Let’s get started…

ecoFib#1: Hidden Trade-Off:

You’re looking for a greener toothpaste. Next to the Crest, you see Green Clean Toothpaste in a brown, environmental-looking box. Further investigation of the label and you spot – “made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper.” That is the ONLY green claim. Toothpaste ingredients are similar to Crest.

Fantastic that the paper is recycled, but what about the ingredients, energy impact, or the impact of by-products during manufacturing. Did the company consider anything else, or are they just out to make a buck?

Hmmm, I’d like to know the answer to that one!

ecoFibbing is a Skin Irritant

Nothing gets under my skin more than green washing… LITERALLY!  A few years ago when I made significant changes to my lifestyle, one area that I found extremely hard to navigate was the area of personal care products.  My bathroom countertop, cabinets, drawers, and every inch of ledge space in the shower was full of bottles.  Shampoo in three different scents, two types of conditioner, creamy body wash, gel body wash, bar soap,  2-in-1 shampoo, 10 different colors and fragrances of body lotion, 3 bottles of perfume, not to mention make-up, mouth wash, 3 tubes of toothpaste, floss, and on and on and on… complete insanity!

I had so much stuff that I put sorority girls to shame!

Why did I have so much stuff?  Because I had coupons! 

So a few minutes ago as I was searching for some information on an unrelated topic, I came to a website featuring articles about carcinogenic ingredients in our products and the need to be aware of what we “put on our largest organ, our skin”, and stay away from toxic ingredients, and yadda yadda yadda… I’m all happy… until I see a big’ol button that says…

“Click here for Safe & Healthy Products”

So I click… and click… and click… Oh, nice Product page… let’s check out the Personal Care category.

Greeted with…. “Recognizing the need for a viable solution to an overwhelming worldwide problem, XXX Personal Care products were designed without potentially harmful ingredients.”

I click on More Info & Ingredients under the Indulge Bubble Bath.

and…WHAM!   My heart starts racing and my skin starts crawling because it nothing but CRAP… and definitely harmful ingredients for our largest organ!

The lovely description states that it helps ease stiff muscles and tension with the botanical blend of hops extract and Chinese geranium.

But the ingredients:

Purified Water
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate – produced by boiling petrochemicals with boiling sulfuric acid
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine – Causes eye stinging and redness, redness and burning of skin, toxicological properties have NOT been investigated
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate
Sodium C 12-15 Pareth-15 Sulfonate – reacting petrochemicals with sulfuric acid
Aromatic Fragrance - human immune system toxicant, skin toxicant,
Ammonium Chloride - Carcinogen, skin irritant, neurotoxin
Spirea Extract
Hops Extract
Matricaria Extract
Laurel Extract
Methylchloroisothiazolinone – human immune system toxicant, human skin toxicant, harmful by skin absorption, corrosion and burns to the eyes and skin, permanent irreversible eye damage, nitrosating agent
Methylisothiazolinone – neurotoxin, human immune system toxicant, skin toxicant, restricted use in Canada and Japan.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to feed by skin during a 30-minute bubble bath is any of the above!

This is blatant green washing and it’s sad that it’s legal.

The bottom line – not all green, natural companies are authentic, genuine, and principle-centered.  Most of them seem to win the consumer’s heart by just carelessly throwing the words out in their fabulously looking marketing campaigns.

I think it’s about time we used our brains and made them win our hearts the old-fashioned way… with integrity, honesty, and a whole lot of hard work.

So… green, organic, natural companies better be walking the talk from beginning to end… and recycling too!

By the way,  I now have three simple bottles in my shower, a tiny make-up bag, and one tube of toothpaste!  Every single bottle, jar, container is 100% recyclable.

Ah, the joys of simplicity!

My 2009 ecoSolution

I’ve decided to throw away the 2009 Resolutions.  Every year my list seems to be a repeat of the year before… SSDY (that’s for Same Solutions Different Year )

This year, I’ve adopted an ecoSolution.  I have just one and it fits all my criteria:  easy to remember, easy to do, easy to afford, easy to clean, easy to apply to all areas of life.  I’m sure you’re very intrigued…  So here it is…

Accumulate less stuff.

Honestly, once getting into this mindset, life suddenly becomes simple. simple. simple.

It’s the addiction to the accumulation of stuff that has most of America in a real frenzy.  Of course, this addiction has also fueled our economy and made many industries very happy.  But in the end we lost most of what is important – sense of responsibility, pride, creativity, and love for nature.  Of course, I’m implying a very personal philosophy to my post, but I truly believe that if each of us were to sit down and take a look at our surroundings, we would find that most of it feeds a lifestyle of sofa-warming, potato-chip stuffing, and a whole lot of mindless activity.

This addiction is far from healthy, it’s rather toxic.  As a nation we’re starting to see it’s symptoms in nearly every sector…

So, my ecoSolution is to become more grounded with a lifestyle of less stuff.  Lighten my load, and spur some more creativity.