I am Furious ! We are not even blips ???

I am Furious with Burt's Bees and Clorox.

As many of you know, Burt's Bees had a humble beginning. They were sold primarily in small health food stores, then larger health shops, and slowly merged their way into the mainstream, where you could find them in book store gift sections. Now you can find them in Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc. With their recent take over by Clorox, the bleach people, a company not known for it's environmental friendliness, one had to wonder would happen to Burt's Bees integrity as a natural company and major force in the healthy lifestyle community that once was it's only customer base.

I was impressed with B.B. after talking to our store's rep and then another corporate employee while doing research for my radio interview. Seems B.B. is really trying to make a difference.

However, the more and more I think about it, the more I dislike their move.

My reasoning :
I was reading our store copy of Gourmet Merchandiser magazine where front page is an article about B.B. being taken over by Clorox and how they are focusing on the mainstream market.
The people who supported Burt's Bees all these years (small health food stores and the healthful lifestyle community) are not even BLIPS on the radar and mean nothing to Clorox and basically they don't care if they loose that small fraction of business because the mainstream market is a much larger scale. Here's that article.

"While the early November sale of Gardenburger and Bear Naked to Kellogg may not have come as much of a surprise to those who have spent the last decade watching natural foods companies get snatched by mainstream conglomerates, the Halloween day acquisition of Burt's Bees by Clorox spooked even the most sanguine observers....

...So why would Clorox pay $925 million -more than five times the projected $170 million that Durham, N.C. based Burt's Bees is expected to gross this year- for a cosmetics company? And what does Clorox's interest in glowing, healthy skin and hair mean to natural personal care consumers and retailers?
Like many other businesses, Clorox is trying to green up it's image. "

This is the part to pay attention to:

""Although the core consumer of natural end organic products is going to immediately know that Clorox is not the company they want to be purchasing from that probably won't make much of a difference in Burt's Bees overall sales. The loss of business from these core customers is not even a blip on Clorox's screen" said Lynea Schultz-Ela,"

And the article goes on....

HEY CLOROX, I KNOW HOW YOU CAN TRY TO BE MORE GREEN... STOP MAKING BLEACH.
IT'S BECAUSE OF "US" THAT YOU WOULD EVEN CONSIDER PURCHASING BURT'S BEES. WITHOUT YOUR NATURAL CUSTOMER BASE BURT'S BEES WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME THE POWER HOUSE THAT IT IS.

It is because of "us" (the natural product consumers) that many companies hit the mainstream. I feel natural companies being bought out by horribly unnatural companies is a slap in the face.

People boycott companies for all kinds of reasons, they test on animals, not practicing in fair trade, etc. I've decided to base my boycott on the fact that Clorox still produces toxic/caustic products. Until they really turn around and become purely enviro-friendly there is no need to support them. Having Burt's on their team and making a product line that is biodegradable does not make them eco-friendly. The ceasing production of their toxic product lines will win them that honor.

the holiday zaniness is almost over...

I hope everyone remembered to reuse, or recycle those pieces of tissue paper, and cardboard boxes their presents came wraped in !

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Macy's goes green? Well kind of...

It's holiday shopping time. Family members give you their wish list, sometimes forcing you to shop in stores you normally wouldn't venture into. That is what happened to us. Macy's, my ideal anti-eco type of store. Where waste is abundant and greed is unfathomable. But they do have one saving grace this holiday season. Macy's is carrying the Organic Cotton clothing line Under the Canopy in the childrens' dept. Being hurried, we didn't check to see if they carry the adult line, but one would hope. So get out there, and show your support for Organic Cotton in an uncommon market.

Under the Canopy has been around for a long time now. When I first was introduced to their clothing line I found them unattractive and a bit boring. Thank goodness things have changed, their clothing line now speaks to those who really dig Organics. They are trendy and hot! There's about 30 things I want from their current catalog. Not to mention for our baby girl. LOL.

Wee Generation

Seventh Generation and several other groups are collaborating to make the first ever totally eco-friendly, 100% sustainable baby diaper bag. From cradle to cradle is the concept. Currently the design is still in conception form. There is a contest for outside help. They want us to help them design the bag. This is our perfect opportunity to have our voices heard. All of us unhappy with today's anti-eco bags, let's speak up. For more info, visit: http://www.weegeneration.com/

yes, the IPod...or it's equivalent

I'm no techie. I'm 32 and feeling my age lately. I work with some kids in the late teens/early twenties and I feel I'm so out of touch these days. I didn't even know what an MP3 really was until I did my interview on the Lazy Environmentalist radio show.

With that being said, you can only imagine, I'm not really eager to get this electronic or that electronic for the holidays. They just don't impress me, and basically by the time I decide to get something, it's already been upgraded, updated and tweaked so many times, it's not the same thing I was first looking at.

I must say, the portable players like IPod seem pretty eco-friendly. Look at it this way... you can download any song you want, thus eliminating the waste it takes to produce a cd, transport it to a store, and the energy you waste by going there to buy it. Granted, that last bit, well you were probably at the mall anyways. So in reality, there are two big environmental wastes being cut out of the picture. Now I come to find out, you can also download books. I don't know if this means text or the equivalent to a book on tape, but either way...we are saving trees.

So of all the electronics out there that I just seem to naturally avoid, maybe I'll give this "IPod" thing a try.

Care2 petition

I created a Petition. I just wanted to see how many signatures I could get. I'm trying to get 10,000. Ambitious? Yes.

Here's the link to my petition. Once I reach my goal...Then I'll be passing it on to people who can use it in a positive way.

Help me by spreading the word about this petition. Blog about it, email the link to friends/family, post it on your website. Just promote it, and I'm ever grateful to you!!

Thanks to all my loyal readers and potential petition signers.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/organic-labeling-for-non-food-items

Stay away from me!

Here's a list of what I'm staying away from (and you should to) for the holidays.
So take a look at your ingredient lists when buying the great smelling body lotion for your girlfriend, or that wonderful shaving cream set for your man. Let's not poison our loved ones this year via toxic personal care products.
Did you know some ingredients actually breakdown or react w/ other ingredients to form Formaldehyde? I'm sure everyone knows it is not safe to put Formaldehyde on or in our bodies, unless we are dead. And the last time I checked, the graveyards weren't stocking body lotions.

If you are buying "Pink Ribbon" this holiday season, you will want to steer clear of products containing Parabens and SLS for sure! It's an oxymoron in the personal beauty products to package it in pink, slap a pink ribbon on it and then laden the ingredients with carcinogens. Umm...who's making these companies accountable?

And how do you suppose these chemicals get in our products? Well, many reasons A. They are cheap and easy to create...the bottom line...$$. B. of over 10,000 ingredients found in personal care products a whopping 89% have NOT been tested for their safety or toxicity. Can we say "EWWWW"?

• Parabens (Methyl-, Propyl-, Ethyl-, Butyl-):
  *Function: a synthetic preservative used to keep products from spoiling.
  *Issue: A suspected toxin and endocrine disruptor that in the process of being banned in Europe. Linked to high rise in cancers, mostly being linked to breast cancer.
  *Alternatives to look for: Natural preservatives such as essential oils, herbs or vitamin combos

• PEGs & PPGs (PEG is Polyethylene Glycol and a PPG is Polypropylene Glycol; impurities- Dioxane & EO). These can be followed by a variety of numbers or other chemical names, i.e. PEG-8 or PPG-2-Laureth-10:
  *Function: Synthetic emulsifiers processed with Ethylene Oxide
  *Issue: They usually maintain the residual industrial impurities (EO and dioxane)
  *Alternatives to look for: natural esters and waxes such as beeswax, stearic acid, and sucrose esters. Not only do they make stable emulsions, they also care for the skin

• Petrochemicals ~ Petrolatum, Minerial Oil, Paraffin, etc.:
  *Function: Chemical products synthesized from crude petroleum (hydrocarbon or oil), a non-renewable resource
  *Issue: Petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. Used in many products (baby oil is 100% mineral oil!) Any mineral oil derivative can be contaminated with cancer causing PAH's (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is unbelievably cheap.
  *Alternatives to look for: Plant based Oils (avacado, jojoba, etc.)

• DEA/TEA (Diethanolamine and Triethanolamine; impurities- nitrosamines and dioxanes):
  *Function: Thickeners for shampoos and body washes.
  *Issue: They can react with other common ingredients in these products creating nitrosamines, potent form of cancer. In addition, they are contaminates (dioxane) that are created before it is mixed into the shampoo. DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.
  *Alternatives to look for: plant based thickeners like xanthan gum and glycerol oleate.

• Formaldehyde Donors ~ Diazolidinyl Urea, Imadozolidinyl Urea, Quaternium-15 & DMDM Hydantoin, etc:
  *Function: These are a class of commonly used preservatives
  *Issue: Established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology). Found to degrade over time releasing Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
  *Alternatives to look for: Natural preservatives such as essential oils, herbs or vitamin combos.

• Glycols~ Propylene and Butylene:
  *Function: Petroleum derived solvents that potentially draw other chemicals into the bloodstream
  *Issue: Can weaken proteins and the cellular structure of the skin.
  *Alternatives to look for: Vegetable Glycerin, a natural emollient from vegetable oils.

• Phthalates:
  *Function: Synthetic fragrances components
  *Issue: They are linked to everything from asthma and allergies to endocrine disruption and carcinogens. Banned in the EU
  *Alternatives to look for: Plant based essential oils.

• Sulfates ~ Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate:
  *Function: Used in 90% of personal-care products that foam. Synthetic foaming and cleansing agents.
  *Issue: Can potentially damage the lipid layer of your skin. When combined with other chemicals, can create nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens . It is frequently disguised in semi-natural cosmetics with the explanation "comes from " or "derived from" coconut

• FD&C Colour Pigments
  *Function: Synthetic colours made from coal tar.
  *Issue: Contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.
  *Alternative to look for: Plant based, organic, food grade colors

• Genetically Modified Organism or GMOs
  GMO is an organism (such as a plant) whose genetic material has been altered using techniques in genetics, generally known as recombinant DNA technology. This does not include cross-contamination that might occur naturally in a field.

data sourced from burt's bees and miessence organics .com

Definitions

While on my interview today w/ Josh Dorfman of the radio show The Lazy Environmentalist
I touched on many subjects about Organics and Natural Labeling laws. I would like to thank Josh and Margaret for letting me be a guest.

In retrospect I wish I would have added a few things...great thing for the internet and blogs, I can update my thoughts.
I'm just an average girl on a not so average mission. I call it my OCD induced adventure towards a truly clean world; from solar power and bio-diesel to organics. And not just any organics, I want the standards to be the highest ever.

I admit it; several years ago I had been tricked by sneaky ingredient labels. In the personal care arena, all that jazz about "derived from" is an advertising ploy to make a synthetic ingredient sound good for you, when in most cases it is not. Derived from simply means that a once natural ingredient was messed with by chemicals in a lab and is technically not natural anymore...but they want you to think so.

Here's some links to other blog entries from the past on this subject. Enjoy...

http://mintgreenlifestyle.blogspot.com/2007/07/organic-labeling_07.html

https://boutiqueorganica.mionegroup.com/toxic (This is a great list of toxins to STAY AWAY FROM)

http://mintgreenlifestyle.blogspot.com/2007/07/factoids.html

http://mintgreenlifestyle.blogspot.com/2007/07/fact.html

http://mintgreenlifestyle.blogspot.com/2007/08/recomendations-books-tv-websites.html

What should have been Oprah's "Favorite Things"

Well if the "Op" can do her list of Favorite things, I guess I can do mine. Mine's probably more eco-savy.

Check out these AMAZING green ideas for the holidays.

Just click the pics to follow direct links for company websites and online stores.


Organic Body Care

Organic Mama and Baby care

Bamboo T-shirts

Silk Purse

Recycled Glass Earings.

Recycled Silk

Great books! Green Living by E magazine and The Lazy Environmentalist by Josh Dorfman.

Great DVD's

Organic Cotton and woden toys, No recalls here:

Check out my extensive lists:

1. Women's
2. Men's
3. Kid's
4. Misc.