April 16, 2010

Simple Green Not So GReEn

I received a question a few days ago about "Simple Green" and if it was in fact "environmentally friendly" so I did some research and found the below information on the product.  Having said that I would suggest to all readers that unless the product says "Green Seal Certified" and has the below logo its not green or isn't as green as it could or should be.  Do your homework on the products you buy otherwise you could think you're safe and all the while you are simply using another toxic cleaning product. 


Article from Care2.com

Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) published the results of a study of five of the leading cleaning product companies regarding the use and labeling of toxic ingredients in products. The study is called The Dirt on Cleaning Products, and Simple Green, manufactured by Sunshine Makers Inc., is one of the companies investigated.


The Dirt on Cleaning Chemical Companies report card about Sunshine Makers Inc./ Simple Green was that their product ingredient disclosure received a D+; their responsiveness to consumer concerns received an F; their toxic chemicals screening process received a D+; the toxic chemicals in their products received a C; the number of cleaning products on the market was 15; and the number of products that contain chemicals of concern were eight. The chemical of biggest concern cited by WVE is 2-butoxyethanol.

The report from scorecard.org about this chemical is that it is a suspected:
Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicant
Developmental Toxicant
Endocrine Toxicant
Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant
Kidney Toxicant
Neurotoxicant
Reproductive Toxicant
Respiratory Toxicant
Skin or Sense Organ Toxicant

Yes, I’d say if you were led to believe that Simple Green was a “green” product then you have been a victim of greenwashing!

2 comments:

  1. What do you think of the H2O at Home products?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've not tried these products in our cleaning business. Generally speaking I test products in my home before trying them in a clients home. I find that some work better than others for what we do.

    I have a meeting this week with a person involved with these products and once I have an opportunity to try them I will post my findings.

    ReplyDelete