When a bleach company cries 'sustainable'

The Clorox Co. leverages sustainability for growth 6

The science and multimedia-loving Ashley Braun writes, tweets, and Facebooks for Grist. And sometimes she does this for herself. You should follow her on Twitter, but not in real life. That’s called “stalking,” you creepster.

Advertisement
Advertisement
  1. hapa's avatar

    hapa Posted 5:01 am
    14 Jun 2008

    correctionEven the Clorox Company, with $4.8 billion in sales last year, has set out to get a piece of the proverbial green apple pie that the conscious anxious American consumer is becoming.
    let's be honest about the event here.
  2. Wolverine Posted 8:25 am
    14 Jun 2008

    GreenwashingChlorine bleach is one of the most toxic chemicals made, and probably the most toxic one used on a regular basis by so many people.  Scientists said about ten years ago that if chlorine were not outlawed, the Great Lakes could not be saved.  While I applaud Clorox for some of the good things outlined in the column above, any company that manufactures things like chlorine and plastic bags is, by definition, very far from being green.
  3. delcy Posted 8:36 am
    14 Jun 2008

    Don't believe it!Clorox's newly found green awareness flies in the face of their other product lines. Glad plastic products have been filling up waste treatment centers for many years and their Kingsford lighter fluid has been polluting the air for a lot longer than this marketing campaign will last. Shop with your brain if you really want to make a difference.
  4. Beth Terry Posted 12:18 pm
    14 Jun 2008

    Urge Clorox to take back and recycle BRITA filtersThere is a campaign afoot to urge Clorox to take back and recycle those filters.  The original BRITA company in Germany has been doing it since 1992.  Clorox tells us they don't know if it's worth it to consumers.  Let's tell them that it is!
    Please visit http://www.takebackthefilter.org to sign the petition, write a letter, and send us your used filters!

    Beth Terry

    http://www.fakeplasticfish.com
  5. dgrinbergs Posted 4:10 pm
    14 Jun 2008

    Green Works: 99% "natural"/1% petrochemThe GW "What Natural Means" page says that: "Green WorksTM natural cleaners minimize the use of petrochemicals and are 99% petrochemical free".
    The GW FAQ page says: "Green WorksTM cleaners are at least 99% natural. In certain cases we had to use synthetic ingredients, like the preservative and green colorant. But we're working hard to develop natural alternatives so the entire line can be 100% natural."
    I think it would be useful to hear from green chemists and other scientists - perhaps the greener competition - about the 1% synthetic/petrochemical content.
    Also, what do other readers think about "99% natural" claim? Pretty darn good? Good enough? Minor greenwashing?
  6. slcumberl Posted 1:38 am
    16 Jun 2008

    Natural vinegar?Do you consider vinegar natural?  It is made from the fermentation of ethanol from corn and we eat quite a bit of it in our salads; but would you put it in your eye?  It is also known as acetic acid and it too "can cause irritation of the eyes, skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract" as well as "severe corrosive damage" to those areas when met with high doses."  

Add a Comment

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Hello, Visitor!    Why not register?

Advertisement