RSSTHE WORLD WOMEN WANT:A BLOG YOU SHOULD KNOW
December 18, 2007
I do not place great faith in the ethical behaviour of corporations left to their own devices. There are some that I trust more than others, companies like Dove, Paula’s Choice, Aveda, or Title Nine. They stand out as doing the right thing either for the environment, or consumers or both.
Can you think of any others? I’m stumped here at the moment. Mountain Equipment Co-op would be one. They have an impressive sustainability page on their site.
Businesses hear the language of money
Most businesses have to be forced to behave themselves. We’ve heard that, in the home, women decide how 85 cents of every $1.00 is spent. We all want to use our dollars as votes that go towards preserving the environment and to force corporations to make responsible decisions in products and marketing.
The problem is the time required to research all this. What about those companies that pretend to be honorable but are not?
If the information were handed to you, without having to spend any extra money and very little time, would you be willing to change what you do? I hope you said yes with no hesitation.
Open your Big Green Purse
Follow the link to the site called The World Women Want. This is Diane MacEachern’s Big Green Purse website. On the site’s front page, you will learn which products are truly green (rather than just claiming to be), or about chemicals in the workplace, or keeping children safe.
On that page, or right here, is the link to Diane’s blog . You ‘ll find Diane’s opinion of Jennifer Aniston lending her image to bottled water, her opinion on better light bulbs that work, and other ways to use consumer clout to make a difference, as well as how to ignore the things that won’t make a difference.
Why women should read this blog
I love this site because it brings me something I very much want to know about, but it does all the work for me. She covers everything from dishwasher detergent to lipstick.
At the end of each blog article, you will find a thumbs up/down symbol which sums up Diane’s verdict on the product. It bugs me badly to be misled into believing a product is Green, buying it, and later finding out it was pointless, in not outright harmful.
From her blog:
Why My Purse is Green
Because I believe…
Diane MacEachern
A marketing shift is happening right now
With the advent of the internet, businesses are being forced to listen to consumers. They have to be prepared to have their business practices on display for all to see. This is forcing a change in the whole landscape of how products are marketed.
By spending our money more consciously, we have more influence and power than we can imagine. Business and ethics need not be miles apart. Each time I make a choice based on Diane’s recommendation, I feel that something good happened in my day. I feel that I added to the collective in a small but meaningful way.
In the newest category of A Greener Tea, entitled Sites To Know, this will be included.
Comments
4 Responses to “THE WORLD WOMEN WANT:A BLOG YOU SHOULD KNOW”
Got something to say? I hope so.
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A Greener Tea
Web Maintenence by Rick Beckman
While I understand all the happy thoughts about the Dove Real Beauty campaign, I feel that it is just another marketing ploy. Any company that tests their products on animals is not environmentally responsible. I cannot separate the idea of caring about girls’ emotional state and being cruel to animals. If these young ladies knew about what some cosmetics companies do, would they really feel better about themselves? What I find sad is that people don’t even ask if products are tested on people or animals. As women who spend billions on these products do we not have the power to get them to change? There are many cosmetics companies who do not test on animals. If they can do it , why can’t all of the companies discontinue this practice?
So there you have my feelings. I don’t trust any company who tries to use our “emotions and compassion” to get us to buy their products. Want to send a girl to school in Africa? Then we best buy “Always” products so that we can also have a good period. The list goes on and it is time for me to stop going on.
Thanks for listening.
Marilyn
I am with you on this, Marilyn. More so all the time. I’m finally really working at putting my money where I keep saying my mouth is. Though Dove makes some sunscreens I like, I no longer buy them. My kids have read the Companies That Test lists and they don’t even want the products they make. None of us can abide by cosmetics testing any longer because the alternatives do exist.
I’d love to know what resources you use to guide your purchasing. I check Emily’s http://www.livingcrueltyfree.com blog , and the links therein. I look at caringconsumer.com and leapingbunny.org.
Do you know of other reliable sites for this kind of info?
Hi Christine,
It would appear that I have been taking the hard road when it comes to finding out about animal testing. Aside from Paula’s Choice for cosmetics, I check the labels of each product I buy. If I don’t see a ” no animal testing logo” I don’t buy the product. I used to email companies to ask if they tested their products and while some did respond positively, most just ignored me. With the Olay , I couldn’t get through to ask them why they continue this practice. Complaints aren’t something they are interested in.
Anyway, I shop at stores who sell only cruelty free products, whether their own or others. I will ask the salespeople how their product is tested. I then inform them if their products are cruelty tested. They all appear to be totally surprised. Perhaps if we can reach the ground floor of these companies, something good might come out of it.
I’m glad that you included the two webpages so that we can all check them out, which I will do often, but I think I still need to do some of it the hard way just to keep me on my toes and spread the word. Thanks, Marilyn
True enough, Marilyn.
I gave up on Olay too. My interaction with them was to actually phone and ask. The woman stated without reservation or qualification of any sort that Olay conducts no animal testing. She would not discuss the issue beyond that claim.
Now why do they still appear on Companies That Test lists? And even if they don’t test, it is still relevant to me whether the parent company tests on animals.
Change is slow but slow counts.