Misleading Green Marketing Tactics!......Grrrrrrr!

I am now at the ‘boiling' point and ready to vent.  Why?  It is  over individuals and large companies who continuously mislead the consumers in the ‘green' marketplace.  I recently received an email from a gentleman trying to ‘recruit' me by offering me a free website already nicely laid out with "supposedly" green products and services offered.  The catch, I had to purchase a certain amount of products each month, to be qualified for a check.  Additionally, I also needed to promote the website to the public, so they too would purchase these products.   It was a nicely pitched email with how these products would help consumers and the environment.  Total BS!   I reviewed the website, and yes, it was nicely designed with pretty green tree's and all, with a company name to match.   I reviewed some products that did seem somewhat costly, but what put me over the edge was how they were Eco-Friendly, or should we say Good For The Environment, and oh yes, All Natural........please!!!  Total and complete BS!   In Network Marketing to be qualified there are stipulations, and that is fine, but to mislead the consumers on the content of the products and that they are ‘good' for the environment, is wrong!

I am continuously amazed at how the consumer is fooledwith these companies and their ‘green' products.  I have said it so many times in blogs, emails and to friends that Eco-Friendly, Good For The Environment, All Natural Ingredients or just fancy green labels does NOT mean it is.  It is merely ‘marketing' for the mighty dollar.  What is even more disturbing is that many of these products are priced somewhat higher than their chemically loaded counterparts, and the consumers are paying these prices thinking they are 'safe' from harmful chemicals and they are not.  All Natural does not mean good for the environment and still means it can have chemicals and preservatives.  Read your labels.  Eco-Friendly merely mean their chemicals are reduced somewhat - well lets say ‘hopefully' they are.  However they are NOT accepted by the EPA and DFE to say YES they are safe.  Who are they?  The EPA is the Environmental Protection Agencyand the DFE stands for Designed for the Environment.   Click here to read about them:  http://epa.gov/dfe/    I wish consumers would read the labels on their products before purchasing, especially when they are trying to lessen their carbon footprint and live ‘greener' lives.     

 EPA & DFE Logo for SAFE green products.

Let's look at Green Works, by Clorox since I just viewed a commercial for this line.  Clorox claims that each one of the five cleaners is at least 99% natural - that's right, the unregulated "n"word - a fact which can be verified with a glance at the ingredients. Here's the list for the all-purpose cleaner: water, alkyl polyglucoside, ethanol SDA-3C, glycerine, lemon essential oil, preservative (Kathon) and colorant (Milliken Liquitint Blue HP dye and Bright Yellow dye X); the last two - preservative & colorant- make up the circa 1% of the non-"natural" petroleum-derived portion of the cleaners (though Clorox says Kathon will biodegrade within 28 days). With a few exceptions, like the addition of sodium lauryl sulfate and lauramine oxide, the ingredients for the rest of the cleaners are mostly similar.

Let's look at Seventh Generation, which I use to purchase.  Here is their Dish Soap label:  Aqua (water), sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidoprophyl betaine, cocamide MEA and coceth-7, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, citric acid, essential oils and botanical extracts, lavendula angustifolia (lavender), mentha splcata (spearmint), mentha plperita (peppermint), cananga odorata, preservative (less than 5%, details online).  Trace materials are commonly present in cleaning product ingredients. Visit website for details.  Hmmm....after seeing some of their ingredients and then having to go to their website for details regarding other preservatives......I rest my case on this one.  To me, that is misleading.  I do believe their products are better than moston the market, but completely safe for you, and the environment, no I wouldn't agree with that.   If you can't even pronounce some of the words, it would make me wonder.   Then to know they can't pass the EPA & DFE Guidelines and I need to go to their websites for preservative and trace information, makes me not trust the products.

These are just two, but there are many in stores, and also online in the form of Network Marketing (home business).  I won't mention names, but I would ask, why couldn't they pass the EPA & DFE requirements for safety for our environment?   Why don't they have this Safety Logo on their product?  I would assume that they don't want to go to the lengths and cost, to make their products safe from harmful toxins.  I would further assume it comes down to the cheaper way out, spend it in marketing, mislead the public and make alot of money.  In the end, we lose, and they make their millions.   The truth, the chemical levels are still too high and not safe enough to pass the requirements to have the EPA & DFE Logo stand behind their products and they don't want to spend the extra money do to what is right.  Now I ask you, why would you trusta product enough to bring it into your home, and around your family that could not pass these requirments?  Why would you trust a company that would mislead you that way with using titles like Eco-Friendly, All Natural and more?  I wouldn't!  This is where I get so irritatedwith the marketing strageties of these Commercial Companies and even the Network Marketing Companies that mislead their own representatives.

This is NOT a sales pitch for Zoegetics, because I don't need to recruit in emails or blogs for that.  Yes I am a member, because I love their honesty and integrity in everything they do.   This blog was written because I am truly aggravated at the misleading tactics of Large Retail Companies such as the two above and even Network Marketing Companies that 'sell' their products as green.  Zoegetics, ZoeClean line DIDpass these tests by the EPA & DFE and they have this  Logo on all products.  They are the FIRSTcompany to go to the lengths to have this, which says kudo's for their integrity and being honest about their products.  This is truly safe and you ARE getting what you paid for!  

**Here are a few of their products and ingredients listed (they hide nothing).  To view all of their products there is a link below:

ZoeClean Kitchen Degreaser:  DfE Screened Active Ingredients - Cleaning agents derived from Baking Soda and Soybean Oil

ZoeClean Odor Eliminator:  DfE Screened Active Ingredients - Deodorizing Agents derived from Baking Soda and Essential Oils

ZoeClean Tub & Shower:  DfE Screened Active Ingredients - Cleaning Agents derived from Corn Sugar and Coconut oil

ZoeClean Glass & Surface:  DfE Screened Active Ingredients - Cleaning Agents derived from Corn Sugar and Coconut oil

To view all products, information and ingredients, click here:  http://www.zoelifestyle.com/pages/zoe-clean.html

There are more products coming in the near future.  Again I am NOT boasting to just buy this brand, but make sure you know the facts, that the companies are being honest about their products and what you are paying for.  I personally can't see paying more for a product that is less safe.  I would rather shop smart and pay less for a safer and truly green product.  Wouldn't you?

The Spells.   www.zoelifestyle.com/mspell