Chances are you’re here because you care about finding the best ways to care for your family.  Part of that is caring for, and cleaning, your home; you would never put dangerous chemicals at arms length from your children or pets.  At Ecover, we don’t think that leaves room for dangerous mixes in the form of cleaning products in the kitchen and bath either! 

We all know that we can clean just as well without the chemicals, so why use them?  Compare a stroll down the cleaning aisle full of conventional cleaners, versus a stroll down the cleaning aisle at a store that stocks only ecologically made cleaners.  The difference is not winding up with watery eyes, an itchy nose and perhaps nausea and dizziness! 

It has been widely researched that homes are typically the most polluted places we inhabit all day, due in part to those cleaning products under our sinks!  (Other culprits are carpeting and furniture, yikes!) Enter the great household eco-cleaning debate of the moment: making your own cleaners or buying from the pros?  Some people do make their own green cleaners, and Ecover truly salutes those who take extra time and efforts to make less of an impact on the environment.  Of course, there are pros and cons to the steps we take towards greener pastures.  Making your own cleaners has pros, including: cost, health and peace of mind.  But at Ecover, with over thirty years into the science behind our products, we know about the cons, too. 

One of the biggest drawbacks to brewing home cleaners is that it’s not necessarily more convenient.  Being able to pull out that surface cleaner when you’ve got a nasty spill in the kitchen, or worse, when the dog pees on the floor, is no small luxury!  Additionally, some tout homemade cleaners as cleaning “just as well” as the premade stuff… while this may hold true for minor solutions (like baking soda to get out a stain in a jam) hoping that the vinegar in you cupboard will get your bathroom tiles nice and shiny may leave you sorely disappointed. There have been years of science invested in formulating products to clean up life’s messes.

Another con often overlooked with home-brewing cleaners is the potential for putting you and your family in serious danger. Some combinations of innocuous ingredients can become quite literally explosive!  The same goes for storing some homemade alternatives; many become increasingly dangerous the longer they are enclosed in air tight containers.

Not to say that your cleaners need to be loaded with harsh and dangerous chemicals.  That’s where the science bit really comes in, and the benefits of the ingredients and formulations that Ecover has developed, like completely and quickly biodegrading, and using the cleaning power of nature!  Because they are mineral and plant-based ingredients, they can go back into our waterways without detriment to aquatic life.  Additionally they can be used for grey water systems as well as septic tanks. That means you can take your waste water from washing dishes or doing laundry and use it to water your lawn or plants!

The biggest challenge these days is the misconception that natural cleaners don’t work. This is left over, we think, from the big environmental push in the 1980s when the green cleaners didn’t do as much as today – but that was over thirty years ago! Innovations since then have been huge (we didn’t even have the internet way back then)! 

So go ahead: trust in the Power of Nature to do your toughest household cleaning jobs!  Ecover is Feel Good Cleaning. 

First Image via Al Power on Flickr
Second Image via Keith Williamson on Flickr

We often see issues of environmental and global warming dangers tackled through documentaries and scientific articles, but it’s rare to see these issues explored through a family drama.

Ecover looks at the new film Future Weather, which has done just that. It centers on a 13-year-old Midwestern teen named Lauduree who is abandoned by her mother and takes refuge in a fascination of nature and global warming. Lauduree conducts her own experiment in carbon sequestration by figuring which trees consume the most carbon dioxide, and deciding which should be planted en masse to help reverse climate change.

The film premiered at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival in April, to rave reviews. I had the opportunity to see Future Weather and while I’m no film critic, this picture is a must-see!

I caught up with Future Weather’s writer, director and producer — Jenny Deller– and she shared how the film’s main character represents something much greater. “I knew Lauduree spent a lot of time outdoors and had a math and science bent, so when I learned (soon after starting the script) how urgent global warming had become, it made perfect sense to pull this issue into Lauduree’s awareness. Particularly when her story of abandonment was the perfect metaphor for what we’re doing to future generations if we continue to live as we do,” said Jenny.

A global warming article in the New Yorker planted the seed in Jenny’s head for the film, back in 2006. Jenny and her team worked tirelessly on Future Weather, without a big budget, and now six years later, Future Weather’s world-premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Festival is a powerful testament to the years of hard work.

Visit Future Weather’s Kickstarter campaign, and check out if the film will be screened in your neck of the woods.

Lindsay Brown, Reporting Live for Ecover

Image courtesy of Future Weather (Sent via publicist)

You want to do the right thing, and you want to look good doing it! That’s what the Green Closet is all about:  Ecover knows that buying environmentally sound clothing is important; buying less and caring for your clothes well are just as important if not more so as we mentioned here.

Susan Wagner, fashion blogger from The Working Closet, advises us to take your green closet quotient up a notch by following these tips to a more eco-friendly laundry room:

Skip the Washer. Hand washing uses less water and less electricity. You can hand-wash anything, not just delicates; fill a large sink (kitchen sink is fine) with cold water and Ecover’s Delicate Wash and toss in your tees and shorts.  Squeeze garments gently to work water and detergent through; soak for 3-5 minutes. Rinse until water runs clean and gently squeeze dry.

Skip the Dryer. Yep, we know that it’s not always practical to hand-wash — some days, the mountains of laundry demand that you turn on the washing machine. But do the planet — and your clothes — a favor by air or line-drying your laundry. The dryer is the single biggest source of wear and tear for your wardrobe — the motion and heat break down the fabric. Where do you think all that lint comes from? To keep line-dried clothes soft, add Ecover’s Fabric Softener in the wash cycle too!

Skip the Landfill. Ecover in the laundry room means helping save the planet even after the laundry’s done: Ecover’s PlantPlastic bottles are made from sugarcane and are 100% renewable, reusable and recyclable. And if you choose Ecover’s Laundry Liquid (either fragrance-free ZERO or Sunny Day) you’ll use less detergent in each load, which means fewer bottles in the first place. Perfect!

Curate a wardrobe that you love and then care for it with the best possible products and practices – that’s a truly green closet!

And remember we want to hear your green closet tips so please use #greencloset on your tweets, Facebook updates and blog entries so we can all be included in the same eco fashion conversation!

Image by Maegan via flickr.com

As Mother’s Day approaches, Ecover wishes for all Mothers a precious day with their family (and we also want to share a special Mother’s Day 20% discount with you, just use promo code YAYMOMS)!  And we want to take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on Mother’s Day Every Day: The Campaign for Healthy Moms and Newborns – a global effort to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of mothers and newborns at risk during childbirth. It’s hard to believe that childbirth remains the leading killer of young women worldwide, taking a woman’s life nearly every minute of every day. But the good news is that this campaign brings together a broad range of influential people who work to make motherhood safer.

Consider these compelling facts from The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood:

• In 2008, an estimated 358,000 women died from complications developed during pregnancy or childbirth.  The vast majority of these deaths were preventable with health care access before, during and after childbirth.

• Only 63 percent of births in the developing world are attended by skilled health workers (up from 53 percent in 1990).

• Mothers play a vital role in the economic health of their families and communities. 90 percent of women’s income is reinvested with their families; with men it’s only 30 to 40 percent. Each year, an estimated $15.5 billion in potential productivity is lost when mothers and newborns die.

Powerful statistics – and an additional incentive to celebrate mothers worldwide. Mothers and families are always on our minds here at Ecover; our vision of economical, ecological and social change ranges across society, working for a better future. We give you our best as we help make the world safer and healthier – that’s the heart of our business. So we salute the Mothers Day Every Day Campaign and wish everyone a healthy and happy Mother’s Day!

Photo by riza via Flickr.com

Are you a natural beauty?  We think you are so please enter our Beauty Booty Ecover Sweepstakes which starts today! Make sure to enter for your chance to be our Grand Prize Winner of $150 worth of amazing products from the eco-conscious beauty experts at Mineral Fusion! A second lucky winner will take home a beauty bundle of five Ecover products for naturally clean and soft clothes and hands. Enter until May 14^th for your chance to win one of these beautiful prizes!

We’re so excited to highlight Mineral Fusion, a fantastic line of naturally effective, healthy and safe mineral cosmetics and personal care products. They’re packed with skin-soothing botanicals, antioxidants and revitalizing minerals to protect and nourish skin and hair. And we know you’ll also appreciate what they don’t have: gluten, parabens, talc, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates which are Not pretty! Look for a Mineral Fusion retailer near you, and check out the awesome Mineral Fusion Facebook page for all the latest “minerals on a mission” product news and promotions.

Your Grand Prize includes the following full-size Mineral Fusion products (total value $150):

• Sunstone Body Wash
• Unscented Body Lotion
• Golden Touch Smoky Eye Kit
• Beautiful Basics Kit
• Purifying Gel Facial Cleanser
• Skin-Renewing Facial Scrub
• Skin-Balancing Facial Moisturizer
• Revitalizing Eye Treatment
• Age-Defying Treatment Serum

The second prize includes the following full-size Ecover products (Total value: $30.27):

• Stain Remover
• Delicate Wash
• Fabric Softener, Morning Fresh
• Hand Soap
• Hand Soap Refill

To enter, “like” Ecover on Facebook, then click on the sweepstakes tab to the left under our profile picture and follow the instructions. The winners will be selected at random on May 15th.

Good luck to all you natural beauties!

I had the pleasure of listening to some of the brightest minds in sustainability at the annual Sustainable Operations Summit in Midtown Manhattan. It was an impressive assembly, bringing together political and business leaders from around the globe, all there with the purpose of discussing innovations to reduce our environmental impact. The focus was on conservation, energy and the built environment.

Among the distinguished speakers were former President Bill Clinton and Eco celeb Trudie Styler. We’ve reported on Trudie’s and partner Sting’s decades of work to fight the destruction of the world’s rainforests,efforts that the Clinton Global Initiative awarded last Fall. Styler preceded Clinton, warming up the attentive audience with a thought-provoking speech about how our world’s precious natural resources are being destroyed in the name of business.

“Nobody is making businesses pay for the priceless assets that they’re stealing,” Styler said.“We have oil companies, loggers, cattle ranchers, soy bean farmers — they’re raping the forests and the rivers and depriving the indigenous people of their basic life sustenance.”

President Clinton later appeared and expressed frustration over how long it’s taking the United States to move forward on clean energy and energy efficiency. But President Clinton also kept the gathering positive. With a few classic, laugh-inducing jokes, he encouraged the audience to lead “by argument and example” to convince others that sustainable growth is the only kind of growth that makes long-term sense. He said, “Keep doing the little things that add up.”

How true. We have the power to enact those “little things,” as President Clinton calls them,for ourselves and for our families; they build upon one another and make a significant impact for our world. Ecover’s customers are a living, breathing example of that!

Lindsay E. Brown
Reporting Live for Ecover

Image via the Sustainable Operations Summit

It’s almost Cinco de Mayo, and Ecover knows you deserve a little celebration for all your hard work! And what fun to celebrate world’s traditions with food and drink! Cinco de Mayo is this coming Saturday, so it’s a perfect time for a hard-earned fiesta! So, gather some friends and try a few of these delicious Mexican-inspired recipes!

The first order of business is of course the margarita, and an organic version is a must! Here’s all you need to make a tasty one:

1.5 oz organic tequila
½ oz pure organic acai
¾ oz organic agave nectar
½ oz organic egg whites
1 organic lime, squeezed

Preparation: Pour all ingredients into metal shaker and shake until shaker is frosted. Strain into a chilled glass, rimmed with salt. Enjoy!

And no Mexican celebration would be complete without some organic guacamole. Here’s a delicious version:

3-4 ripe organic avocados
2-3 T organic light sour cream
3-4 T organic salsa
1 organic lime, squeezed
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation: Cut avocados in half and smash in bowl with a potato masher until smooth, add sour cream and salsa and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Taste for salt and pepper. Squeeze lime into dip and stir again. Serve with chips or vegetables.

Another tasty appetizer is goat cheese quesadillas, which we included in a blog entry last summer. These zesty treats are all sure to please your guests!

Armed with these easy and delectable recipes we know you’ll have a safe, delicious and sustainably savvy Cinco de Mayo!

Image via public-domain-image.com

Here at Ecover, we know that creating your own green, eco-friendly closet starts with mindful shopping, but that is not the end of the story. While some fashion choices are better for the planet than others — vintage clothes or thrifted, rather than new – all purchases are pretty much equal once you get them home and have to get them clean which are just as much a part of a green closet as what your clothes are made from.

“Take that cute organic cotton t-shirt,” says Susan Wagner, fashion blogger at Working Closet where ‘Life Meets Style,’ “or fabric options like Hemp and other non-toxic natural materials. Sure, they were grown without harmful pesticides, free of petrochemicals and synthetic ingredients, all good.  But the manufacturing and shipping processes for these items are essentially the same as for their non-organic counterparts, which means you ultimately may not be reducing your carbon footprint as much as you think.  And odds are, you’re paying a lot more for what is essentially just a t-shirt.”

So what you buy is important, but don’t get caught up in trying to buy all-natural clothes only – tocompletely make your closet ecological, buy less and care for it better, the concept behind Green Closet. Hey, it takes the same amount of energy to launder the organic tee as it does to wash and dry the non-organic version so make sure you look into the art of washing your clothes which includes using the washing machine vs. hand washing, using a dryer vs. line drying and of course the kind of laundry products you use to clean your clothes (are they eco- friendly? Do they conduct business sustainably?).  Here’s a secret about greening up your closet: how you launder your clothes matters more than what you buy. Yes, really.

So what do you do to green your closet?  Please tell us on Facebook, your blog or Twitter and use #greencloset so we can track your tips and share them again with all of our readers!

Image via clotheslineorganics.com

There’s nothing like a stirring documentary film to promote social change, as we saw with An Inconvenient Truth, Food, Inc. and Waiting for “Superman.” Now the producers behind those groundbreaking projects bring us Last Call at the Oasis, a new documentary that shines a spotlight on the global water crisis. The film opens May 4^th, and Ecover is proud to support its message, proclaiming the urgent need to preserve and protect the world’s most precious resource!

We’re thrilled to see so much activity bubbling around the release of Last Call. The film is premiering in conjunction with the 19^th annual World Water Day, which took place March 22, featuring numerous events highlighting water’s essential role in sustaining our world’s 7 billion people. Also in the works is “Know Your Water,” a social action campaign launched by Participant Media with 30 partners for Last Call.

The primary campaign initiative is The Water Bill of Rights – a declaration that all Americans deserve access to safe, clean drinking water. Those who sign will receive helpful information and water-saving tips. Here at Ecover, we’re committed to doing our part with super-efficient eco-factories that churn out phosphate-free cleaning products that don’t harm aquatic life or water supplies!

Conserving free-flowing tap water is just one of our concerns. It’s shocking to learn how much “hidden” water we also consume, along with our goods and services. For instance; it takes about 28 billion gallons of water to produce all the junk mail in circulation; nearly 2,000 gallons to produce a pound of beef and 2,900 gallons to make a single pair of blue jeans! Meanwhile, 884 million people across the world lack access to clean drinking water.

But we agree with Last Call that “the glass is still half full” – if we act now!

Photo by via Participant Media

Ecover asks you to imagine the earliest nomadic tribes preparing to pull up stakes before heading to their next place…what to do with the waste left behind?  This may have been the beginnings of human efforts to recycle, because it turns out that people all over the world have been engaged in various efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle for centuries! For Americans, recycling history is most closely associated with the environmental movement of the 1970s and the familiar symbol with the three green arrows. The first Earth Day celebration took place in 1970, amid a looming energy crisis and growing concerns about litter, smog and the problems caused by massive generation and disposal of solid waste. However, efforts go as far back as 1776 when America declared its independence from England, and rebels turned to recycling in order to provide material to fight the War of Independence!

Looking farther back into the fascinating story of recycling, and we see that reusing materials was a well-established practice during many difficult times in human struggles when resources were scarce. It seems that people have long understood that indiscriminately tossing things away is not only wasteful, but also bad for human health. For instance in 500 BC, Athens created the first municipal dumps in the Western World and decreed that waste must be disposed of at least one mile from the city’s edge. And during World War I, with major shortages in raw materials, the federal government created the Waste Reclamation Service with the motto “Don’t Waste Waste – Save it.”

Ecover is encouraged by the progress that has been made with recycling – and eager to do our part with innovations like our PlantPlastic packaging. Consider that in 1980, recycling kept 15 million tons of waste out of landfills; a few years ago that figure reached 82 million tons! That’s real progress. Meanwhile, creative programs like RecycleBank, which provides financial incentives to recycle, are making a big difference for our environment.

Of course, there is still more to do, but we can say that history is on our side, showing that recycling is part of the solution and is here to stay!

Photo 1 by Twicepix via Flickr.com
Photo 2 via Wikimedia Commons