If you’ve been buying green laundry detergents, there’s a good chance you’re being served up a big heap of petrochemicals, according to CBC.
Purex Natural Elements and Sunlight Green Clean were composed of 30-38% petrochemicals, despite claims to the contrary on the label.
The news isn’t all bad though. Clorox GreenWorks laundry detergent outperformed its label, with 98% of its ingredients being plant-based.
The popular consumer watchdog show had all three tested at an independent lab to determine their composition. When they asked Adria Vasil, author of EcoHolic, what she thought about the results, she stated that companies are clearly taking advantage and the government needs to step in. Being that is about as likely as the sun rising in the west, CBC cautions people to look out for third-party certification labels, like Canada’s Eco Logo.
I have to say that I am pretty stoked about the findings about Green Works. I had pessimistically assumed that because it was from such a large company, it must be a greenwashed product. I have used most of their cleaners anyway and found them to be quite effective. From now on, I know what I’m stocking my cupboards with.
Tags: green cleaners, green laundry detergent, organic cleaners, organic labels
Comment(1)
I had been wondering if Green Works liquid detergents and toilette bowl cleaners were really green, and I am very glad that CBC Marketplace has investigated these products and, in fact found them wanting.
I would also very much see an investigation of the widely advertised product: CLR. It did not get rid of my rust stains in an old bathtub. In all the ads, it cleans only stuff that could be cleaned with plain water.