It is the month of October, and you will see pink everywhere and on everything. From t-shirts to NFL cleats, and cosmetics to cleaning products. There are certainly lots of companies and organization working together to fight breast cancer and make a difference, but there are many companies simply making their products all pink and pretty to support the cause, when in fact many of the ingredients you find in these products are dangerous and even known to be cancer-causing. Scary.
Women’s Voices for the Earth released a report in November 2011, Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in Your Cleaning Products?, which revealed high levels of the cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane hiding out in Tide® and Tide Free & Gentle®. This toxic chemical, 1,4-dioxane doesn’t appear on the product label or on the product website, so consumers have no way of knowing it’s even there.
And, the irony is that they have come out with a special edition “pink” Tide logo in support of breast cancer. This is upsetting in and of its self. How about you remove the cancer-causing chemical instead?
Doesn’t this make you angry that a product you assumed was safe could be harmful to you and your family? Hearing of this news, most people would simply stop buying the product all together and look for alternatives.
But there was one mom, Lori Popkewitz Alper of Groovy Green Livin who went beyond that, and, with the support of Women’s Voices for the Earth, MomsRising and Healthy Child Healthy World, started a petition demanding that Procter & Gamble (makers of Tide) strip this harmful cancer-causing chemical out of Tide Free & Gentle® .
Almost 80,000 of us have come together demanding that Procter & Gamble remove a cancer-causing chemical from their Tide Free & Gentle laundry detergent. But Procter & Gamble has ignored all of us-almost 80,000 consumers and dozens of health organizations who have contacted the company demanding the removal of this cancer-causing chemical.
Procter & Gamble position is that “1,4- dioxane is a byproduct that can be formed in trace amounts during the manufacturing of ingredients needed for cleaning products. The level of 1,4 dioxane in our product is below the suggested levels established in draft guidance by the EPA. Someone would have to wash and wear over one thousand loads of laundry every day to even approach the upper limit of exposure for 1,4 dioxane.”
Seriously? Do they actually believe that? No levels of a known harmful cancer-causing chemical are safe in any product especially when targeted towards washing baby clothing. Such chemicals have no business being there.
Procter & Gamble could make a positive change this October and show they are truly a company in support of breast cancer by taking out the toxic chemicals from their products.
Together we CAN make a difference.
- Please sign Lori’s petition asking Procter & Gamble to remove a cancer-causing chemical from their laundry detergents. Sign HERE.
- Share the picture of Tide’s toxic laundry detergent on Facebook and Twitter. You can share the image directly from Women’s Voices for the Earth’s Facebook page.
- Look for ways to green your laundry routine, and it just so happens that Healthy Child Healthy World has some great non-toxic laundry tips available for you.
What will Procter & Gambles next move be? We have the power to demand change, if we all come together. October is the perfect month to show them that this is unacceptable and that we will not stand for it.
Will you join us?
Photo Credit: Women’s Voice for the Earth
advocacy, cancer-causing chemical, Groovy Green Livin, health, petition, pinkwashing, tide
I am the Good Girl Gone Green. Seeing garbage cans overflowing with recyclables breaks my heart.
Thank you so much for sharing my petition Stephanie. Tide needs to hear our demands-we won’t stand for laundry detergent marketed to infants that contains cancer-causing chemicals. They’ve taken it out of other products it’s time to remove it from their detergents. Almost 80,000 people have come forward and the numbers are continuing to grow. Thanks again for sharing!
Thanks so much, Lori, for everything you’re doing on this campaign! You’re truly and inspiration.
It’s sad that the brand I grew up with cares so little about our health! It seems like such a simple change for them to make. And it would be positive for them rather than the negative publicity they’re going to continue to get from this campaign.
That is so disturbing. This is why I’m personally against all the October Breast Cancer Awareness stuff. because those SAME brands promoting awareness and donating to causes are the ones that include cancer-causing ingredients. Not to mention that the donations are to find a CURE through pharmaceuticals, not to find more causes and prevent. Off my soap box!! Thank you for sharing about Tide, I’m glad we haven’t used it in years!