Dirty rears its ugly head in many ways. From dust bunnies to toxic chemicals, we're against dirty. We make non-toxic and natural cleaning products that clean like heck and smell like heaven. But our products are just the beginning.
We don't make anything unless we can make it right from beginning to end to beginning again. Our products come from sustainably sourced materials. They're made and used in ways that won't harm the planet. We try to make everything recyclable, biodegradable and/or compostable as much as possible. That's good karma.
Partnering with our manufacturers, we ensure the way we make things is as green as the products themselves. We're moving towards becoming a completely carbon-neutral business, and we're now targeting part of our sustainability efforts at our supply chain, helping each supplier to be as energy-efficient as they can be. We reduce our carbon footprint wherever we can, from shipping products in biodiesel trucks to offsetting all carbon emissions from our manufacturing, travel and office use. Method is about more than cleaning up your home and your body; it's about cleaning up the way we clean.
We develop highly effective, environmentally friendly home care products following the Cradle to CradleSM environmental design philosophy. We consider the past, present and future implications of every product we make.
Every ingredient and material we use is assessed and scored by the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency (EPEA), an independent research institute led by Dr. Michael Braungart, author of Cradle to CradleSM. Every product must pass through Braungart's rigorous testing before we make it available to the public, and we won't use an ingredient unless the EPEA has deemed it safe for use by people, and safe for release in the environment. We've developed a 'dirty ingredient list' of substances you will never find in any Method product.
Dr. Braungart and his team have recognized Method as a Cradle to CradleSM (C2CSM) company. We earned this endorsement as a result of how we implement C2CSM thinking into our product design, and just as importantly, how we do things as a company. Everything we make at method reflects the belief that we can create better functioning, more beautiful, and greener products, and positively contribute to changes in the way our entire industry works in the process.
We also work with the Design for the Environment (DfE) office of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has recognized more than 50 of our products for their safety for people and the environment. That's what the little DfE logo on our packaging means.
We design our bottles to be completely recyclable, and to be made from 100% recycled plastic whenever possible, like our core cleaning bottles currently are. It's been a lengthy process confirming with municipal recycling facilities which materials actually get recycled (as opposed to just theoretically) and identifying suppliers willing to learn how to make bottles from recycled plastic but it's moving us closer towards our goal of packaging every formula in as much recycled and recyclable packaging as possible. Our packaging development relies on a design tool known internally as the 'green card,' which scores the packaging designs on multiple environmental endpoints like recyclability, packaging weight, reusability and compostability. The green card creates a metric that gauges the environmental quality of each package.
In 2006, PETA made our co-founders Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan their 'people of the year.' Though we know they like our products, it also had to do with our animal testing policy our no-animal testing policy, that is. We never test on animals, and we ensure our suppliers never do it on our behalf. A while back we came across a few regulators who relied on animal testing, and we successfully lobbied for them to accept our alternative tests tests that give equivalent results for things like eye and skin irritation.
Transparency is something we believe in. We want people to know what's in their cleaning products. That's why we are 'going naked' and publishing product ingredient lists on methodhome.com, starting with our core cleaning line. This includes the ingredient name along with a summary of the ingredient health assessment: where it comes from, how it works, and why it's safe for people and safe in the environment.
We're working towards making Method a completely carbon-neutral business. Our first carbon offsetting program involved purchasing wind and solar energy credits, and now we're looking at our supply chain. To help suppliers become more energy-efficient and reduce their emissions directly, we reward them with financial incentives when they employ sustainability initiatives like generating on-site renewable energy and adopting energy-efficient equipment.
We only select suppliers and factories that can meet our vision of sustainable operations. We developed a Greensourcing Action Kit, which is given to each supplier to help them improve the environmental impacts of their own operations, and lead to changes that will strengthen their capabilities and ultimately, their business.
Some green successes from suppliers so far:
Method headquarters is green from floor to ceiling, from sustainable carpeting and nonVOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints to timed lighting and energy-efficient features. We have full recycling and composting systems set up (we've even got the worms to prove it). We're LEED-certified, which is a national recognition of sustainable buildings. We promote public and self-propelled transportation to work through employee financial incentives and bike storage, showers and lockers in the building.
No? That's okay with us. We're comfortable with the fact that when a Nobel Prize winner needs to clean the toilet or has a funky smell to rid the world of, they reach for us.
We've been recognized by many of the world's leading design and environmental agencies for our efforts to make people friendly, planet friendly products. We take steps to ensure that our efforts meet or exceed the standards set forth by these experts, and while we don't really do this to win awards, it's a great testament of method's commitment to progress in business and design.
Progress means moving forward, and we embrace that idea. This means that by the time you're reading this, we've probably already stepped up our efforts. For the most-up-todate information on our company's initiatives, check out methodhome.com.
We launched a triple-concentrated laundry detergent (3x) in 2004, making Method the first in US mass market to offer 3x laundry detergent. 3x changed people's perception about laundry, educating consumers that just a small amount of our concentrated detergent would work as well as three times the amount of a diluted product. Considering the amount of water, packaging and energy that goes into the production of liquid detergent and compared to the other big jugs on shelf our small bottle sent a big message about conserving resources. As we've seen more and more concentrated formulas hit the market, our next step was to develop an even greener formula that performed even better: Squeaky Green. This new triple-concentrated formula, made from 99% plant-based ingredients, is not only on the cutting edge of sustainability, but has more stain-fighting power than our original detergent.
We also have Squeaky Green dryer sheets that are vegan completely free of the animal fat that's often found in softener sheets. The sheets come from a wood-fiber base and use a water-based technology to infuse plant-derived softeners directly into the fabric as it dries, rather than just coating the surface which can leave a gummy residue. Clothes are naturally soft and animal fat-free.
Method hand wash is a good lesson in simplicity. It's one of our best-selling products, and it's very simply made. Whereas antibacterial soaps rely on harsh chemicals like triclosan, a registered pesticide, our hand wash is made with safe, biodegradable cleaners derived from coconut and natural moisturizers to effectively clean and soften hands.
You won't see a Method product that's environmentally friendly but not effective, or one that works well but contains toxic chemicals. While our toilet bowl cleaner took a little longer to create, it was worth the wait. The hero ingredient, natural lactic acid, gets rid of tough stains and ring-around-the-rim. And the bleach-free formula works as well as any bowl cleaner without having to flush toxins down the drain.
Instead of harsh chemicals and noxious fumes, our scrub cleaner uses finely milled marble to deep clean tough stains away. The non-abrasive formula is non-toxic and biodegradable, and the functional design has a built-in sponge holder.
People are starting to hear more about the dangers of phosphates in the news, which is a good thing. Phosphates cause algae blooms in waterways which threaten fish and plant life. The state of Washington passed a bill that will ban phosphates in all dish detergent by 2010. We expect to see other states follow their lead.
Our Smarty Dish dishwasher detergent is completely free of phosphates, but packed with biodegradable ingredients that won't compromise performance. That was a non-negotiable for us: creating a non-toxic detergent that worked really well. We went through third party testing to ensure that our formula cleaned at parity or better than the leading detergents. Smart.
