Heather says:
I want to thank Method for being a sponsor of Home-Ec 101 this year. I’m choosy about who I want to work with here. I care about the influence I may have over some of your consumer choices.
After flying out to San Francisco last March and meeting the founders of the company and hearing their story, I felt comfortable with my choice to work with Method. When I met and spoke to Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, the founders of the company, I felt even better.
I care about what your bring into your homes.
From the beginning I have advocated making healthier, greener choices when it comes to cleaning your home. The most economical of which is vinegar and water, which I still offer up as a useful choice.
However, not everyone wants to smell vinegar. I get that. (Also acidic cleaning solutions are not always the answer)
Method, as a company, makes products that are non-toxic and eco-friendly.
They only offer anti-bacterial cleaners where it makes sense. No, you do not need Tri-closan in your hand soap.
And pthalates, you remember pthalates, right? Yuck.
Remember their Ocean Plastic campaign from last month?
No, one small company can’t make a huge dent in the obscene amount of plastic in our oceans, but they can certainly be the example. They can set the bar and we can consciously choose to use their products and vote with our dollars. As an average citizen and consumer, all the phone calls in the world won’t make a difference, but consciously and consistently choosing to purchase products that align with our values does.
I’ve said it before when I talk about buying locally:
I see this as frugality in the broadest sense of the term, it’s making an informed choice to purchase the most beneficial product rather than the one offered at the lowest immediate cost. There can be long-term financial impacts caused by short-term savings. . .
And really this is part of why I don’t advocate the extreme couponing lifestyle. Please don’t take this as a condemnation, because that’s not where I’m going with this. I am -now- speaking from a place where I can make financial decisions that don’t feel desperate, it would be hypocritical to say NEVER do [X ] because in my life I have probably done [X] at some point and have no room to talk or finger point. If -and that is a big, big if- the budget allows me to make a choice based on my conscience, I will. Sometimes there isn’t a choice and I understand that, too.
December marks the last month of Method’s sponsorship of Home-Ec101 and other fine websites you may know (and love). I was -and am- proud to have been a part of their team during 2012 and am giddy with their news coming in 2013.
All I’m going to say, is you may not have to look as hard to find this little start-up that could. Breaking into the consumer product market is an incredible feat and as a company you deserve this.
Congratulations and thank you for all the soap¹.
¹Award yourself one Internetz if you can understand why that line reminds me of Douglas Adams.
