the dirt

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farewell to our #1 call girl

by gunther, November 18, 2008
sarah

 

It is with sadness that we bid our #1 people against dirty, Sarah Homeijer a fond farewell. Anyone who calls him or herself an advocate; anyone who’s written us a letter or called in to method; and anyone who’s attended our in-home parties has likely come across Sarah. And for those who have not, she’s undoubtedly come across you.

 

Sarah has been the friendly and impassioned voice of method’s people against dirty since she started 5 years ago when method was a wee little company with grand endeavors. She handpicked our dedicated consumer response team, founded our very successful advocacy program and is the reason we value advocate-love above all else. It is to her that we owe a lot of who we are and who we’ve become.

 

If method were a family, then Sarah would be that wild and crazy aunt – you know, that one that bought you alcohol snuck you into bars when you were seventeen. That one.

 

Her easygoing and fun disposition; her scrappy and tireless work ethic; and her fiery dedication to keeping us on our green toes have become a glowing example of the spirit and passion of what method’s all about - she not only personifies our culture, she’s also one of its early inspirations too.

 

Sarah will move back to New York City with her husband, Matthew and son, Silas to be closer to family.

 

Au revoir, adieu and aloha, Sarah.

We’ll miss ya.
 


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Stopping to smell the new holiday fragrances with method fragrance expert, Suzanne McCormick

by julie kim, November 13, 2008

 

You may have noticed that we have a few new kids on the block when it comes to our new holiday fragrances. We sat down with Suzanne, our in-house "Scents & Scentsibility" expert (yes, that is her official title), to get a closer look at how the new fragrances came to be. 

 

What was the inspiration behind the new fragrances this season? 

Nostalgia - we wanted these fragrances to evoke happy memories of holidays gone by... and hopefully create new ones for our little consumers. 

What were the big challenges in creating these new holiday fragrances?  

Since it is all about tradition... there are particular fragrance notes that are meaningful for this season. We wanted each to be a winner in its olfactive family and, as always, we aim for a well balanced portfolio. 
 
How were the final fragrances picked?  

We worked with an internal panel made up of a cross-section of method employees (product development, creative, and brand experts). We go through multiple rounds of submissions starting with a broad range of fragrances and then narrow them down to the final ideas. We are always modifying the fragrances right up until the last minute to get them just right.  

C'mon, tell us - what fragrances didn't make the cut? 

I never kiss and tell... unless I am under the mistletoe 

What's your personal favorite? 
 
All our fragrances are like my little babies... you love each one for different reasons. I hope that there is something for everybody as people take the time to prepare their home to welcome family and friends during this special time of year. 



Okay, so even though Suzanne wouldn't tell, we'd love to hear what your favorite holiday scent is. And if you want to take a look at all our new holiday fragrances, you can check it out here.

 

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NYC mayor looking to ban plastic bags

by julie kim, November 12, 2008

 

There's an article on TreeHugger that'sreally something to boast about. NYC mayor, Michael Bloomberg, islooking to charge consumers 6 cents per plastic bag (5 of which wouldgo to the city, 1 of which would go back to the store). The hope is toreduce the use of plastic shopping bags and promote the use of reusableshopping bags.

 

Plastic bags are an inefficient use ofnon-renewable materials – they take a long time to break down, arebrutally ugly eyesores, can interfere with water drainage and recyclingsystems and, worst of all, are totally unnecessary. Companies aroundthe world churn out over 4 trillion plastic bags a year. Ugh.

 

Whilepaper bags are a better option in some respects, they are stillunneeded waste. This is why we love the idea of promoting the use ofreusable shopping bags. They're a much better alternative for theenvironment and some stores even give you discounts for bringing inyour own bag. These bags can be made of a bunch of different materialsall varying in their degree of greenness, but what makes them reallyeffective is when you use them over and over and we're all in supportof that.

 

Our own hometown, San Francisco, became the first city in the US to ban the use of plastic bagsback in 2007. While we like to think that SF helped pave the way forother cities to realize just how dirty plastic bags can be, we are mostimpressed by the results seen in Ireland,who placed a 15 cent levy on plastic bags in 2002, and saw a 90%reduction in their use (resulting in 1 billion fewer bags used peryear) and raised over 12 million dollars of dedicated environmentalprogram funding in the first year – all things that we’d love to seeresult from the New York City plan. And in case you didn't know it, wehave our own version of a reusable bag that'll help get you into plastic bag rehab too.




Rubbish in blue (bag) image by SouthbankSteve

 

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Are You Unknowingly Wasting Electricity?

by julie kim, November 11, 2008

Danny Seo, our favorite eco-guru, as always has great ideas to share when it comes to saving energy. Check out one of his tips below and be on your way to break your bad un-eco habits.

 

 




BAD HABIT #1: Wasting Electricity

 

The US Department of Energy says that in the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. That means that only a quarter of the energy used to power electronics is actually spent doing its job - powering up the device. The other 75% gets simply wasted. Use the easy tips below to help save electricity without really trying.

 

- Plug all your major appliances (TV, DVD player, stereo) into a surge protector. Even when these electronics are turned off, they are still using electricity and wasting you money. To stop the flow of electricity completely, turn off the surge protector to cut off all electricity. Just one quick switch is all it takes to completely power off your big electronics.

 

- People commonly leave their cell phone and MP3 player chargers plugged into the wall even when not in use. Be sure to unplug them since they still charge up even when not in use.

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Parabens: dirty ingredient #1

by drummond, November 7, 2008

Parabens are one of several ‘boogie man’ ingredients found in cosmetics and personal care products – ingredients that cause alarm, but that often aren’t very well understood. We don’t use parabens in any of our products, and here’s why.


First off, the science lesson:
Parabens are a class of preservatives (meaning they stop bacteria from growing), commonly used in cosmetics and other personal care products like shampoos, body washes and liquid soaps. While they’re cheap and effective, there have been a few concerns about the health effects of using them.


First of all, and most frequently cited, is the possible link between parabens and breast cancer. A 2004 study found concentrations of intact parabens in human breast cancer tissue samples. Even though these concentrations were very low, it showed that parabens were entering the human body and accumulating in cancer tissue. The study did not show that the parabens caused the tumors, just that they were accumulating in them – a smoking gun, but not proof.

 

The second concern about parabens is their ability to mimic estrogen in the body, also known as endocrine disruption. Even though the effects aren’t fully understood yet, they could also pose a health risk or even be related to the cancer concerns above.


Method’s approach in creating products is to play it safe, use the precautionary principle and avoid using suspicious materials (like parabens) in our products - period. Unless we can conclude that an ingredient will not be a threat to human health (or to the environment), we won’t use it. In the case of parabens, this means that we use alternative preservatives and steer clear of the risk.

 

 

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Farewell Chicago

by felicia, October 17, 2008

 

As we bid Detox Chicago a fond farewell, we'd like to give a shout-out to our wonderful advocates. Four fantastic females allowed us to throw parties in their homes for a few of their friends. We stashed method in bookcases, bathrooms, and little nooks and crannies. Cocktails flowed and we got a chance to talk to people about everything from design to environmental responsibility. Everyone walked away with a plastic bag rehab tote stuffed with products and surprises; and hopefully a better understanding of every aspect of method. There's nothing better than getting the chance to tell why we do what we do.

 

method advocacy team

 




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Stop drafts from leaking in this Fall

by julie kim, October 17, 2008

Danny Seo, eco-guru extraordinaire, is full of great ideas especially when it comes to going green. Check out one of his clever tips below on going green this fall.

 



Going green this Fall isn't just good for Mother Earth, it can help save you money, too. Give the tip below a try and let us know what you think.

 

BE A DRAFT DODGER.

 

Winter Warm-Up Week: Keep the blustery cold air outdoors by stopping drafts at windows and doors. Place a draft dodger (a long fabric tube) along the edges where cold seeps inside to stop it in its tracks; you can find them at www.gaiam.com or stores like Bed Bath & Beyond. The draft dodger helps to keep your house warmer without turning up the heat which is both costly for the environment and your wallet.

 

For smaller windows, you can make your own dodger. Just fill a large sock (like an athletic sock) with pebbles, tie a a knot at the end, and place.

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Announcing the winners of our skinny dipping story contest!

by colleen, October 14, 2008

A couple of weeks ago we wrote here about our new line of personal care products, Marine Naturals.  Since it was inspired by the refreshing feeling of skinny dipping, we thought what better entertainment value could we get than to have people submit their favorite skinny dipping stories and pick the best one?


(photo copyright Joakim Jansson via flickr.com)

 

Well, we couldn't do it.  Pick one, that is.  We couldn't choose, so we had to pick two.  So Caitlin of Massachusetts and Maria of British Columbia are both getting a free Marine Naturals body wash and a free gel hand wash!  Read their skinny dipping tales below.


Caitlin's story:

 

You want an empowered skinny dipping story, well here goes.

 

When I was a teenager, I lived just down the road from a lake and a town beach. One night, a friend of mine and I walked down to listen to the crickets and watch moonlight on the water. I got the overwhelming urge, stripped to my undies and dove in for a swim. She soon followed. After jumping off the raft and laughing for a half hour, we heard the familiar voices of a couple neighborhood boys, known bullies coming onto the beach. They taunted us, snatched our clothes from the beach and disappeared into the night, leaving us there in our underwear.

 

Did I cower and cry? Did I hunker down in shame? No, I strided out of the water in my soaked white underwear, every stitch of skin visible to any eye, and walked with my head held higher than I'd ever held it in my life, all the way home.

 

Skinny dipping that night taught me to have strength and confidence in all situations, to flaunt the awesome that is my skin and scoff at those who might try to oppress me. Huzzah for being naked and awesome!


and here's Maria's tale:

The only thing more entertaining about skinny dipping is skinny dipping at the same place as your parents had done so when they were your age.

 

Now, I am quite the veteran to skinny dipping as I believe in being free and open. I also believe it is great for your mind to let go of your inhibitions. So when I went with my two friends to Vancover Island for a summer camping trip I asked them if they were interested in doing something a little adventurous. We were down by the river one of the beautiful sunny days and of course I had to be the first one naked, but as soon as I was, there was a jump for joy as they both stripped down and went for the water. We were all swimming naked for hours.

 

When we all got back home I phoned my father to tell him of all our fun times and mentioned the location of where we were camping. He couldn't stop laughing as he revealed the details of what his friends had done so many years before in the exact same location! Now how is that for a coincidence!

 

Thanks to everyone who shared their stories!

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California steps in the right direction with the new Green Chemistry Initiative

by drummond, October 7, 2008

Recently the California Green Chemistry Initiative was signed by the Governator, creating the most comprehensive framework in the country for the regulation of toxic chemicals. Though it stops well short of requiring the use of green chemistry in all products made and sold in California, the Initiative does give the state much better abilities to police the worst actors amongst chemicals and products.

We are big supporters of green chemistry. Its concepts inform our product development process, and we’ve been proactive about promoting green chemistry on a wider basis in industry and public policy. We are members of the glamorous group known as the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council, and our co-founder Adam Lowry even spent some time at the State Assembly in Sacramento earlier this year talking about the ability of business to make great, innovative products using green chemistry.

Cheers to the California legislature for its groundbreaking work, and here’s to hoping the example is followed by other states.

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Sipping sustainably in Chicago

by julie kim, October 6, 2008

While Detox Chicago is in full swing, we have to admit we've been partying it up at night. Our partner in crime, Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, who brought along her "sustainable sips" to all our Detox events this year, came out again to join us in Chicago and we couldn't be happier. Her "sustainable sips" are a hit and even better, are all made with organic juices and liquors. We're sharing her "Green and White Fall Sangria" recipe we made this week below. And if you think that looks great, be sure to check out her other recipes here. 


Green and White Fall Sangria

Organic seasonal fruits (we used apples, pears, figs and grapes)
Purus organic vodka
Veev acai liqueur
Lavender honey
Organic peach juice
Bonterra organic chardonnay

Finely chop fruit into a bowl or Tupperware container. Drizzle with honey then add a half-inch of each peach juice and vodka. Let marinate several hours. When ready to serve, spoon one tablespoon of fruit mixture into each glass, and top with Bonterra. Garnish with strawberry on the rim of the glass.

To learn more about Natalie, the Liquid Muse, visit her website atwww.theliquidmuse.com.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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