I Have a New ATTITUDE

“With so many new green products hitting the store shelves how do you know that the product you are about to buy is actually good for the environment?” 

This is probably one of the most frequent questions that people ask me when I tell them that I test eco-friendly products.  My friends (and family) see the products in use at my house and they are curious about the validity of the companies claims.  There is actually a term that is being used for companies who are fooling us into believing that their products are greener than they really are…greenwashing!  Have you been a victim of greenwashing?  I know I have been but it makes you feel good doesn’t it?  Thinking that you are buying a product that is good for the environment?

Again, I want to remind you that I only provide my honest opinions here!  These are only my opinions and other people may have different opinions.  I try to use my environmental background and education to help me make an educated opinion about these products. 

For most of us, you see a green product on the shelf and it may even have a pretty green certification label on it…Certified Eco-Friendly! Certified Green Product! etc., etc., etc.  Do those labels actually mean anything?  Sometimes they do but it’s up to you to do your homework to ensure that the products you are relying on are as good for the environment as you think they are.  It’s actually kinda sad but there are fakes out there and it keeps people from supporting green companies.  I don’t talk about my real job all that often because there is a lot of proprietary information that I can’t really discuss in an open forum.  I can tell you that part of my job title includes ISO 14001 Certified Auditor.  What does that mean?  ISO (or International Standards Organization) 14001 is a set of standards that can be used by any business to ensure that they are operating their business in an environmentally responsibly manner.  There are many different ISO standards out there and a new one I just found out about is ISO 14024 – a standard for eco-labeling and declarations.  This is a standard that companies can use to certify that their products are eco-friendly on their labels.  All ISO standards require a third-party to come into your business and audit you and your practices against the ISO standards.  It’s a very complex process but it’s very effective to ensure consistency in labeling. 

Now that I’ve been babbling for a while I’ll get to my point!  I was recently introduced to Bio Spectra and their Attitude line of eco-friendly cleaning products.  They are the first line of household products that are both eco-certified and carbon neutral.  Last year they obtained an environmental certification called EcoLogo which is based off of ISO 14024 standards for eco-labeling!  (That was my ta-da moment of all that babbling in case you missed my eco-geek speak!)  You can go and read all about the EcoLogo and ISO 14024 if you want but I want to talk about Attitude and the many wonderful eco-friendly products that are really certified eco-friendly.  I’ve had the opportunity to try three of their products and here is a little bit of info about each of them.

Attitude Laundry Detergent in pre-measured packets.  Each dissolvable packet contains the following ingredients: water, surfactants derived from corn and coconut, soduim citrate, sodium gluconate and essential oils.  Attitude laundry detergents are vegan, hypoallergenic, phosphate-free, free of petrochemicals, and contain no brighteners, enzymes or dyes.

Attitude Dishwashing Liquid.  The ingredients in this liquid dish soap include: water, xanthan gum, coco glucoside, lauryl glucoside, vegetable-based glycerin, sodium citrate, and essential oils.  Attitude dishwashing liquid is paraben free, vegan, and free of petrochemicals. 

Attitude Bathroom/Mold and Mildew Cleaner.  The ingredients are: water, citric acid, coco glucoside, lauryl glucoside, alcohol and essential oils; and they are also vegan, hypoallergenic and chlorine free.

What does The Eco Chic think about Attitude? 

I L-O-V-E the laundry detergent!  It has a great scent and cleaned just as well as my normal green laundry detergent.  The one thing I really like is the pre-packaged dissolvable packets.  They are packaged in a plastic bag but that is the only waste that is left; no empty plastic bottle and lid! 

The dishwashing detergent is nice.  I think my best friend was actually the one to notice it but it doesn’t leave lots of soap bubbles when you add it to the water.  It’s actually a common misconception that our cleaning products have to smell good and they have to bubble.  It does have a great scent and you just have to believe that the lack of bubbles won’t hurt the cleaning ability of Attitude. 

The final product, the bathroom cleaner, is actually in my husbands hands.  I hate cleaning the bathroom!  Our bathroom is so old and so gross that I can’t stand to go in there.  No amount of cleaner will save my nasty shower…honest!  Attitude did just as good as any other cleaner that we’ve tried.  It got the new dirt and grime off the tiles.  It smelled good and my husband actually liked it.

Buy It!  Now that you know that Attitude is an eco-certified product (for real) and that the products actually work well why don’t you try it for yourself.  Attitude is available at Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market and Thriftway here in the US.  I don’t actually have those retails stores nearby Attitude is also available on Amazon.com.  Click the Where to Buy link at Attitude to find a retailer nearest you. 

Have you used Attitude?  I’d love to hear your comments below.