Read Me

I have a problem (shocker I know) but I wanted to let you know openly, as I cannot hide it any longer, I hate (yeah I said hate) greenwashing.  Do not get greenwashed (aka suckered) into something, as I recently did.  I had a blonde moment (I can say that b/c I am blonde, and I am am owning it ;) ) in a shop the other day and I bought something I shouldn't because of the pretty label that was calling to me.  Oh and also the fact that it had a very well known ecological nonprofit logo on it.  I thought hey I can bypass reading this label, it has to be safe if the aforementioned (can I say that and be taken seriously if I am not in a court room??) nonprofit is endorsing it.  Well guess who was 100% totally and completely wrong, that's right, this girl.  When I finally do get around to reading the label I find that well known non-profit does NOT endorse anything made by the company, but instead the products parent company just pays royalties to plaster the logo of the nonprofit all over their stuff.  What a crock.  But unfortunately that is the way of things right now, and I was the sucker that fell for it.  Not OK, shame on everyone involved, including me.
The key to a lot of issues, including greenwashing, is education.  Educate yourself and be aware.  Keep researching, figure out what you are OK with and what you are not,  and shop accordingly.  For example I avoid all P&G products (this parent company hides behind a lot of names), I look for cruelty free, I try very hard to stay away from products with palm oil (again this sucker hides under a lot of names and is in a lot of different products, see below*).  We are going to table the palm oil discussion for a different day.  And I try (try being the key word here) to reduce waste by shopping for things with limited packaging.  I am not perfect (case in point this post), I get that, but I there is effort being made.  But the point here is still, READ. Pretty packaging does not mean pretty stuff.  If you love a certain product make sure you are OK with every aspect how it is made and sold and if not then find a better alternative that you are OK with.  And if there is not one, then make it (oh sure Charlotte you say, but I have faith in you I know you can)!
Look no one is perfect but we can be better, not perfect but better, shoppers the more educated we are.  I know everyone is saying it, but buy local whenever you can, and stop buying from those big companies who think we are all dumb enough (gulp) to buy something if it only looks good, or make it yourself.  Look I get there is a flaw with the overall "system" of things.  But you can do something really simple, use your wallet to change the status quo.  Vote against those companies through the use of economics.  They suffer without it, because money talks sister.  So create that change by being educated shoppers ( please note I am aware of some bigger economic and environmental concerns that could be addressed just not trying to put everyone to sleep, including myslef, every time a post is read) force those corporation dummies to make better stuff.  Don't let greenwashing happen to you!

*Side note: these ingredients are definitely palm oil or derived from palm oil: Cetyl Palmitate, Elaeis Guineensis, Epoxidized Palm Oil (UV cured coatings), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrated Palm Glycerides, Octyl Palmitate, Palm Oil, Palm Fruit Oil, Palm Kernel, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Stearine, Palmate, Palmitate, Palmitic Acid, Palmityl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Oxostearamide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Palmolein, Saponified Elaeis Guineensis, Sodium Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Palmate (Please see Philadelphia Zoo for more info).