Green Consumer Clout Motivates Tide to Clean Up Its Act

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Why My Purse is Green

Because I believe…

the fastest, most effective way to stop polluters is by pressuring them in the marketplace

women can be the world’s most powerful economic and environmental force if we intentionally shift our spending to the best green products and services

women have the power right now to solve many of our most serious environmental problems by using our green purses to make a difference

women must act – intentionally, collectively, and with the full force of our purse power behind us – if we hope to leave our children and grandchildren a better world.

Think you can't tell a Fortune 500 company what to do?

Think again.

When Women's Voices for the Earth released a report noting that Tide detergent contained chemicals that could actually be harmful to kids, millions of consumers were outraged. They were buying the Procter & Gamble (P&G) product to keep their children clean and safe. Yet according to the report, Tide actually contained the cancer-causing chemicals 1,4- dioxane at levels safety experts considered threatening.

Mom blogger and consumer activist Lori Alper sprang into action by launching a petition drive on Change.org. urging the company to ditch the dangerous compounds.

Today - 78,000 signatures later - Tide capitulated. In response to consumer demand and a lawsuit filed in California by As You Sow, P&G agreed to phase out the carcinogens by September 2013.

“When I started my petition on Change.org, I knew that Procter & Gamble listened to consumer feedback, and I was hopeful we could get this dangerous chemical out of our laundry,” said Alper. “I can’t wait to see what we can do next.”