Whole Foods Makes It Easy to Shop for Eco-Friendly Products

by Dana Hinders on July 13, 2012

Post image for Whole Foods Makes It Easy to Shop for Eco-Friendly Products

I try to be responsible and use products that are good for the environment, but sometimes I just don’t have the energy to read labels and try to figure out what all the ingredients mean. So, I love the idea of the Eco-Scale labeling system at Whole Foods Market.

This system uses orange, yellow, and green icons to indicate how environmentally friendly a product is. The green rating is the best possible rating.

For a product to be green under the Whole Foods system, it needs to have no petroleum- derived ingredients, 100% natural fragrances, no ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns, no DEA, MEA or TEA—surfactants that have the potential to contain nitrosamines and other impurities, and no synthetic, petroleum-derived thickeners made from nonrenewable sources. Products are independently verified by a third party to make sure they comply with labeling standards.

Recently, Whole Foods sent me a sample of their Green Mission Minty Fresh Cleaning Wipes to review. This product earned the green rating under the new labeling system.

I have a love/hate relationship with cleaning wipes in general. I don’t like how they create extra trash, but I have to admit they are helpful when it comes to encouraging my son to clean up after himself. And, since these wipes use no harmful chemicals, I don’t mind asking him to wipe up spills off the counter.

I also really like the minty scent of these wipes. It’s like a subtle air freshener instead of that overwhelming chemical smell that some cleaning wipes have.

Have you tried any of the Whole Foods Market products with the Eco-Scale labeling? If so, what did you think?

Photo credit: Whole Foods Market

  • http://www.citybabyliving.com/ Emily (CityBaby Living)

    I love that they have continued to be at the front of bringing green/organic/natural products to America.  Personally, I think their eco scale is preaching to a converted choir and I wish that mainstream food stores would adopt such a scale to help bring the message wider.  Just me?

Previous post:

Next post: