Whole Story

Beginning on Earth Day, we’ll be launching our new Eco-Scale™ Rating System for household cleaning products. What does this mean for you? It means that figuring out how to scrub, wash and polish in an earth-friendly way just got easier! This new rating system gives you the information you need to make more informed choices about the way you clean your home, your clothes and your dishes. The Eco-Scale™ Rating System is a 3^rd-party verified, tiered rating system that we are now using to evaluate cleaning products for environmental impact, safety, efficacy, source, labeling and animal testing. Based on the product evaluation, we will rate it red, orange, yellow or green on the Eco-Scale™. Here’s how the Eco-Scale™ Rating System gives new meaning to green cleaning:

• Full ingredient disclosure on the packaging
• Safer alternatives to conventional ingredients
• Ingredients are evaluated for environmental impact
• 3^rd-Party verification

There’s a thorough list of requirements for each of our ratings, but here are some highlights: “Orange” Rating: No phosphates, chlorine or fake colors “Yellow” Rating: 100% natural fragrances; minimal safety concerns “Green” Rating: 100% natural, non-petroleum ingredients Since the U.S. government does not require full disclosure of ingredients on cleaning products, the Eco-Scale™ Rating System encourages producers to create better products and requires that all ingredients be listed on the packaging. It’s the first set of household cleaner standards from a retailer and the highest standards set by any “green cleaners” standards-setting group. Many of our nationally distributed cleaning products are in the process of being audited and rated, so you’ll see these Eco-Scale ratings soon on brands like our entire line of Whole Foods Market and 365 Everyday Value products, Biokleen, Method, Ecover, Better Life and Greenshield. Plus, all of our cleaning supply products will be undergoing a third-party audit to ensure that all ingredients meet our Quality Standards, that all label claims are truthful and not misleading, and that they comply with all government regulations. As part of this launch, we are also making a commitment to ensure that all products that do not, at minimum, meet the orange tier will be removed from our shelves by Earth Day 2012. We love how our customers have high expectations for us, and we want to show that love by demonstrating our commitment to offering the greenest products on the market. For more detail on each rating, visit the Eco-Scale™ page on our website. What do you think? Will the Eco-Scale™ be a helpful tool the next time you’re looking for cleaning products that aren’t dirty?