I was appalled to discover that Wild Oats Natural Marketplace has put toxic cleaning/laundry products on their shelves right next to environmentally responsible ones! TAKE ACTION: Buy enviro-friendly cleaning/laundry products! Express your concerns to W.O. corporate headquarters!

Date:   8/6/2005 12:33:31 AM ( 19 y ago)

Right next to Seventh Generation laundry detergent were spaces for "Tide" laundry detergent. I say "spaces" for Tide because the Tide was sold out!!
Also on the shelf was "409" all-purpose cleaner, and "Lysol", right next to "Seventh Generation" all-purpose cleaner!

As a person with chemical sensitivity, I could smell the chemicals from these toxic products right through the packaging, and after standing there too long gaping in disgust and shock, I had to flee the cleaning products aisle due to a sudden attack of headache and anxiety.

Just as I was running out of the aisle, I saw a "Bounty" roll of paper towels, right next to the more environmentally responsible ones that are made out of recycled paper and use nontoxic bleaching agents instead of chlorine-based ones.

I spoke with the checker as I put my groceries through. I asked her about the changes, as I hadn't seen these products the last time I was in the store a couple of weeks ago. She said they were new, and that it disgusted her but she couldn't say anything because she was an employee. I asked for a company complaint form; she gave me the 800 number for corporate offices of Wild Oats in Boulder, Colorado.

Still fuming, I managed to get the groceries into the trunk of my car before I broke down in tears, I was so upset. Not waiting to get home, I called corporate on my cell phone and spoke to a customer service representative, telling her I objected strenuously to Wild Oats Market compromising their values in the name of money, that these products were toxic and damaged consumer health and the health of the environment. I also told her, as a chemically sensitive person, that by putting these products on the shelf, the store had limited my access and that I would not be able to comfortably shop for household cleaning supplies in their store. The rep. dutifully wrote down what I said and told me she'd "pass it on" to higher-ups.

When I got home, I called the store manager, "Craig" and repeated my concerns. He said he could "empathize" with my concerns but that this policy of Wild Oat's was months in the planning stages, and that the changes were not exclusive to my local store, but were NATIONWIDE. He said that Wild Oats wanted to bring in people to their store that normally wouldn't shop there. The corporate talking heads had told the store managers that they were "not compromising the corporation's values" by putting these products on the shelf, but wanted to widen their customer base. The idea was that if non-regular customers came into the store for a box of Tide, say, they would see the environmentally friendly products and eventually buy that instead. Yeh, right, seeing as the Tide was bought out while the Seventh Generation product was still sitting on the shelf!

I told Craig that seeing the enviro-friendly products on the shelf was not enough to induce people to buy them, that the consumer needed educating as to why these products were better for them and the environment. We had a long chat. To make a long story short, Craig ended up giving me the name of the store's marketing person. He recommended I call her and see what ideas we can come up with to educate customers coming into Wild Oats as to why buying the enviro-cleaning products is better. This may entail putting up posters around the store, handing out fliers with information, or my volunteering to give a class or two at the store to interested consumers (ulp!).

After thinking about it, I decided I WOULD follow through and call the marketing representative. I'll keep you posted as to progress made in this area.

Meanwhile, what I'm asking YOU to do, as a concerned consumer, is TAKE ACTION:

1)VISIT your local Wild Oats Natural Marketplace and take a look at the products on the cleaning aisle shelves.
2)PURCHASE environmentally friendly products (see list below) either at W.O. or your store of choice; if you purchase them elsewhere, please tell W.O. store manager you did so as an act of protest because of W.O's change in policy
3)PROTEST, politely, to the store manager about the toxic and non-ecofriendly products on the shelf
4)CALL corporate headquarters in Boulder, Colorado and file a verbal "concern" with the customer service people about the new addition of toxic products:

corporate headquarters: 1-800-494-WILD (9453) M-F 8-4 PM, Sat 8-12 Noon, Mountain Standard Time

5)EMAIL or WRITE corporate Wild Oats and express your concerns: http://www.wildoats.com and click on "contact us" at the bottom of the webpage

or snail mail:
Wild Oats Markets, Inc.
3375 Mitchell Lane
Boulder, CO 80301
Attention: Customer Service Department

Express your concerns for the toxic cleaning products they have added to their shelves, and that this DOES compromise the corporation's image as a national chain store selling "natural" and eco-friendly food and products.

If you have chemical sensitivities, or have a family member or friend who does, be sure you add in to your list of concerns that your access to a safe and clean store environment has been compromised because of toxic products on the shelves.

This is what I wrote in the e-mail to Wild Oats; feel free to copy-and-paste and edit it for your own e-mail or letter:

"Dear Wild Oats:

I enjoyed shopping at your store since it first opened, until yesterday. I went to the aisle where cleaning products are sold and was shocked and appalled to find products like "Tide", "409" and "Lysol" sitting on the shelves next to the usual W.O enviro-friendly cleaners and laundry products.

These products contain toxic chemicals that are hazardous for the health of the consumer as well as for the environment.

Shame on Wild Oats for compromising your image as a large chain store selling "natural" products! Shame on you for "selling out" the health of the consumer and the environment for the sake of making a larger profit!

Additionally, I have severe chemical sensitivity. Wild Oats was the only large chain grocery store I could comfortably shop in, because the products sold were nontoxic. Now, I can no longer go down your cleaning products aisle without gagging from the toxic fumes emanating from the toxic products on your shelf. My access to your store, as a person with a disability, has been compromised.

Sincerely,

Liora Leah"

I gave them my e-mail address and am awaiting a reply.


EARTH-FRIENDLIER CLEANING AND LAUNDRY PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND:

Ecover http://www.ecover.com
Mountain Green http://www.mtngreen.com/
Planet http://www.planetinc.com
Seventh Generation http://www.seventhgeneration.com

Besides Wild Oats, try Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Mother's Market and your local health food store for these products.

Can't find these products in your local store? Try on-line shopping at Cari Amici for Ecover, Seventh Generation, and other vegan, cruelty-free products (look under "Manufacturer" list: http://www.cariamici.net/
or Wellness Grocer: http://www.wellnessgrocer.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=311 that also sells some nice personal care products.

The only place I could find on-line for Mountain Green or Planet is drugstore.com, which sells other eco-friendly products like Tom's of Maine, but also a lot of regular toxin-filled products, so be careful when you shop:
Mountain Green http://www.drugstore.com/templates/brand/default.asp?brand=43394&trx=SBB-...
Planet http://www.drugstore.com/templates/brand/default.asp?brand=42557&trx=SBB-...

Planet is also sold in a lot of what I call "Toxic Wasteland" large chain stores that will not be named here. You can check out the list in your area on their website. Planet will soon sell their products direct to the consumer, so check back on their "Direct Order" webpage which is currently under construction.

Consumers can readily find information about all their household product needs through on-line catalogs such as National Green Pages put out by Coop America:
http://www.coopamerica.org and click on "National Green Pages" square green icon

Read more about recycled and non-chlorine bleach paper products such as toilet and facial tissue: "Eco-Toileting" http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=30

For excellent information about the hazards of chlorine, and alternatives to its use: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/site/pp.asp?c=coIHKTMHF&b=84419#4

Toxins in Cosmetics: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=2
Toxins in Perfume: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=65
Household "Products Cause Bad Air" http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=1

COMING SOON: "Liora Leah's adventures in the world of Wild Oats Marketing"
and "Liora's List": I'll be giving more recommendations for eco-friendlier household products, including personal care products, in upcoming blogs:

"Liora's List: Homemade Cleaning Supplies"  http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=87

Thanks for helping to keep the environment "clean and green"!

Love,

Liora Leah

"Liora's List: Homemade Cleaning Supplies"  http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=87

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