Filed under: Frugality, Greenwashing, Reducing Waste | Tags: frugal, reusing, soapmaking
Greenwashing, as defined on Wikipedia, is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organization’s aims and policies are environmentally friendly. Whether it is to increase profits or gain political support, greenwashing may be used to manipulate popular opinion to support otherwise questionable aims.
I question the aim of this product. The back of the box reads: “This innovative ergonomically shaped waste reducing soap has been designed to eliminate the unused center of traditional soap bars.” Waste Reducing? Really? Look how much of the center is missing-a LOT! I suspect when I use this bar, I’ll still be left with a sliver of soap. The only difference is that that sliver will be left from one side of this bar, rather than the middle. I’m going to start using it tomorrow and will keep you updated on it’s eventual demise.
What do YOU think? Is this greenwashing? I’m all for reducing waste and living frugally. But I’m also about making conscious, mindful decisions about how I spend my money, how I live my values and how I can make even a small difference in the world, but sadly, this (almost) bar of soap just doesn’t ring true for me.
To eliminate soap waste, I save all those little slivers that have been cleverly eliminated from this bar, and store them in a ziplock bag. When I have enough to mess with, I melt the slivers down, and then pour the hot liquid into a repurposed food storage container. When it cools, it hardens into: TA DA! Soap! Here’s a picture of the melting slivers melting in a nonstick pot:
And here are the four finished bars. They smell heavenly, and are the EPITOME of ‘Green Washing’, wouldn’t you agree?
Just trying to keep it real…
(Have you seen any blatant examples of greenwashing in advertising? If so, send them in, I’ll post them here!)
5 Comments so far
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Tennesseetransitions 
LOL – I first interpreted the packaging to mean “waist reducing” soap & wondered how the heck they could make that claim. The real marketing ploy is just as trciky. Thanks for for the tip on how to make new bars of soap.
Comment by overtlysimple April 12, 2012 @ 10:44 AMWeird product I buy my bar soap un-packaged now. I like your idea of creating new bars with the slivers. I tried making my own hand soap and it was horrible. I’ll stick to hand soap.
Comment by stephanieough April 19, 2012 @ 9:39 AM[…] in our showers for at least this whole week-and fancy French Milled soaps too, a far cry from my homemade bars made of saved slivers. If you stay in a motel, do you just leave the leftover bar on the sink, or do you bring it home? […]
Pingback by Soakin’ Up the Sun and other ‘Little Things’ « tennesseetransitions August 27, 2012 @ 8:36 PM“Greenwashing.” Now I know what to call that practice.
I usually deal with my slivers in a fairly simple way: I get my next bar, take my shower with it and the sliver to get them both nice and wet (and probably roughen up their surface by scrubbing with them). After I’m done, I firmly press the sliver onto the new bar. When they dry, they’re usually melded together well enough. Your mileage may vary, depending on the properties of your chosen brand and the thickness of the sliver.
Comment by Bronze Dog December 29, 2012 @ 2:44 PMBronze Dog, I once heard of a guy that did that and swore his current bar of soap had residue from Noah or someone ancient, and I do that too, but it seems that occasionally I just can’t get the darn thing to stick to the new bar, and I’m left with the sliver. That’s why I’ve come to making “silver of the sliver”. hahhaha!
Comment by simpleintn December 29, 2012 @ 3:59 PM