All method products contain natural ingredients. When you see the word "natural"
on a method label, it means that 100% of its functional cleaning ingredients - things
like soaps, detergents, solvents and enzymes - are either found in nature or derived
from natural sources.
We use natural and naturally derived materials from renewable or abundant sources
wherever we can. If we can't find a natural ingredient to get the job done, we'll
use a safe, green, man-made version instead. In all cases, we only use ingredients
that have passed through a comprehensive green and health screen: ingredients we
have confirmed to be totally safe for people and safe for the environment.
"Natural" is still not a standardized or regulated term. So while we could, we won't
call a product "natural" if even one of its functional ingredients isn't natural
or naturally derived. When it comes to labeling our products, we hold ourselves
to a high standard because we believe that a natural cleaner should actually come
from nature.
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you ask. we answer.
Q. What does the term "natural" mean when it's written on a method
label?
A. It means that 100% of the functional ingredients in that product
are either found in nature or derived from natural sources.
Q. What's a "functional ingredient"?
A. Any ingredient that makes our cleaners clean - things like soaps,
detergents, solvents, enzymes or stabilizers.
Q. Why don't you call all your products natural?
A. Surprisingly, "natural" is still not a standardized or regulated
term. So while we could, we won't call a product "natural" if even one of its functional
ingredients isn't natural or naturally derived. When it comes to labeling our products,
we hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe that a natural cleaner should
actually come from nature.
Q. What's the difference between a natural ingredient and a naturally
derived one?
A. Natural ingredients are found in nature - they either grow in plants
or are abundant minerals - and are not chemically altered (e.g., the aloe vera gel
we use in our hand wash). Naturally derived ingredients are made from materials
found in nature and converted into effective cleaners using safe, approved processes
(e.g., alkyl polyglucoside, a great cleaner made from coconut oil and starch that's
totally safe and biodegrades, but it isn't found in nature...if it were, we'd have
a big orchard of alkyl polyglucoside trees).
Q. Why aren't all the ingredients natural or naturally derived?
A. We strive to use only natural or naturally derived ingredients,
but if we can't find one that provides the efficacy we're looking for, we'll use
a safe, green, man-made version instead. In all cases, we only use ingredients that
have passed through a comprehensive green and health screen: ingredients we have
confirmed to be totally safe for people and safe for the environment.
Q. How does method choose ingredients?
A. We assess ingredients across
multiple factors of sustainability (we consider the past, present and future implications
of each one), because natural is a starting point, not an endpoint. We've hired
one of the best environmental scientists in the world, Dr. Michael Braungart, founder
of the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency (epea.com), to perform detailed assessments of each ingredient
and confirm whether it's safe to be used by people, and safe for release in the
environment.
This ensures that every method product is:
- Made from nature: from renewable and/or abundant natural resources
- Green: sourced responsibly, almost always from a renewable resource,
minimizes water and energy consumption, and safe when released into the environment
after use
- Safe today: non-toxic, non-irritating and non-hazardous
- Safe tomorrow: have you heard the talk about gender-bending phthalates
and bisphenol-A? It's some scary stuff, and these chemicals are often found in everyday
items, like cleaning products. Our ingredient screen eliminates these chemicals,
so it won't cause any issues down the road
On each product page, we've included the full list of ingredients and a summary
of Dr. Braungart's assessment. We invite you to take a look, and feel free to let
us know what you think by emailing us at
talkclean@methodproducts.co.uk.
