At Method, we believe U.S. Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis’ statement that sunlight is the best disinfectant (although we’d argue that our antibac spray cleaners may be a close second).
We believe in the value of transparency. We disclose the detailed composition of our products and the practices used to make them. We do this because we feel that transparency is the basis for authenticity and meaningful commitment to social or environmental change.
In our early years, we disclosed formulation ingredients to anyone concerned enough to call or email us. In 2009 we became more proactive, starting with listing all of our formulation ingredients on our website in a detailed format that specifies each ingredient’s name, its function, and the summary of the health and environmental research completed on it. We followed that with an online sustainability guide showing our product development, manufacturing, and company practices.
And in the past year, we’ve moved to listing all of the technical formulation ingredients on product labels. This level of disclosure has one primary goal: to allow stakeholders to make better informed decisions about Method and the products we create.
However, this commitment to transparency brings its share of headaches too. For one, it adds logistical complexity in the need to synchronize label and formulation updates. The detailed ingredient lists can also sound pretty technical (a few advocates have written to ask us why our products contain “chemicals” like sodium gluconate, which is a safe, biodegradable chelant derived from corn). Not to mention, we’ve likely helped some of our competitors reduce their analysis costs by clearly listing what’s in all of our products.
Photo of bottles in a window provided by Ingrid Maasik via Shutterstock
Next page: Misreported ingredient listings
I agree with the first
I agree with the first posting, relying on any system, website etc for human and environmental health risk is OK on the average. Meaning half the time it is likely overly conservative, half the time to lax. Knowledge and understanding require work. Get busy.
And I appreciate Methods work at transparency in product formulations. Keep up the good work
I'm a contributor to EWG –
I'm a contributor to EWG – have been for years. The same thing happens with their cosmetic database, “Skin Deep”. Because of lack of laboratory data and "chemical names" for botanicals, the really good guys and really good ingredients get much worse scores than they deserve.
So, when I recommend using the EWG tools and reports, I let people know that they can’t take the scores at face value – they have to read the explanations, and maybe even do some more research. It’s really the problem with using shortcuts like ratings -numbers or stars- to evaluate complex things.
Shouldn’t we all take more responsibility for the information that’s important to us? Method’s big-picture contribution is; by thoroughly disclosing ingredients and procedures you're raising the bar for consumer responsibility.
Thank you for that – as well as the great products!
Well written Drummond, and
Well written Drummond, and again, Method is leading the way in helping to create really cool, safe products and inform both consumers, and those that are also trying to inform consumers - in this case the EWG. We all appreciate your efforts to keep the information current, reliable and accurate. Great job!
Thank you for Method's
Thank you for Method's commitment to transparency.
Consumers have the right to know what they are putting in and on their bodies, as well as those ingredients dispersed in the environment around them.
A Leader will always face the most resistance.
I appreciate your company’s continued tweaking of ingredients, as you strive to provide the safest and most effective products possible.
Keep up the great work.