Letter Asking for Sustainable Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Week 31
The week I started paying attention to the environmental impact of multi-purpose cleaners, since I use them in virtually every room of my home. Conventional cleaners can pollute our air and our waterways, as well as contribute to landfill waste from their plastic packaging. While there are sustainable multi-purpose cleaners on the market, I think it's important to hold larger companies accountable for their environmental impact. So, I'm writing to Windex, a leading brand in glass and multi-purpose cleaners, asking that they offer products made of cleaner ingredients and begin to phase out plastic bottles.
Please use this as a template to write your own letter informing companies that you would like to see change.
Good afternoon,
My name is Ali and I've been using Windex products for as long as I can remember. Your glass cleaners always leave my windows and mirrors sparkling and streak-free.
This year, I made a resolution to reduce my carbon footprint by making gradual changes. And now that I have a baby coming in October, I'm especially concerned about keeping the planet safe for future generations. This week, I started looking into my household cleaning products and noticed that they mostly come in plastic bottles and are full of harsh chemicals that are toxic for me and could cause significant harm to aquatic life when washed down the drain and into our waterways.
I'm writing to see if you'll consider making more cleaners from naturally-derived ingredients that are safer for both our health and the environment. I was thrilled to see your ammonia-free, vinegar-based multi-purpose spray at my Home Depot. In addition, I would love to see you phase out plastic bottles. I know that Windex bottles are recyclable, and I applaud the use of recycled ocean plastic for some of your bottles. However, that feels like a temporary solution, since only 8% of plastics are actually recycled. The rest end up in landfills, where they will take hundreds of years to decompose, or in our waterways, where they break down into microplastics that cause 100,000 marine animal deaths every year. Not to mention the manufacturing of plastic uses oil and causes pollution.
I’m aware that nothing can happen overnight, but at least working towards eliminating plastics would be a huge step in the right direction. Perhaps you could look into packaging your products in refillable aluminum or glass bottles. You might also consider moving towards bathroom cleaner powders or tablets that can be sold in compostable paperboard packaging.
It's no secret that plastics have become increasingly problematic and our earth is suffering from the exorbitant amount of waste produced by humans. More and more people are becoming aware of these issues and working towards a brighter, cleaner future for the next generation. I'm sure your consumers would be thrilled to see Windex take such a strong approach to reducing waste and protecting our planet.
Sincerely,
Ali Hall