Saving the world one sock at a time

I'm on a bit of an eco-trip this week as I've been road-testing a revolutionary (so they tell me) cleaning product. Method is the brainchild of San-Francisco-based Adam Lowry, a chemical engineer and environmental scientist, and Eric Ryan, a former graphic designer.

Together they combined a passion for green living with some savvy design and marketing skills and created a range of non-toxic cleaning products that appeal to the fair-weather end of the eco-worrier market as well as to the truly committed.

Rather like the Plumen low energy light bulb I mentioned earlier in the week, this is a way you can ease your green conscience without dramatically altering your life; which - as the smart companies have realised - is one of the more effective ways of getting people excited about environmental issues.

And it works.

The laundry detergent actually works, the bottle looks good, plus it ticks all the right eco-boxes.

It is 8x concentrated (so you use much less), it's made from 95% plant-based ingredients (which are biodegradable), it comes in a handy pump-dispensing recycled bottle (you squirt it straight into the machine). The packaging uses less plastic, energy and oil to produce. It was given a rave review on sustainability website Tree Hugger. It is so right on it practically has a halo.

And, as if that wasn't enough, last year it received Cradle to Cradle (C2C) product certification which is like getting a big GOLD STAR in the green world. C2C is essentially a philosophy for doing business in a socially responsible way: from the ingredients, through to manufacturing and packaging, right down to the corporate structure.

The innovative company is 10 years old this year and has a turnover of $100 million. This how to do green in the 21st Century.