Photo via Flickr: IBRRC
Note: I touch on this briefly in my column for HuffPost about the BP oil disaster, but I wanted to highlight it again here, just in case you skip over this amazing tidbit of brazen irony.
You may have heard about how Proctor & Gamble is graciously donating thousands of bottles of Dawn dishwashing liquid to aid in the cleanup efforts for wildlife affected by the BP oil disaster. The company even touts its own generosity — which includes an additional $1 donation to wildlife rescue efforts per bottle sold — on the Dawn website:
For over 30 years, Dawn has been doing its part to help save wildlife. From donating funds to important conservation projects to giving Dawn dishwashing liquid to clean wildlife affected by oil spills, Dawn knows there are lots of ways to get involved with the cause.
So nice, right? Well, here’s the rub: Dawn dish soap — the very stuff used to “gently” remove oil from the feathers and fur of toxic sludge–coated creatures — is, itself, made from oil.
Dawn, like most conventional dishwashing liquids, contains petro (read: oil) chemical-based detergents, emollients, and fragrance. The website, not surprisingly, doesn’t specifically reveal which ones, but it does provide a link to a wholly generic list of ingredients commonly used in hand dishwashing products.
Since the most this list offers up is terms like “surfactants” and “mildness additives,” I can only be left to assume that the soap could contain toxic petroleum byproducts like alkylbenzene sulfonates and 1,4-dioxane. Of course, these are only educated guesses; there are thousands of industrial chemicals floating around out there, but who knows which ones: Federal law does not require companies to list them on their products, nor conduct any sort of tests to determine if they’re safe.
Want to really help save wildlife from oil spills? Ditch the Dawn for a plant-based dish soap like Seventh Generation. If every household in the US replaced just one bottle, it would save 81,000 barrels of oil a year.
–Jennifer Grayson
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May 5th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Thanks for this information. I currently use the blue Dawn dish soap. Next time I will buy a plant based product. Although, I’ve tried Seventh Generation automatic dishwasher detergent and it doesn’t get my dishes as clean.
May 5th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
I read that article about Dawn and wondered how ‘gentle’ and ‘effective’ it really was if it contained petrochemicals and artificial fragrance. Granted, it’s probably better than straight petroleum, but…
I’ve tried castille soaps and a few different plant based washing up liquids, and Seventh Generation is still my favorite. Wish I could get around the plastic bottles it comes in, though.
May 6th, 2010 at 7:01 am
I can appreciate Dawn’s efforts (if they’re going to exist, might as well spread a little good while they can), but thank you for recommending a better alternative!
May 6th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
I just found an article suggesting that common household products form cancer-causing nitrosamines when mixed with disinfectants in drinking water. Two of the products studied were Suave shampoo and Dawn dish washing liquid. The Dawn created 26 more times than the Suave.
I feel even worse about the marine victims of the oil spill now.
Here’s the full article on National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100429-shampoo-cancer-causing-substance/
May 7th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Thanks for the link, Jennifer. I had heard about that before. Chloramines are pretty nasty chemicals on their own, even before they mix with cleaning products to form nitrosamines:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/dctapwater
May 7th, 2010 at 11:17 am
The best plant-based dishwashing liquid I’ve found is Planet, which I can actually buy at my local Ralph’s grocery store:
http://www.planetinc.com/udl.htm
It doesn’t have a scent, though (which I actually like), so I add a few drops of essential oil — usually lavender — to the bottle.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Yeah, eco-friendly automatic dishwashing detergent usually sucks, unfortunately. We haven’t had a dishwasher for three years now, though, so I don’t know if there are any better options out there. I’ve heard good things about Biokleen. Has anyone tried it?
http://biokleenhome.com
May 9th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Is Seventh Generation offering to donate their product to the cleanup of these animals and birds?
May 10th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Great question, Loretta! Let me contact Seventh Generation, and I’ll get back to you…
May 13th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Check out which director of Proctor and Gambel, which makes Dawn, is an executive director of BP! (hint: Ferris) Educate yourselves and pass it on…
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=288
May 13th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Wow, but not surprising. Thanks for the heads-up.
May 18th, 2010 at 7:09 am
The problem is that animals need to be cleaned up NOW, or many will die.
Alternative detergents would be great if an effort (and cooperation from the producers of the soaps) could be initiated for future disasters. However, animals need to be cleaned up now. So for me, although I try hard to be earth/ecology friendly, cleaning the animals up with Dawn in the here-and-now is “the lesser of two evils.”
May 18th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I agree 100 percent Nancy, and I definitely wasn’t saying that we should stop cleaning up the animals affected by the BP oil spill — Dawn is, for sure, a highly effective grease cutter. Just wanted to point out how ironic the whole thing is…
May 20th, 2010 at 10:47 am
It’s a shame that most people don’t realize that commercial detergents (dish, laundry, etc.) are made with petrochemicals. Not having a dishwasher myself, I have tried most plant based dish detergents and prefer one called Planet. Seventh Generation and Bio Kleen is not bad either.
May 24th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
AS a former avian rehabber, I can attest to how well Dawn works to get oil out. In Michigan, we used it to get the tar off of feathers when homeowners use tar as a way of pigeon deterrence. But usually, it was hawks, owls, and other raptors that we cleaned because they would swoop down to get the pigeons and rodents that were stuck in the tar. We tried lots of brands and Dawn worked the best. It’s interesting to read that other rehabbers found the same results.
May 28th, 2010 at 8:59 am
I’m just sick to my stomach by this huge mess. Where can I find an probable assessment of the real size of the oil released? The information are all over the place. Thanks for your informative post.
May 28th, 2010 at 10:31 am
There’s no question that Dawn and other petrochemical-based cleaning products cut through the grease better than plant-based formulas — if it was a question of effectiveness, I’d take a bottle of Palmolive over Planet dish soap any day. But for washing dishes at home, a plant-based cleaner is perfectly adequate. Washing off oil-soaked wildlife is a different story…
May 28th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Hi, Loan. Unfortunately, there is not one definitive assessment — the estimates for the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf are all over the place. We do know, however, that the spill has now surpassed the Exxon Valdez as the worst in US history. NOAA will have a new estimate in about two weeks:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSWNA216020100526?type=marketsNews
June 6th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Just wanted to clarify Richard Ferris is no longer associated with BP and P&G.
June 10th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Not only is Dawn the most effective wildlife cleaner the ATF uses Dawn for decontamination of toxic substances. I will use plant based when possible but I will also always have blue Dawn on hand.
June 30th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
[...] Oh, the irony: Dawn saves wildlife with oil-based dish soap [...]
July 11th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Please be aware that Dawn dish DETERGENT – it is not soap – was selected for cleaning oiled birds on the basis of rigorous scientific criteria having nothing to do with Proctor and Gamble PR. It has been the approved protocol since the Exxon Valdez spill. Dr. Jan White, Chief Avian Veterinarian at the Exxon Valdez spill and her assistants chose Dawn detergent not only for its superior ability to emulsify the oil on the birds’ feathers, but ALSO for its virtual non-toxicity, and its lack of damage to the uropygial gland, which produces the oil birds deposit onto ther feathers while preening. Remember, anything that gets on their feathers in a frantic attempt to preen the foreign substance off. The goal in cleaning oiled birds is the HEALTH OF THE BIRD, not to give the humans the appearance of being “greener” by adhering to some arbitrary standards of “naturalness”.
July 12th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for your comment, Marti. I’m not doubting the science behind Dawn dish detergent, and am in no way suggesting that more natural, but perhaps less effective, detergents should be used in their stead; Dawn is incredibly effective at cleaning oil off of wildlife, to be sure. Just pointing out the irony of the whole situation. If we weren’t reliant on fossil fuels for our energy, there would be no oil spill — nor would there be a need for petrochemical-based detergents to clean it all up.
August 14th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I think what Marti is trying to say is that Dawn is less damaging to the birds, and their vital systems designed to help them survive, than “natural” or “organic” cleaners. I see the irony Jennifer, but nothing else does what Dawn does for wildlife, Petro based cleaners or “natural/Organic” based cleaners included. Sometimes natural/plant based cleaners are too harsh for certain surfaces, in the home and outside. A birds internal glands seem like one of those surfaces. If a bird cant produce oil to protect its feathers, might as well leave the oil on them and let them be, same outcome in the end.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Thanks for the feedback, Jim. Dawn and other petrochemical-based cleaners are no doubt more effective than gentler, plant-based ones at removing the oil, but I think even Marti would agree that natural cleaners are certainly not MORE toxic to the birds. Natural cleaners are made from incredibly benign substances, and I can’t think of a single case where they would be considered harsh for any surface.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:14 am
My daughter plans to do some experiments with Dawn and 7th generation to try to determine the pros and cons of each on wildlife for her science project. Any resources that could be provided would help. We will tell you the result.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:24 am
That’s great, Kathy! What kind of resources are you looking for?