Women's Voices for the Earth

History

Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) began in Missoula, Montana in 1995 at a time when many environmental organizations failed to recognize women as sources of valuable environmental leadership and perspective. Subjected to discrimination on various fronts, a handful of women founded WVE as an environmental organization led by women for women.

2012

• Secured co-sponsorship of the Safe Chemicals Act by both of Montana’s senators. • Safe Chemicals Act passed out of the Senate committee in an historic vote – the first vote on chemical safety in 36 years • Recipient of the 2012 Women’s Empowerment Awards. • Secured several new co-sponsors for the Safe Cosmetics Act. Organized the Healthy Salon Week of Action in D.C., which brought salon workers & owners, advocates, and researchers together to call on lawmakers to ensure that chemicals used in cosmetics and salon products are safe. • The California Superior Court ordered the toxic formula of Brazilian Blowout off the market, and gave the company 30 days to reformulate to remove :formaldehyde to meet California air quality standards. • Convinced Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world, to phase out chemicals that can cause cancer and harm health from all of its products in 57 countries. • Met face-to-face with Reckitt Benckiser regarding their use and disclosure of toxic chemicals in products. • Released the Green Momma Party Guide, a tool for new moms to make a home detox fun instead of overwhelming. • Launched "Body & Soul Talks", member calls with guest experts on different women’s health issues.

2011

• Released "Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in Your Cleaning Products", a report revealing hidden toxic chemicals in top brand name cleaners. • Convinced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a warning letter and hazard alert on the formaldehyde-containing Brazilian Blowout hair straightening :treatment. • Convinced Clorox to become the first mainstream cleaning product company to disclose all ingredients in their products, including a master list of :fragrance ingredients, and to remove synthetic musks. • Persuaded Simple Green to remove phthalates and syntethic musks from products. • Successfully advocated for workers’ rights provisions to be included in the Safe Cosmetics Act. • Advocated for the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, introduced in November, which would require cleaning products to bear a label listing all :ingredients. • Met face-to-face with SC Johnson and convinced them to disclose all ingredients (except fragrance) directly on product labels in the next 2-3 years. • Organized the Congressional briefing “Toxic Exposures in Salons” in support of the Safe Cosmetics Act, and took two nail salon workers and one hair :stylist to Washington, D.C. to share their personal stories. • Launched Detox Your Home, a 10-minute presentation designed for WVE members to spread the word to friends and family.

2010

• Released "What’s That Smell" in English and Spanish, a report on toxic chemicals in fragrance. • Convinced Simple Green to remove phthalates and synthetic musks from products. • Released "Not So Sexy" on toxic chemicals in leading perfumes and cologne and "No Silver Lining" on BPA in common canned goods. • Advocated for introduction of Safe Cosmetics Act in Congress. • Co-released the "Story of Cosmetics", which has received more than half a million views. • New York Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the agency would implement its law to require companies to reveal the ingredients in their products and any health risks they pose.

2009

• Convinced SC Johnson & Son, after a year of campaigning and months of dialogue, to disclose all of the ingredients in their cleaning products on a :website and to remove phthalates from all their products. • Released "Disinfectant Overkill" in English and Spanish, a report on the health impacts linked to overuse of disinfectant products, along with the "Disinfectant Horror Show", an animated YouTube video. • Passed the Montana Thermostat Recycling Act of 2009 with bi-partisan support, and raised the profile of the health impacts of mercury in MT • Provided language and comments to Senator Al Franken’s office for the Household Products Labeling Act, which would require disclosure of ingredients :in cleaning products • Released "Phasing out the Toxic Trio: a Review of Popular Nail Polish Brands" in English and Vietnamese, and an accompanying wallet card women can take :with them to salons to ask for non-toxic polishes. • Released the report "No More Toxic Tub" with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which revealed the presence of 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde in leading :children’s bath products • Co-sponsored the research convening “Framing a Research Agenda for Change: Advancing Worker Health and Safety for the Cosmetology and Nail Salon :Communities” • WVE joined Earthjustice in suing four leading cleaning product manufacturers for failing to follow a New York law that requires them to disclose the ingredients they use in their products

2008

• Set an industry precedent for ingredient communication by influencing the Soap and Detergent Association and the Consumer Specialty Products Association to release a voluntary ingredient communication plan, paving the way for broad consumer right-to-know efforts. • Reached more than 14,000 women in their homes through the creation of the Green Cleaning Party Kit in English and Spanish, a tool to educate and activate women on toxic chemicals in cleaning products by providing recipes for non-toxic cleaning alternatives and advocacy actions to promote safer cleaners. • Released "The Dirt on Cleaning Product Companies", a report card rating top companies on their use and disclosure of toxic chemicals in cleaners. • Released "A Little Prettier" on companies’ declining use of phthalates in personal care products and cosmetics.

2007 & Prior

• Co-founded the National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance, a network of some 35 organizations, scientific researchers, advocates and government agencies working to protect and improve the health and welfare of women working in the nation’s nail salons. • Released "Glossed Over" in English and Vietnamese, a groundbreaking report on toxic chemicals in nail products and health impacts to salon workers. • Helped found and lead the national Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems, and replace them with safer alternatives. • Helped convince OPI Inc., the largest global manufacturer of nail products for salons, to eliminate several major chemicals of concern from their nail polish products. • Generated hundreds of national, multi-lingual media stories about women’s environmental health and justice. • Co-founded and played an active role in the national Coming Clean Collaboration, a national network of more than 60 organizations working to change the practices of the chemical industry. • Participated in regional and national studies of women’s breast milk to examine the presence of toxic flame retardants and PCBs. • Organized a successful grassroots campaign, with hundreds of women in Montana and Idaho, to convince Albertsons Inc., one of the nation’s leading :supermarket chains, to post visible warnings about mercury contamination in fish. • Helped found and lead the Montana Women Vote Project (MWV), which registers and educates new voters during election years. • Closed down or scaled back incinerators, labs and power plants, in conjunction with women at the grassroots level in Montana, Idaho and other states.

Legislative work

California Cleaning Product Right to Know Act

Requires cleaning products to bear a label listing all ingredients, including fragrance.

Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act

The bill directs the National Institute of Health to research the impact ingredients in feminine care products may be having on women’s health.

Market campaigns

Detox the Box

Product testing results show that Always pads releases chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive and developmental harm. WVE is asking Always and Tampax to remove these chemicals from feminine products.

Brazilian Blowout

Several leading brands of hair straightening products have been found to contain high levels of formaldehyde (up to 10%) even when labeled “formaldehyde-free.” Formaldehyde is released during the heating process used in the application of the product Formaldehyde gas can be severely irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat, and long term exposure to formaldehyde in the workplace has been linked to increased risk of cancer. WVE pressures the FDA to recall toxic straightening products.

WVE has conducted numerous reports concerning feminine care product, safe cleaning products, healthy salons, safe cosmetics, and chemicals to avoid.