Personal Care Buying Standards

As a member-owned co-op, our purpose is to serve our members' needs. Many of our members have expressed concerns about the ingredients in our personal care products. We are also a leader in the natural products industry, and we're in a position to influence and educate the public about these products. These guidelines also reflect our commitment to the Co-op Principles, which are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.

1. Our preference is for products made with certified organic ingredients.

When it comes to proving the quality of a product's ingredients, it's hard to beat an organic paper trail. Organic agriculture does much more than keep chemicals and pesticides out of your food or your personal care products-it keeps them out of the water system and the food chain, encourages small farmers to stay on the land, and compensates them fairly for their extra, often manual, labor.

Unfortunately, the debate over what products are allowed to carry the organic seal has resulted in weaker standards with regard to synthetic processing agents and label disclosure of non-organic substitutions. This means that we need to continue our vigilance, as retailers and consumers, by reading labels and developing relationships with our vendors.

2. We provide alternatives to products that contain ingredients that have been determined to pose a health risk.

3. We will not purchase items that are tested on animals.

4. We encourage our vendors to comply with current FDA labeling requirements and to be proactive about labeling issues.

This not only means following the rules governing the listing of organic ingredients, but also answering questions regarding excipients and solvents; the testing of raw materials for hidden ingredients, adulteration or contamination; efficacy claims and safety issues.

5. We like to support other co-ops and small, independent or local companies.

We want to do business with companies whose missions are compatible with co-op principles. This is becoming more important as large corporations are acquiring small natural products businesses. It's also a way of sustaining and supporting local and regional economies. Other factors we take into account when choosing a product or vendor are their history in the marketplace, their labor relations and fair trade practices, and any charitable, community-based or ecological programs they might offer.

6. We strive to have a wide selection of products so that ALL of our members can find something that suits their particular needs.

There are many reasons that people become members of The Wedge Co-op. We are a diverse group, coming from all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, family structures, dietary philosophy, income levels, etc. The one thing we all agree on is that we want to purchase natural alternatives to the products that are available at mainstream grocery stores. This means that even though we carry top-of-the-line, squeaky-clean organic products, we also need to carry quality alternatives for a lower price.

Our bulk personal care products offer customers a discount if they fill their own containers. We provide the resources and raw materials for preparing body care products from scratch. Some products on our shelves have a long history (and a devoted following) in the natural foods industry. Others are new products or companies that we want to support because we love their integrity and commitment (or their quirks!). There are vegan options and fragrance-free options, and options just because some things work better for some people than others. We do take our customer and member suggestions seriously, so your feedback is always welcome.

7. We are committed to using our buying, merchandising, and promotion power to effect change, educate our members and our community.

This is where we exercise most of our influence. Every day, we make decisions about which products to carry, how to price and merchandise them, and what we want to actively promote. You can see these decisions reflected in where products are located on our shelves, what we decide to display and advertise, the articles that we write for our member newsletter, and the "Staff Pick" and "Wedge Award" signs that are sprinkled throughout the department. You can also strike up a conversation with our friendly and well-trained HBC staff; they can weigh in on many issues by relaying their personal experience and interests, directing you to helpful resource materials or sharing information from the companies themselves.