Seventh Generation Response

I received a response from Seventh Generation, regarding my post My Children Are Not Advertising For You.  My apologies for not posting this earlier- I had the worst sinus infection of my life, and many things got left behind.  Bold emphasis and [comments] added by me.

Response Via Email (Sefton Hirsch)

03/05/2012 04:52 PM

Thanks for taking the time to write to us and sharing your thoughts about the Lorax and your recently purchased diapers. I understand your disappointment and respect your opinion. I would like to share the company's statement on our vision of the Lorax. We want to apologize for any confusion or dismay that our use of LORAX characters on our diapers and training pants may have caused. As you may know, The LORAX has been made into a new motion picture that we hope will bring Dr. Seuss' message of sustainability [on a diaper that ends up in a landfill???] to a new generation, and in conjunction with its premiere we're doing lots of things to spread the book's ideas. (You can learn more about our efforts here: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/word-lorax-seems-perfectly-clear-and-now-once-again-its-one-well-all-hear). That said, our diaper images aren't intended to directly market the movie itself. Our desire is to remind parents and caregivers of the lessons of The Lorax and inspire even more people to discover (or rediscover!) the book. We simply thought it would be a fun way to encourage family reading and environmental awareness while creating a few smiles. Though many or our customers have seen our diaper art [see my previous post to see how non-artful this diaper is] as a celebration of the book that brings a little joy to their diaper changes, others have a different opinion, and in hindsight we can certainly see how intentions and perceptions could diverge. We hope knowing the story behind this temporary change will help assuage your concerns. Please accept our apologies for the misunderstanding and our thanks for caring enough to share your thoughts with us. Please let me know if there is ANY thing else that you would like to discuss about our diapers or any of our products. Even, if to continue this conversation. Sefton Hirsch Customer Service

As I should have expected, this response leaves a LOT to be desired.  Is there any way at all to teach sustainability on disposable products?  Products which, by design, can only be used once and can't be composted?  If the diaper images weren't marketing, then why did this decision coincide with all of the other marketing plastering Lorax images over every product that wants to be considered ecologically friendly?

As a family, I am aware of our ecological footprint, and I can think of many ways I could make it smaller- things that get lost in our day to day lives.  I am sad that we use disposable diapers when things get too busy to do the diaper laundry.  I am sad that recent illnesses led us to using a package of paper plates.  I'm sad that I don't often have the extra energy to dry our laundry outdoors without electricity.

However, I'm not trying to kid myself.  I'm not telling myself that the things I do have no impact.  I'm not doing these things and telling myself that these actions are 'Lorax Approved'.  I am just trying to balance energy levels and priorities with the requirements of getting our family through the day in a healthy, happy, loving environment.  Nearly every 'green' label you see at the store is packaging that ends up in landfills.  Don't try to buy in to the branding that wants you to believe otherwise.