From the MASSAGE Magazine article, "The Economics of Green: Save the Earth while Saving Money," by Chris Towery, in the March 2009 issue. Article summary: A recession may not seem like the best time to start making your massage practice more eco-friendly. However, going green in these tough economic times cannot only benefit the Earth, but also your bottom line.
 
The nonprofit Association for Integrity in Medicine (AIM) has teamed up with Know Your Source, a new supplier of green products to the spa and wellness industry, to recognize vendors who have pledged to become more transparent and substantiate their product materials or ingredients.

The collaboration is intended to address consumers' frustration regarding greenwashing,

“Ever since green has become the 'in' thing, many manufacturers with no prior experience or interest in things sustainable suddenly began making claims with no one holding them accountable,” says Douglas “Las” Wengell, the founder of Know Your Source. “And it’s only proliferated as big business has moved into the spa product space."

AIM is asking vendors to sign a pledge, available at the association’s website (www.integrityinmedicine.org), which includes topics of making claims, the long-term use of certified organic raw materials, energy consumption, reusable materials, the use of petrochemical-derived ingredients and avoiding artificial ingredients.

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