Although my work with Norwex has given me the opportunity to travel to cities all over the United States, I’m proud to say that I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up on a farm in Minnesota and still live in a rural community about an hour outside of Minneapolis.
Coming from a farm means that caring for animals has always been a huge part of my life. These days, in addition to my kids’ various pets, pigs, chickens and cows complete our family.
I value the animals in our lives and understand the importance of treating them well. Norwex also takes the care and well-being of animals seriously and as a policy does not test products on animals or use third parties to test products on animals.
Furthermore, if you look through one of our catalogs, you will notice various logos that symbolize Norwex’s production standards. Among these is the BDIH logo for “Organic and Natural Cosmetics.” A German-based non-profit organization, BDIH works with more than 440 producers and distributors of cosmetics, food supplements, nutritional foods and over-the-counter medicines and has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines for certifying natural and organic personal care products.
Carrying the BDIH logo certifies that Norwex adheres to certain very stringent, internationally-recognized standards. These include that Norwex is not permitted to “carry out, or commission another party to carry out, animal testing – not only when manufacturing products, but also when developing and controlling the end products.”
BDIH does allow for the use of “substances that are produced by animals (e.g. milk or honey).” But it does not permit the use of “raw materials obtained from dead vertebrates (e.g. emu oil, mink oil, marmot fat, animal fats, collagen or living cells).”
Norwex has gone beyond BDIH’s guidelines by also following vegan principles: “At Norwex, we take respect personal choices and all forms of life. Whenever possible, we offer products that are considered vegan, according to a statement from Norwex. “We support the definition of vegan as someone who doesn’t consume any animal-derived foods or use animal products or byproducts, and eats only plant-based foods. In addition to not eating meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or dairy, vegans may avoid using products made from animal sources, such as fur, leather, and wool. Norwex prefers to offer products that are made from ingredients that come from minerals and plants rather than from animals.”
Three Norwex products are the exception: The Timeless Lip Balm and Leather Shine include beeswax as an ingredient, and the dryer balls are made out of sheep’s wool. Here too, Norwex has been thoughtful in its choices. The wool used in the Fluff and Tumble Dryer Balls, for example, is sourced in New Zealand which has very strict laws regarding the safety of and proper treatment of animals. New Zealand’s climate is mild and sheep graze free-range in open pasture all year round. Removing the wool from the sheep (shearing), which is done by highly skilled craftsmen, is pain-free and takes just a few minutes. New Zealand leads the world in shearing technique and ability, ensuring minimal stress on the animal (and shearer) throughout.
One thing so many of us involved with Norwex have in common is that we feel good about working with a company whose mission it is to make the world a better place. To me, Norwex has proven over and over that it doesn’t only talk the talk, but walks the walk when it comes to caring for our planet and the people and animals that are part of it.
