Beware of Pink Ribbons?

October 12, 2010 at 6:27 pm Leave a comment

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and merchandise displaying Pink Ribbons are practically everywhere. Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping:

There is not a patent on the “Pink Ribbon”. Anyone can use it.
Pink Ribbons help sell merchandise. For the retail industry, displaying the pink ribbon boosts sales and some companies may mark up the product as much as 4 times the typical price and then only donate a small percentage of that to breast cancer causes. Be cautious of the retail sector displaying the pink ribbon and read the small print. Some deduct the expenses and very little is given to the cause while with some products not a penny is donated.
Pink Ribbons do not mean “Safe Products”. Some of the products displaying pink ribbons and some companies donating a percentage of profits to breast cancer organizations actually sell products that contain chemicals linked to causing breast cancer. The number is probably much more than what you might hope.

You may want to consider donating directly to charitable organizations that focus on prevention of breast cancer such as the Breast Cancer Fund.

Recommended reading:
Think Before You Pink, Donating Wisely During Breast Cancer Awareness Month
http://www.ewg.org/node/17895

Kathy
Soap for Goodness Sake
http://www.soapforgoodnesssake.com