MOTHER JONES BY E-MAIL

«--Previous Post | Blog Index | Next Post--»

Eco-Barbie? Mattel Gives This 'Green' Thingamajig a Whirl

barbie_bcause.jpg

When I first saw the press release about a "green" Mattel collection of accessories called Barbie BCause, I thought it was an April Fool's joke. Apparently not. Mattel's new "playful and on-trend" collection of hats and bags for young girls will be released "just in time to celebrate Earth Day in style." Which is pretty ironic, really, given that Barbie dolls themselves are made out of plastic and are packaged in even more plastic. And not the kind of plastic you can throw in the recycling bin, either.

Thankfully, the limited edition Barbie BCause assortment of accessories doesn't include a real doll. What it does include are brightly-colored, patch-work style bags, backpacks, pillows and totes. All the items are made out of "excess fabric and trimmings from other Barbie doll fashions and products which would otherwise be discarded," says Mattel's press release.

While I'm all in favor of teaching young girls the values of being green, I'm not so sure Mattel's new doll really offers "eco-conscious girls a way to make an environmentally-friendly fashion statement." It feels more like they found a way to make money off of scrap fabric than genuinely created a collection aimed at reducing their environmental impact. If Mattel really wants to be green, why not reduce the ridiculous amount of packaging they use for displaying their dolls? Why not only sell the collection at eco-conscious retailers instead of exclusively at Toys "R" Us? Oh right, because it's Barbie.






Comments

 

RECENT COMMENTS

McCain Recycles His Green Image...From MoJo? (6)
Not Me wrote: It's cover art not a logo. Regardless unless the art wor... [more]

Bizarre Public Opinion Numbers on Global Warming (9)
Joffan wrote: Possibly MS' first comment suggestion is accurate, but I w... [more]

Polar Bears Win Protection (2)
Asta Qauliyah wrote: Great post!... [more]

Sealing Vessels Stuck In Ice, Rescue Vessels Stuck Too (13)
Bill NIgh wrote: Hey Asymptote, I can understand that you have the ri... [more]

FDA Approves Cloned Animals for Store Shelves (10)
Polly Sigh wrote: This makes me glad I'm vegetarian!... [more]

Pigs Spared Med School Surgeries (4)
GetReal wrote: Actually Chris, I don't think it's up to you to determine ... [more]

To Eat or Not to Eat? That Ain't the Question. (23)
Gary E. Andrews wrote: About 1975 someone treated corn starch with enzymes that m... [more]

Let Them Eat Biofuel (6)
Lucy Lu wrote: NEW DELHI: Instead of blaming India and other developing n... [more]

MoJo Nukes Convo: Stewart Brand's Take (3)
Mother Jones staff wrote: The comment currently attributed to Brandi Adamski was ori... [more]

MoJo Nukes Convo: Judith Lewis Highlights (15)
G.R.L. Cowan, H2 energy fan 'til ~1996 wrote: 'James' says, Has anyone REALLY solved the nu... [more]

XML RSS Feed

Powered by
Movable Type 3.33

Jail.org - Inmate Search
Criminal records, instant public records & people search & current court records. www.jail.org

U.S. Public Records Search
Search County & State Court Records, Criminal records, Vital and Adoption Records www.PublicRecordsInfo.com

Records.com - People Search
Public Records and Background Checks. Instantly Search Criminal Records, Addresses and Court Records www.Records.com

Court Records & County Records
Find Instant Public Records, Criminal Records as Well as County Property Records Search. www.PublicRecordsIndex.com

















bookIN PRINT

CLICK HERE
for more great reading

headphones IN TUNE
New music every issue

CLICK TO LISTEN


This article has been made possible by the Foundation for National Progress, the Investigative Fund of Mother Jones, and gifts from generous readers like you.

© 2008 The Foundation for National Progress

About Us   Support Us   Advertise   Ad Policy   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Subscribe   RSS