Wrapped in an enigma
"Jatropha Soap" is available for purchase from Ten Thousand Villages. The $6 soap uses the oil from jathropha seeds harvested in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and is featured in the company's "Eco-Friendly Gift Guide."
Look at this picture. Do you see the little white thing, right in front? That's something called "Jatropha Soap," available for purchase from Ten Thousand Villages.
The $6 soap uses the oil from jathropha seeds harvested in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and is featured in the company's "Eco-Friendly Gift Guide."
What's weird is that Ten Thousand Villages, which sent the soap to the Daily News so that we might write about it, packed the tiny soap in all the packaging you see here. It was first wrapped in a banana leaf, then tied with a bow, then placed inside a drawstring burlap bag, then placed inside a box that was padded with tissue paper, and then placed inside another box, which was then addressed to me.
Yes, all the packing materials appear to be made from recycled materials, but, seriously? Did no one see the irony of packing a tiny, eco-friendly item inside such an absurd amount of packaging - all of which is going to have to be disposed of? Are they kidding?
On a more positive note, the soap smells very nice.