Super Eco

Photo credit: AmericanApparel.net

While other retailers are scrambling to do the right thing with unsold inventory, American Apparel is doing the right thing by a good product gone bad. AA employees were concerned when directed earlier this week not only to pull their new nail polish line from the shelves, but not to ship it back because it was considered "hazardous." Considering the polishes were highly touted as eco-friendly (free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde) when they were introduced a few weeks ago, what could have gone so wrong?

As it turns out, the issue was a simple packaging misfire. American Apparel told Jezebel.com that breaking bottles were the culprit. The family-owned American business the company chose to make the new product suffered a first-run manufacturing glitch. Not only is a second run already in the works, but American Apparel is offering two new bottles or a $10 gift card to customers who return an original-run unit or receipt.

Here's the part that rings so beautifully to our ears here at Super Eco: "On another note, one thing we're taking very seriously is the disposal of the bottles we had in the stores," American Apparel told Jezebel. "Even though our polish was DBP-, toluene- and formaldehyde-free, we don't want our stores just tossing it in the trash. We're using our internal shipping and distribution line to arrange a pickup and removal of the polish to make sure it gets done right."

Disposal done right. Score one for American Apparel (and your healthy manicure).