***Colgate*** would love to attract us with its "Keep the pump.  Switch the base." tactics.  *Oh, let's have the flowered base today.  No... maybe the dark blue base would look better.  Well... maybe this one...   * Buy into **Softsoap Ensembles Liquid Hand Soap System** and bring on even more ecological waste.*   * "Accessorize your sink with a twist," ***Colgarte*** enthuses as it drops another great marshmallow of a product *enhancement* on an overcrowded market.  "Simply select from a range of stylish... **Ensembles** hand soap pumps (with disposable base)....   ... when you want a new look for kitchen or bathroom... keep the re-usable pump and switch the base." So... let's see.  ***Colgate*** makes fewer pumps (good deal for them), offers soap bases which "cannot be refilled" (more money for ***Colgate***, more plastic at the dump), and charges us more for the same **Softsoap** we purchase in the regular bottle (which can be refilled from either the cost-and-eco-effective 40-ounce or one-gallon refill containers). Are we chumps or what? Naturally the **Ensembles** containers "are coded for recycling".  Well!  That should make those of us who are earth-conscious feel better.  ***Unless*** we live in Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City* or other cities where less than 10% of trash is recycled.  Or near the oceans where "More than 46,000 pieces of plastic debris float on each square mile of" water.** Although the **Softsoap** product inside is excellent, the **Ensembles** idea begs us to say "yes" when we *should* answer with a resounding "No way!"                                                            # # # # # *  Facts from the article "Recycling?  Fuhgeddaboudit"  by Susan Burton in the May-June issue of *Mother Jones Magazine*. ** Facts detailed in Bill McKibben's excellent "Waste Not Want Not" in the same issue of *Mother Jones*.

TunefulGal

Los Angeles, CA

While this product is a good idea, I don't think it's worth the money at all. The other handsoap products in this brand are significantly less expensive, and I feel they must have more in the bottle because they last longer. The product is attractive, but sometimes being pretty isn't good enough. It's meant to save waste, a concept I like since I recycle everything I can, but this doesn't seem practical enough. It would be just as good to buy the larger container of Softsoap to refill the smaller bottles. This is still wasteful in comparison. It is more than triple the price, so unless I get it for nearly free with my coupons, I probably wouldn't buy this again nor recommend anyone else to because it's just a waste of money and materials. The attractive designs do bring in customers, but to me, it's just handsoap so it's not worth paying more for a pretty bottle. Good idea, but it failed to me.

nmpalmer

Indianapolis, IN

I happend upon this soap when it was on sale and decided to give it a shot because I was tiring of my regular soap. And boy am I glad that I did!!! There are so many great scents and the convenience of just having to switch out the base is a GREAT IDEA!!!  I like that this product helps cut down on waste, smells awesome and does not over dry my hands.  I have become a near fanatical hand washer and with this soap I do not get that dry stretched out skin feeling.  My hands stay soft, get clean and the pump/base are soo stylish.  I have one in both bathrooms and the kitchen in my house and I have not tired of the variety of scents in the 6 months I have been using this soap.  At first it could be pseudo pricey to get started with the particular brand of soap but this is one case where I feel like quality trumps price and its a valuable investment.  I have also noticed that there are several types of coupons on the soaps in the store so that helps to offset the price.  

navyfrugalista

Meridian, MS