Think about the list of things you want or need to do. Add "clean up the environment" to the list. Awesome list isn't it? Still, cleaning the environment shouldn't be overwhelming. Start simply. Start at home.
Look around your home and you are likely to find between 3 and 25 gallons of toxic substances. Most of those toxins are found in household cleaners. Many of these substances are known for the unhealthy fumes they give off which irritate the eyes, nose and lungs. The most disturbing fact is that many of the dangers of these toxins are hidden.
Of course, toxins are biodegradable but many toxic household cleaners do not degrade very quickly. Children or adults who touch household surfaces and floors then put their hands in their mouths, eat food directly from a counter, or put household objects in their hands risk ingesting small amounts of harmful chemicals. The fumes from toxic cleaning fluids play a major role in indoor air pollution. The EPA estimates that the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air just outside your window.
Toxins in your home affect your community. The manufacturing process for these chemicals can be a significant source of air and water pollution, contribute to global warming, or endanger the health of others that must come in contact with these substances in order to bring these products to market.
Buy less toxic products that degrade more quickly. Buy paper products that are not whitened with chlorine bleach. Use energy efficient cleaning tools and household products.
Purchase from responsible manufacturers. Green & Clean chooses products made by leaders in household cleaning and safeguarding the environment. We choose to use products that can make a huge impact in pollution.
One manufacturer, Seventh Generation, estimates that if every family in America replaced one roll of 180 count virgin fiber paper towels with 100% recycled paper towels we would save 3.7 million cubic feet of landfill space, avoid 89,400 pounds of pollution and save 1.4 million trees. If every family in the U.S. replaced just one 32 ounce bottle of petroleum based cleaner with an equally effective plant based cleaner and we'd save 6, 800 barrels of oil.
Another manufacturer, Ecover, is a thought leader in the cleaning products market. Ecover has created an awe inspiring manufacturing facility based on their philosophy of producing products in a way that is ecologically, economically and socially responsible.
Change the way you clean your house and end up changing the world. Start by making small changes in the way you clean your home and the products you buy. For time pressed folks, Green & Clean is committed to making many of those changes for you.
green&clean!
green&clean!