Ways to be kind to Mother Earth
Earth Day is April 22nd and each year I try to add simply one environmentally responsible habit into my life. Though having scores of virtuous intentions, I find that incorporating just one ‘green’ habit each year is realistic, sustainable (<– Ha! pun intended), and over the years accumulate into a positive lifestyle swing.
There are many options that anyone can take upon themselves to do that is kinder to Mother Earth, but I find that any new initiatives fall into two categories:
1. Reducing toxins in your household cleaning products
and
2.Waste diversion
Reducing toxins
This is a very confusing and overwhelming space as you read through the plethora of resources, but let’s keep the ‘dirty’ list short, simple and (not so) sweet:
1 – Phthalates
- * Found in soaps, air fresheners and anything with ‘fragrance’
Phthalates have been linked to breast cancer, low sperm count in men, asthma and other health concerns….oh and guess what: they’re more often than not, washed down the drain and into the water system.
2 – Chlorine
- * Found in bathroom and kitchen cleaners
- * Hazardous through fumes and skin contact.
May be a potentially respiratory irritant or thyroid disruptor…. and yes- this too washed down our drains poses a threat to the water table.
3 – Phosphates
- * Found in laundry and dish washing solutions (also : note can be in your pet’s food – ick!!)
- * They’re used to soften hard water, lift dirt, and break down grease.
Capsules Liquid Detergent Washing Machine Clothing
They’ve been associated with environmental damage as it gets into the water table and compromises the eco system.
A high presence of phosphates according to environmental activist and author Adria Vasil in her book ‘Ecoholic Home‘ :
“…feeds blooms of toxic blue-green algae that have invades lakes and rivers across this country, causing serious health scares”
4- Triclosan
- * Is most prominently used in ‘anti-bacterial- options Soaps and hand sanitizers (as well as cleaning products (dish washing soaps); but note this nasty is even found in many toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant and cosmetic brands.
Triclosan is often classified as a pesticide and an antibacterial agent that may affect your body’s endocrine system. In studies with animals, it’s proven to be an endocrine disruptor resulting in decreased sperm count, impaired muscle function, and cancerous tissue. In humans it’s been associated with infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, allergies and asthma. So not great for you (obviously!), but it’s estimated that 95% of these products go down the drain and hence our water table. Bad for you….bad for the environment!
Waste Diversion
Be kind to Mother Earth by diverting waste and one of the quickest and easiest option is to consider all thing litterless for your lunch box. Whether for school or work, the ‘brown bag’ lunch has not only become environmentally sound but rather chic as well.
I love The Pioneer Woman website for not only its fun posts, but the product line up is pretty darned fabulous. Giving the brown bag a bit of panache with this gorgeous green insulated lunch bag, hydration bottle and clutch.
Being Canadian, of course I have to give a shout out to this fabulous company from Montreal: Fluf. Taking the ‘utilitarian’ look to a uber hip level fabulous for young, and young at heart their lunch bags have a wide selection to suit just about anyone.
I am especially a big fan of their reusable sandwich bags. Made of washable certified organic cotton you can simply hand wash or toss into the laundry.
And what some cute options for your actual lunch? Forget the zipper top plastic bags and plastic wrap, I have been a long time fan of bento box systems. Not only are they great for portion control, but they’re great for folks like me that essentially graze all day.
One absolutely fun brand from Japan is Skater. Renown for super fun kids bento boxes, there are endless super cool options for the kidlettes or anyone with a young at heart view on their lunches.
How cute is this star wars bento box?
Fret not if you are an adult with a whimsical view on life because can we just admire how sweet, and absolutely stunning hedgehog bentobox by Lisa Larson Megawappa bento option is?
For those who prefer a sleek, contemporary approach I love my monbento lunch options. Contemporary chic that can easily fit into your briefcase, backpack or bag.
With so many fun options to jazz up your lunch while being environmentally responsible, it will be hard to choose a favourite!
Other ways to amp up your waste diversion in your home is through the use of items that you use on a day to day basis, but instead of traditional petroleum based materials, they come from recycled materials.
For work, your home office or school give your electronics a hip eco vibe with Looptworks . The material for their laptop/tablet covers is reclaimed and repurposed excess neoprene from the wetsuit industry. Tres cool!
I also like the fact that all the products on their site spell out exactly the impact the product is making:
And for the cosmetics in your bathroom and/or purse, I have been a long time fan of BlueQ. I love their quirky ( and oft off-colour…beware!) style.
I have a number of pieces ( see the zippered bag I always travel with in my recent travel essentials post ), but for day to day you can’t beat their fun and quirky cosmetic bags
Made from 95% post consumer recycled material, they’re old plastic reborn into a fun, hip and useful item. How fabulous is that?
And we mustn’t forget the kiddies!
Green Toys is a delightful brand that has a wide array of toys suited for many interests and ages. All their toys are made from 100% recycled milk jugs.
From infancy to toddler playtime, their collection is extensive.
How cute is this Farm set ? Made from recycled plastic and good for hours of creative play….what’s not to love?
Think about the laundry above and beyond the toxins mentioned at the beginning of this post. Think of how many dryer sheets the average family of 4 will go through in a year. Consider swapping them out for wool dryer balls.
Yup…. a couple of these will reduce the wrinkles and drying time. It’s a doubly whammy win as you reduce the toxins going into your clothing and the earth’s water table PLUS you reduce electrical consumption by reduced ironing and dryer time!
And to end your day think about sleep time. The average person will spend about 25 years ( or 9,125 days!!) of their life sleeping so why not make an impact there too?
I tip my hat to great companies like The Fine Bedding Company out of the UK. Their focus on sustainability both in raw materials, ethical sourcing and innovative environmentally friendly manufacturing is exemplary.
The Fine Bedding Company has managed to create just that, a luxury duvet made entirely from recycled PET. Even the cover is made from recycled plastic – you can’t get much more eco-friendly than that!
And if you are wondering how does the duvet feel? ‘Silky soft’, according to the company and customer reviews. I also like the fact that they use 100% recycled and recyclable packaging, and their award winning eco factory utilizes 100% renewable energy.
And to lay down your weary head, Innergreen offers up super soft, down-like hypo allergenic fill pillows made from recycled water bottles. Made from 100% recycled materials, each pillow saves up to 35 plastic bottles from the landfill.
And If you are interested in an alternate, consider their Big Green Pillow. Compared to traditional polyester fill pillows, this pillow uses less than 60% fossi fuel in the manufacturing process and the fill is made of 100% corn fibre that is 100% compostable / biodegradable. How cool is that?
So as Earth Day approaches, or any day for that matter whereby you feel that it’s time to shift your lifestyle to being more appreciative and respectful to this place we call earth, I hope I have given you a few things to consider adopting. With approximately 7.6 billion people on the planet, if every person just did one new thing…. Think of the impact it would make!
Xo – Sandra
Sources:
beyondpesticides.com
environmentaldefence.ca
EDF.org
wikipedia.com
