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 So you've decided to take the plunge -- to embrace lighter living, start greening your life, and do something to help the the environment. But where to begin?
With moderating your consumption. You can dramatically reduce the size of your footstep on the planet just by making smarter choices in the things you buy and the amount your household uses. It's not something you have to do all at once: just commit to steady, incremental change. Small steps become big journeys over time.
Our article, Ten First Steps Toward Lighter Living, is a good place to get grounded. If you're ready to take on taming your shopping cart, we've put together a list we call the Dirty Dozen. These are twelve unhealthy or resource-intensive products you should consider reducing or eliminating from your life entirely. Once you've tackled these, you'll probably think of others -- and you'll be well on your way to a lighter, more sustainable lifestyle.
Styrofoam
Polystyrene foam is actually quite recyclable, but most of it ends up in landfills or scattered around environment. Being made of petroleum, styrofoam is a non-renewable resource -- and it's not biodegradable. Carry your own reusable coffee mugs, skip the fast food, and use glass and metal storage containers whenever possible.
Plastic food containers with Bisphenol-A (BPA)
You'll recognize these polycarbonate bottles and containers by their #7 recycling codes. Health concerns have dogged BPA for years. If you really must use plastic, choose BPA-free varieties (such as those marked with #2, #4, and #5 codes). And be sure to recycle them when you're done.
Tropical hardwoods
Teak and Mahogany are beautiful, long-lasting woods. But worldwide demand has driven their irresponsible harvesting from old-growth forests, destroying wildlife and biodiversity in some of the world's most critical natural habitats. Don't know where the wood in that magnificent dining table was sourced? Leave it at the store, and look for goods manufactured through certified forestry programs.
Aluminum in cosmetics
Almost all commercial antiperspirants contain aluminum chlorohdrate or aluminum zirconium. Both are easily absorbed through the skin. While no definitive studies link them to cancer, some researchers remain concerned about their long term use -- particularly by women. We already get plenty of aluminum in our diet, thanks to anti-caking agents in processed foods. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of alternatives to conventional antiperspirants.
Incandescent bulbs
With relatively inexpensive CFL lightbulbs available everywhere you turn, it makes no sense to buy old-style bulbs for most applications. CFLs don't radiate light quite the same way as conventional bulbs, so take some time to find out how to live with them. And since CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, be sure to dispose of them properly.
 Petroleum-based fabric sheets and laundry detergent
Sure, fabric sheets smell great. They're engineered that way -- with powerful chemicals. Like most laundry detergents, they're derived from non-renewable petroleum products. Switch to vegetable-based laundry soaps and seek out less potent alternatives to commercial dryer sheets.
Overpackaged goods
Ask any marketer: the store shelf is a retail battleground. Often, the first casualty is common sense when it comes to packaging. Unusual plastic bubble wraps; huge boxes for small products -- competition for your attention sometimes results in a wasteful mess. Rather than contributing to our already overcrowded landfills, vote for more responsible packaging with your feet. Buy something else, and let companies which overpackage their wares know why you're not a customer.
Paper towels and napkins
No, you needn't give up your toilet paper, as our friend Colin Beavan -- No-Impact Man -- and his family chose to do. Paper is a renewable resource, if properly managed. But let's face it: we squander more paper than we should. That means wasted trees and all the resources which went into farming them. And that, in turn, means more monoculture pulpwood forests, soil erosion, and chemicals used to keep tree-damaging pests away. There are some messes best cleaned up with paper, but couldn't you use more kitchen cloths and napkins? It takes a little planning, but makes a big difference. If you're interested in more environmentally friendly paper products, check out Colin's list at the No Impact Man site.
Plastic utensils
Like paper products, plastic utensils rate high on the waste scale. While some are marked for recycling, most convenient disposable cutlery gets used once and thrown away. Plastic is forever once it's in the environment, and the petroleum used to make it is increasingly precious. Consider some alternative strategies: portable metal mess kits for picnics, or simply washing plastic goods and using them again.
Disposable batteries
There are about 15 billion batteries manufactured each year. Most are alkaline batteries, discarded after a single duty cycle. Once sent to a landfill, they break down and begin leeching chemicals into the groundwater. Convenient, yes -- but so are rechargables. With all the electronic devices in our lives these days, it makes environmental (and financial) sense to switch to rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. They're less toxic and save you money. But do your homework: not all batteries and chargers are appropriate for a given job. Check out GreenBatteries.com for helpful background information.
Commercial insecticides
If it's not good for bugs, it's probably not good for your family or your pets. In-home pesticide use has been linked to everything from lung disorders to Parkinson's Disease. Household insects are a destructive nuisance, and outdoor pests can become a public health issue. But there are less- and non-toxic ways of controlling bugs, from borax (a poison) to essential oils, select plants, and ways to make common insects feel less welcome in your cupboard. Get some tips from Organic Pest Control, or this Lighter Footstep article on taking the sting out of mosquitoes without pesticides.
Household cleaners
Your cleaner cabinet is filled with some of the most powerful toxins on the consumer market. Check the warning labels and lists of unpronounceable compounds: it's amazing some of these things are even sold at all. But old tried-and-true, natural cleaners will often do the trick without exposing your family to exotic chemical fumes and residues. Baking soda, vinegar, and salt are the backbone of a cleaner-and-greener home. Take those commercial cleaners to a hazardous disposal facility and start cleaning the natural way. It'll even save you money.
What could you add to this list? Please leave a comment or start a new topic in the Lighter Footstep Forums. And here's to your success on the road to low-impact living.
Readers have left 8 comments. 1. CFL Scam
Guest, Guest incandescent bulbs toxic? i dont think so -- comparing the TOTAL carbon footprint, cfl's, with their mercury, radioactive gas, and enormous manufacturing footprint create tonnes of pollution before you even switch them on -- look at this blog for more data on this very effective scam - http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/341513 2. All manufactured goods have a footprint
Chris Baskind, Super Administrator I don't think CFLs are in any way a "scam." The article seems to be asserting that they're a gambit by power companies to somehow distract public attention from their pollution, but provides no evidence for this rather fanciful connection.
The energy savings -- never mind the reduced emissions -- provided by widespread adoption of CFLs far outweigh the inconvenience of safely recycling them.
As for manufacturing cost, there's no doubt thatincandescents are far simpler and cheaper to produce at current scale. But so are kerosene lamps. And the toxins in a whole household's complement of CFLs is dwarfed by those in the very computer you used to post this article.
I've no doubt you'll properly recycle your computer when you're done with it. That's what we'll do with CFLs. Or we can sit around in the dark until plastic LED lighting is ready.
3. And the list grows on
Guest, Guest I enjoyed your list, and agree that these are products that our planet could do without.I'd love to link to this page from my website. Perhaps you might follow up with a few more alternatives to these "unfriendly" products? (You might also include items made with polyvinyl chloride, like shower curtain liners.) 4. Viniger keeps the ants away
Guest, Guest
I read that viniger keeps the ants out of your house. So i put viniger around the areas where the ants come in. It sort of worked, they didn't come in that same spot but they found new ways in instead
5. Ants be Gone
Guest, Guest To get rid of your ants, use instant grits. Yes, I said instant grits, the ants take the pieces back to the colony and any who eat blow themselvs up. Evenually eradicating the colony. I has to be instant though. It really does work!  6. Responsible?
Guest, Guest If you really think people in general are "responsible" enough to recycle cfl's, please pass the drugs! How do you think we got to the point of destruction we're at now? It's a nice pipe dream and yes some will be responsible but the majority...Right in the trash, Ralph, Right in the trash! 7. Green Living
Guest, Guest
Nice to see some other people really concerned about the environment. As a UK resident I find we're really fighting against government rules and regulations and people's own laziness and ignorance. I decided to set up a site showing how easy it is to help the environment and to go green. The more information we get out to people the more chance we have of making a difference.
Wish we had an (unexpensive) alternative to aluminium deodorants over here (that also haven't been tested on animals!).
8. products to avoid
Guest, Guest I wish we could save all the trees wasted by the junk mail we receive. I've signed onto the correct list to stop most of it but some still comes. I hate thinking that some beautiful tree has been chopped down for the unwanted solicitations I don't even look at.
Any suggestions? |
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