5 February 2018

Green Living – Household Goods

Even though we face some huge environmental problems, if we all make small lifestyle changes they can have big impact for our planet. Green Living is a monthly series of articles suggesting practical, easy steps we can all do to make sure our beautiful Earth is preserved for our children by Paul Woodhead, Green Party Councillor for Hednesford South on Cannock Chase District Council.

Thinking about the items and chemicals we use every day in our households can help us make choices which will help reduce our impact on the planet in a number of ways. Many of the cleaning products we use in our home every day to clean our clothes, dishes or washing our bodies all end up in our waste water and ultimately through the drains and sewers to the rivers and oceans.

Detergents are all now biodegradable, though some may break down quicker than others, but they often contain chemicals which may cause problems. Phosphates can upset the balance of nutrients in rivers and streams, while many products also contain enzymes, bleaches, brighteners and perfumes.

Tip 1: Look for products with low impact chemicals or eco-rating. Whilst there are limited choices in high street supermarkets there are many more choices through specialist ethical superstores online. This does require a little planning ahead and price comparison but you can find alternatives which have a lower environmental impact. The more of us who ask for them the more they will become available in our high streets.

Tip 2: Buy bulk. Most household goods we use the same product week-in, week-out and larger quantities can make the economic choice of buying eco much more affordable and whether it is washing powder purchased in 12.5kg boxes or shampoo bought in a 5ltr tub make the prices comparable and use less packaging per purchase. You can always decant them down in to smaller bottles for using in the house if needed.

Tip 3: Look for products made from sustainable or recycled materials. Have a toothbrush made from bamboo or a razor which is made from recycled plastic. I found to my surprise that this was a fraction of the price of the named brand alternative I had previously used.

Tip 4: Consider those “Old-Wives-Tales”, the cleaning solutions that your gran always used with a little elbow grease. Whether that is using vinegar to clean windows and mirrors or bicarbonate of soda as a good general purpose cleaner that also absorbs odours. These simple solutions worked well for generations before the harsh chemicals were supplied in convenient plastic bottles. You can even make your own toothpaste!

Tip 5: Do less cleaning! There are concerns that overuse of anti-bacterial and anti-microbial agents may be counter-productive, leading to the evolution of resistant bacteria and microbes. There is also some evidence suggesting that contact with dirt helps to strengthen the human immune system and that too clean an environment may contribute to increases in childhood allergies and asthma.

If you have your own tips for sustainable living please get in touch and we will share them in a future article.

 

 

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