Eco Green Tips

photo credit: Selma90 (on holiday!)

Trying to be eco-friendly may sometimes seem like a bit of a hassle, especially if you’re a serious coffee drinker. Organic or fair trade coffee unfortunately tends to be quite pricey, which will turn many people away. Luckily, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Organic food industry is one of the fastest growing therefore it is becoming easier to find products that are both affordable and healthy. Moreover, organic products are grown without the use of pesticides or any chemical fertilizers, which makes them better for both you and the environment.

At any rate, trying to find affordable organic coffee that will not break my budget, I came across a website that offers hundreds of organic products (coffee among them) in a variety of categories (here’s the link: http://www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/english/offers/nativa_organics/). Nativa Organic Coffee costs less than some of the regular kinds available on the market and the only drawback is that it is only available through their website. However, taking everything into consideration, it is worth trying. Not only does it taste good, it is also certified by Organic Crop Improvement Association or OCIA as well as Fair Trade Certified. This means that the farmer that grows the beans somewhere in South America gets at least 25% of the retail price (as opposed to the regular trade when the farmer usually only gets 10%). The Fair Trade certification ensures that the farmers are not exploited, environmentally sound and sustainable practices are enforced and the poverty and working conditions of such communities are improved.

Thus, if you’re a coffee drinker, go for Organic and Fair trade certified variety and enjoy not only a great taste but also knowledge that you’re doing something great for the environment and the people who grow this wonderful bean.

There are many toxic chemicals and other substances we may be exposed to in our daily lives and unfortunately, most of them have serious health risks. However, there are ways to avoid them altogether or at least minimize the exposure but to do so you need to know which of the toxin to stay away from.

Here is the list of the most common toxins to avoid:

Pesticides—according to EPA, herbicides, fungicides and insecticide are part of the cause in some cancers, miscarriages and Parkinson’s disease. The only way to avoid these is to learn where your produce comes from and make sure you purchase fruit and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides.

Phthalates—are chemicals used to lengthen the life of scents and to soften plastic and are present in plastic wraps, bottles and food storage containers.

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)—chemicals present in such products as paint, furniture finish and wax, carpets etc and are quite hard to avoid. Luckily, there are increasingly more products, such as VOC-free paints, available on the market nowadays. VOCs cause various health issues, e.g. headaches, dizziness, even cancers.

Dioxins—are toxins created by burning trash or fuel such as wood, coal or gas. They end up in the fat tissue of many animals consumed by humans thus it is quite hard to limit the exposure. Be cautious about the meat you buy and learn where it comes from and how the animals were raised. 

Chloroform—commonly created by adding chlorine to water. Best thing to do is have your water tested for presence of chloroform and if found, purchase the right filter.

Chlorine—used in many household cleaners and bleaches. It causes a variety of health troubles, from respiratory problems and skin and eye irritation to more serious ones like cancer. To avoid chlorine, purchase chlorine-free bleach and eco-friendly cleaning products or make your own (for more information on natural cleaners go to…..).

Heavy Metals—including, but not limited to, mercury, lead and aluminum. These are present in such sources as water, pesticides, antiperspirants and deodorants, tooth fillings and fish.

Asbestos—although most buildings are (or at least should be) asbestos-free, if you have and old home, your best bet is to have it checked. This toxin gets more volatile with age.

For years we have been told that the best way to get rid of bacteria in your house and work is to simply bleach them clean. And we have been using bleach and products containing bleach for anything even remotely connected with bacteria. However, all this bleaching has some serious side effects to your health as well as the environment.

One of the recent studies in cells have found that an active ingredient in bleach called hypochlorous acid (HOCl) causes protein to disintegrate thus killing organisms such as bacteria. However, it does not differentiate between types of protein and kills both bacteria and human cells. This poses a serious problem for human immunity, especially in people with compromised immune system. We all have heard about the latest outbreaks of various infections in hospitals and such… The problem is still more serious when we take into consideration the fact that many bacteria have developed a certain kind of immunity to killing agents, such as bleach for instance.

As for the environment, chlorine bleach has many negative effects. It is corrosive and releases vapors that are toxic, especially when mixed with other chemicals. Moreover, chlorine reacts with organic matter found in drinking water giving rise to trihalomethanes (chemicals that possibly cause cancer and developmental issues) and using bleach in laundry produces chloroform, which is a human carcinogen.

Luckily, there are many safer alternatives to bleach on the market these days and they include eco-friendly products such as (one of my favorite) Seventh Generation or simply soap (make sure it’s the green variety) and hot water for your general cleaning and laundry or the chlorine-free bleach, which is basically hydrogen peroxide. It does the job well and is natural and safe for both your health and that of the planet we live on.

There always seem to be an excess of empty medicine bottles in nearly every household these days. And while most of the pharmacies use #1 plastic for their bottles, some unfortunately use the types of plastic that are not recyclable.

So what can you do with all these bottles lying around your house, waiting for you to come up with some use for them? Well, here are a few tips for creative ways of recycling medicine bottles:

1. Glue several bottles together and spray-paint the creation with your favorite color. Use it as a storage system for all the tiny knick knacks on your desk.

2. Place your loose change in the prescription bottle and use in your purse, car or anywhere you may need it.

3. Consider donating clean empty bottles to vet clinics, animal shelters, free clinics or homeless shelters for reuse.

4. Make a toy for your cat or dog by putting some dry beans or rice in the bottle and closing it tight. It will roll and make the rattling noise pets enjoy.

5. Use when traveling for holding liquids, such as shampoo or lotion. These bottles are perfect since they close tight and don’t spill. Just remember to label them.

6. Use for storing small items such as buttons, beads etc.

7. Use to store plastic bags in your purse for when you may need one.

8. For the artsy types, you can use the bottles for the paint if you happen to buy it in bulk, that way you can use a small amount of paint at a time.

There are many more ways one can recycle the prescription bottles and your own creation is the limit here. However, make sure that you take off the labels and shred them so nobody will get your personal information and clean and sanitize the bottles so you can reuse them safely.

It should not come as a surprise that European countries are so much better at being green than Americans, since the EU regulations are so much stricter than the American. Moreover, the recycling part, for instance, has been implemented in at least some of the EU countries for years and the effects are clearly visible.

There are many ways, in which EU regulates manufacturers, companies and various businesses to ensure that the environment is protected, at least to certain degree. However, the most noticeable ones are supermarkets and ATM machines.

Before you make a trip to a supermarket in Europe, you need to make sure you remember to take your own reusable bag with you because the plastic bags will cost you (may not be a lot but even the smallest amounts add up in the long run). In February 2008 the law was passed forcing all stores in the EU countries to charge a small fee for plastic bags and the effects were quickly visible. People started carrying their reusable bags with them and less and less customers ask for a plastic bag when they shop. In Ireland, for example, where the law has been in effect for a number of years now, it is a common thing for every one to carry their cotton bags, backpacks or even strollers when they do serious shopping.

Another practice, namely charging a small fee for ATM receipts is helping reduce the waste. Despite the fact that all banks now offer online account monitoring, many people still take the receipt from the ATM machine each time they draw money only to throw it away. That practice contributes large amounts of paper waste around the world. Thus, charging a small fee forces people to think whether they actually need the receipt and most opt not to have one. In the long run, it will save not only money but paper as well.

The logical conclusion is that no matter how considerate people may be about preserving the environment, the best way to make anyone break the nasty habit is through their wallet.