The Latest Study on Phthalates
A new study details the risks of products containing phthalates -- listed in Green Clean as "Chemicals of Very High Concern" -- and their effects on male infants. According to USA Today, "The paper, published Friday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found that the more a mother was exposed to the chemicals, called phthalates (THAL-ates), the greater the chance her boy's reproductive development would be harmed." Read the full article for more information.
Posted by GreenClean at 12:44 PM
Storage & Disposal
The average American home has some hundred pounds of hazardous household products stored in its basement, garage, storage shed, and closets. The first line of defense against hazardous household waste is to avoid using harmful chemicals in the first place. But be especially vigilant about these proudcts, the most common hazardous products around the house:
Automotive products: Gasoline, motor oil, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, car wax and cleaners, lead-acid batteries, brake fluid, transmission fluid
Home improvement products: Paint, varnish, stain, paint thinner, paint stripper, caulk, adhesives
Household cleaners: drain opener, oven cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, spot remover, bleach, ammonia, furniture polish and wax
Other products: Batteries, nail polish, pool chemicals, shoe polish, lighter fluid, prescription medicines, some arts and crafts materials, some personal care products
Pesticides: Insecticide and insect repellent, weed killer, rat and mouse poison, pet spray and dip, flea collars, moth balls, disinfectant, wood preservative
Posted by GreenClean at 12:19 PM
This Book is Not a Tree: A Note About Green Clean
Green Clean is a DuraBook, a waterproof, stain-resistant, super-durable book made with synthetic paper and a special binding. It will last for years -- carted around the house, sitting out in the sun, soaked in a cleaning bucket.
You might expect that a guide to ecofriendly housecleaning would be made of recycled paper. But recycling can only be done so many times; fibers eventually lose their strength and the paper becomes garbage.
The materials we use do not need to become trash. Instead, they can become nutrients for a new generation of goods. “Waste equals food,” architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart write in their landmark book Cradle to Cradle. They describe the coming transformation of industry from one “that takes, makes, and wastes to one that celebrates natural, economic, and cultural abundance.”
Green Clean represents a step toward this more sustainable way of making things. The polypropylene that Green Clean is printed on, which can be traditionally recycled, will, in a better industrial system, become just such a nutrient, part of a stream of materials that can be reused over and over without losing their integrity.
As Green Clean’s authors note, a tool that lasts for years is an ecofriendly tool. If you are done with Green Clean, though, a landfill is no place for a book. Give it to a friend or a library, or send it to us at Melcher Media. We will make sure it is properly recycled.
Melcher Media
124 West 13th Street
New York NY 10011
Posted by GreenClean at 02:18 PM
Out With the Old
The first step in green cleaning is to take a hard look at the cleaning products you use, then rid your house of the most toxic things in your cleaning cabinet. Some people will start with the products that are easiest to replace, like dishwashing liquid and all-purpose cleaner. Others will first focus on the most dangerous products, such as drain and oven cleaners. A simple rule of thumb for your cabinet clean-up: If something makes your eyes tear, your nose crinkle, or your skin itch, get rid of it. Almost every cleaning product can be replaced with a nontoxic, environmentally friendly alternative available at local stores or on the Web. It’s also easy to make your own cleaning solutions from basic, safe ingredients. A combination of these approaches works great.
Posted by GreenClean at 04:31 PM
What Is Green?
“Green” can mean a dozen different things to a dozen different people. For some, it means simply “environmentally friendly,” no matter how vaguely that phrase can be used. In Green Clean, the word points to a deeper set of beliefs. By living green you seek to reduce your negative impact on the planet in small, everyday ways. It means treating all resources as precious; living with nature instead of trying to subdue it. It means being energy efficient, lessening your use of petroleum products, and conserving water. Most of all, it’s a mindful way of living, trying to make every choice a green choice.
Continue reading to see The Green Consumer
As defined by The Green Consumer
- is not dangerous to the health of people or animals;
- does not cause damage to the environment during manufacture, use, or disposal;
- does not consume a disproportionate amount of energy and other resources during manufacture, use, or disposal;
- does not cause unnecessary waste, due either to excessive packaging or to a short useful life;
- does not involve the unnecessary use of or cruelty to animals;
- does not use materials derived from threatened species or environments.
Posted by GreenClean at 04:23 PM