Introduction – Buying Eco-Friendly
Eco-friendly products are products that are created and produced with minimal environmental impact. These products are often made of recycled, renewable, or organic materials, and can help reduce energy consumption and waste. There are many benefits to using eco-friendly products, such as reducing your carbon footprint, improving air quality, and conserving natural resources. Additionally, eco-friendly products are often more durable and cost-effective in the long run.
Ingredient Considerations
Ingredients inside cleaning agents are typically made from a mixture of harsh chemicals that have warnings for high amounts of exposure to both people and the environment. Used properly they fit into your every day life. Common ingredients in regular cleaners include ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde, and petroleum-based solvents. The perception of these ingredients being harmful has driven the rise in turning to eco-friendly solutions.
Packaging Considerations
Eco-friendly packaging is packaging that is designed to minimize the environmental impact of production, transportation, and disposal. This type of packaging is often made of biodegradable, recyclable, or compostable materials, and is designed to reduce waste, conserve energy, and minimize the use of hazardous materials.
Eco-friendly packaging is becoming increasingly popular as companies look for ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Many companies are now using sustainable packaging materials such as cardboard, paper, paperboard, and bioplastics to reduce their negative impact on the environment. Eco-friendly packaging also often comes with instructions for proper disposal, making it easier for consumers to do their part in reducing waste.
How to Identify Eco-Friendly Products
When shopping for eco-friendly products, the best way to identify them is by carefully checking the label for information about the product’s materials, methods of production, and certifications. By researching the company, you can make sure that they are committed to producing eco-friendly products and not just marketing them as such. Finally, look for certifications that verify that the product has been made with sustainable materials and/or processes. This will give you the assurance that the product is truly eco-friendly.
Common Types of Eco-Friendly Products
When looking for eco-friendly products, it is important to consider the types of materials used. Reusable items are typically made with sustainable materials such as bamboo, cork, and organic cotton that can be used again and again without having to be thrown away. Recycled items are made from materials such as glass, plastic, and paper that have been collected and reused. Organic products are made from natural ingredients, such as plants and herbs, that are grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. By choosing products made from these materials, you can help reduce your own impact on the environment.
Identifying Stores That Carry Eco-Friendly Products
Related is that there are stores which specialize in zero-waste and eco-friendliness. We put together a guide for zero-waste stores that you can check out. It reduces the amount of planning because the store has carried out the curation already.
Work-Related Eco-Friendly Products
Eco-Friendly And Zero-Waste Office Supplies – wide range of work use items can be made eco-friendly or even zero-waste. Imaging every disposable, single use coffee cup converted to a machine washable mug. That would make a huge impact given the number of offices and work-place coffee all over the world.
Home Eco-Friendly Products
Bamboo Products For Home – We’ve extolled the virtues of bamboo for being fast growing and carbon fixing. It’s also very versatile.
Eco-Friendly Fabric Softener – Palm-source soap-based rather than petroleum based surfactants make these more sustainable
Eco-friendly dinner ware – Focusing on materials that are sustainable.
Home Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Eco-Friendly Wood Floor Cleaner – Short of making your own cleaners, these contain more natural ingredients and better packaging
Eco-Friendly Glass Cleaners – Contains more natural ingredients, less ammonia, with better packaging options
Eco-Friendly Drain Cleaner – Largely avoids lye ingredient but there are some with additives that reduce its corrosive properties.
Infused Vinegar Recipes For Cleaning – Vinegar is an acidic cleaning agent with an unpleasant scent. Adding these infusions will dissipate the smell.
Eco-Friendly Stain Removers – Common theme is avoiding bleach.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Cloths – Replace single-use disposable paper towels with durable cloths
Non-Toxic Glass Cleaner – Variety of agents that replaces the smellier, normal stuff
Garden Eco-Friendly Products
Organic ant killers – For people who want to eliminate ants from their homes without resorting to artificial pesticides
Kitchen Eco-Friendly Products
Best Beeswax Wraps – Wraps that substitute for single use plastics, made of natural beeswax.
Eco-Friendly Food Wraps – Alternatives that beat the single use kind as long as you use this type of product multiple times a week.
Compostable Utensils – If you must use single-use disposable products like for party that has unpredictable numbers of guests, then compostable is superior to biodegradable because of the greater amount of carbon locked into soil as part of compost degradation.
Handmade Wood Toys – Responsibly farmed wood is renewable and one of the oldest materials used by mankind to make toys for children. Seeing these toys come back, supplanting cheap plastic toys, is a real positive sign.
Eco-Friendly Reusable Paper Towel Substitutes – Fabrics used in substitute of paper towels that are laundered and then used again.
Bathroom Eco-Friendly Products
Sustainable Electric Toothbrushes – Less about the body and more about the disposable brush head. These are made of sustainable materials like bamboo rather than petrochemical derived plastics or non-sustainable sourced wood
Sustainable Manual Toothbrushes – Very similar to above.
Zero-Waste Toothpaste – Comes in tablet forms to reduce packaging, and make sure to find ones with fluoride!
Earth-Friendly Shower Cleaner – good packaging and good ingredients go a long way to making an earth-friendly product
Loofahs For Effective Cleaning – Loofahs are popular and make personal cleaning very efficient
Kids Eco-Friendly Products
Eco-Friendly Sustainable School Supplies – Reusability and sustainable are big themes for kids school supplies
Eco-Friendly Art Supplies – Everything from ingredients that are more natural and sustainably sourced large sized equipment like easels
Sustainable Diapers – Made from sustainably sourced materials but nevertheless are single use items that contribute greatly to carbon emissions.
Pet Eco-Friendly Products
Eco-Friendly Dog Beds – Reusable materials and high quality will reduce overall emissions
Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags – Avoid the landfill. Compost your pet’s poop to fix the crab and prevent landfill-related methane emissions.
Outdoor Products
Eco-Friendly Bug Sprays – Most of these are based on Citronella and there are none with zero-waste packaging.
Eco-Friendly Hand Sanitizer – Ingredients and packaging, both are considered from good practice manufacturers.
Personal Care Products
Zero-Waste Body Lotions – Less or no packaging at all, and ingredients closer to being natural, unprocessed state
Reusable Cotton Rounds – For people using cotton rounds to remove make-up. These are alternatives to single use items that are a source of production related carbon emissions.
Cost and Availability
When it comes to cost and availability of eco-friendly products, it is important to consider cost comparisons and availability. Eco-friendly products may cost more than traditional products due to the use of sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, but it is important to weigh the cost benefits of using these products over the long term. In terms of availability, eco-friendly products are becoming more widely available and easier to find as more companies join the effort to reduce their environmental impact. Many stores now offer a wide range of eco-friendly products, and online retailers make it easy to find and purchase these items. Consumers can also find eco-friendly products at farmer’s markets, local craft fairs, and other specialty retailers.
Ethical Dimensions – Eco-Friendly And Fair Trade
There’s a related movement called Fair Trade. Fair trade is an idea that a product has been produced in accordance with fair wages and working conditions, environmental sustainability, and respect for the rights of farmers and producers. Fair trade certification is usually overseen by a third-party organization and is designed to ensure that the product has been produced ethically and sustainably.
Because the concepts mix, there’s an overlap in sustainability and fair trade. But, as with any product, sustainability depends on the specific production process. Generally, fair trade products are more likely to be produced with environmentally sustainable methods due to the focus on ethical production. However, it is important to carry out research into the specific production process of any fair trade product to ensure it is sustainably produced.
The ethical dimensions of fair trade products are complex and multi-faceted. On the one hand, fair trade products have been credited with improving the economic and social conditions of small scale farmers and producers in developing countries. This is due to the fact that fair trade products are sold at a premium price, meaning that farmers and producers receive a higher proportion of the final retail price. This can help to increase their incomes and reduce the risk of exploitation.
Furthermore, fair trade products are usually produced in an environmentally sustainable manner, meaning that they benefit the environment as well as local communities. On the other hand, there are some ethical concerns that have been raised with regard to fair trade products. For example, some claim that the premium prices paid for fair trade products are not always passed on to farmers and producers, meaning that their economic conditions may not be improved in the way that is expected.
Furthermore, the fact that fair trade products are usually more expensive than conventional alternatives can make them inaccessible to people who are on lower incomes, limiting their ability to benefit from the ethical dimensions of fair trade products. If you’re interested, take a closer look at fair trade products and also fair trade examples that are not food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, buying eco-friendly products can have a huge impact on the environment. Not only are they better for the environment, but they can also be more cost effective in the long run and are often just as effective as non-eco-friendly products. To identify eco-friendly products, it is important to check the label for certifications, research the company, and look for certifications. Additionally, there are common types of eco-friendly products, such as reusable items, recycled items, and organic products. With the cost and availability of eco-friendly products on the rise, there is no excuse not to make the switch to eco-friendly products.
