The Blind Thistle

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In a follow up to my earlier blog post about my word of the year “Intention” this post discusses one of those very Intentions- my effort to be (more) Green.

Eco-friendly, Environmentally friendly, Organic, Sustainable, Earth friendly, Eco-conscious…there are certainly no shortage of “marketable” terms out there for it.

There really is no avoiding the matter is there? Nearly everywhere we turn those very words are thrown around in a bid to get you to buy this or do that. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with spreading awareness on the damage that is being done our planet due to past harmful behaviours. The problem, I believe, lies in the marketing approach to it. Now I have mentioned the ugly side of marketing before, and it is not going away. We, as consumers, need to educate ourselves and not blindly believe and/or accept that everything that we see and read about a product or service is, in fact, green.

I have made a few small changes around the house in things I use almost daily and I have seen a noticeable difference in not only it’s performance but I also can smell and feel the effects of using less chemicals.

I no longer buy expensive cleaning products with harmful chemicals in them. I am trying to keep the ingredients in my cleaning products to less than 5. If I cannot pronounce one of the ingredients it goes back on the store shelf. In fact, for a few years more than half my cleaning products are made right at home with simple ingredients like vinegar, distilled water, baking soda and essential oils that have anti-bacterial properties. (With a quick google search and you can find all kinds of helpful DIY cleaning solutions)

I am cutting back on my use of plastic, or more specifically, plastics that cannot be recyled such as food storage and wrappers, plastic bags and plastic bottles.

Below is a list of the products that I do use- please note that these are my own personal choices and I have not, nor will not be compensated in any way for promoting them. I have done my due diligence on these items, I found them not only beautiful to look at but they are extremely effective! If you take a moment to read each company’s mission statement and beliefs you will be impressed with their commitment to being green.

• Soaps for cleaning everything from countertops to laundry from Au savon du Marseilles. (Shipped naked with no extra “waste”)
• Scrub brush for cleaning of pots, pans and veggies from Full Circle. Made of bamboo and recycled plastic. They have a full range of products for the home.
• Beeswax Food wrappers for sandwiches, leftovers etc…by abeego. Other brands can be found on Amazon as well.
• Shampoo and Conditioner bars (no plastic and it lasts longer than a bottle) by Unwrapped Life.
• Wool dryer balls by Lypumso on Amazon. These replace non-recyclable dryer sheets and fabric softeners which are chock full of chemicals. Dryer balls also help speed up the drying process by separating clothes and allowing more air flow. Add a few drops of essential oil of your choice.

I am still searching for more sustainable, green products and I may add another blog post on that in the coming months. Hopefully this has made you give some thought to the products that you currently use and perhaps even made you curious to try some of your own. Every little thing we do helps the planet and even our health and others around us.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog posts, it is greatly appreciated.