January 18, 2013

The Eco Impact of Items You Never Thought About

When we think about greening our homes and establishing a paperless kitchen, many changes that we can make our obvious, such as abandoning toxic cleaning products and switching to paper towel replacements; however, there are many products in our homes that have a harsh impact on the environment or that are made from nonrenewable materials that we never consider.

Here's a few products that you may never thought of greening before:

Swiffer or static cling mops Many people make the switch to these "dry" floor cleansers because they eliminate the need for floor soaps, but those throwaway sheets are typically not biodegradable and can add up to a lot of waste.

Instead try the e-Cloth Deep Clean Mop, which uses a microfiber cleaning cloth to clean with water alone. The mop head is reusable and can be washed up to 100 times.

Coasters are often made from toxic-laden plastic or nonrenewable metal. Not only are these materials not biodegradable, but they're also not absorbent and can leave a wet mess on your hard surfaces.

Instead try Toockies coasters, which are made from 100 percent certified organic cotton and are more absorbent than plastic and metal.

Wooden spoons and other wooden cooking utensils often contribute to deforestation and may be held together with toxic adhesives or finished with chemical sealants.

Instead try Bambu certified organic bamboo wooden spoons. Every bit as durable and temperature-resistant as your everyday wooden spoon, Bambu spoons have a built in spoon rest to protect your counter tops.

What kitchen products are you planning to replace soon? Have you found sustainable alternatives? Leave a message in the comments for help finding eco-friendly solutions.