It’s overwhelming to walk into stores (or search online) and take in all of the choices. And words like “eco-friendly”, “green” and “natural” can be misleading. In fact, many of these plant based products may be sourcing ingredients (like unregulated palm oil) that are actually damaging to the environment.
From cleaning our homes to personal care, try to focus on 3 things when making product choices:
Reduce the number of products we buy; consider using inexpensive, safe items like baking soda, vinegar & lemons for basic cleaning
Look for non-toxic products packaged with little to NO plastic
Buy from companies committed to environmental protection who describe exactly what they are doing; look for 3rd party certifications (e.g., B Corp, Fair Trade, FSC)
Home cleaning products
It’s 100% possible to have a squeaky clean home with little to no plastic or polluting toxins. Consider basic products in out kitchend (lemons, baking soda, vinegar) or look for concentrated products (because who needs to ship heavy water around?) and opt for those without petroleum based coatings called Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) since these have been shown to release microplastics into our water supply.
Personal care products
There are great options out there that work well & feel great without a long list of harmful ingredients; however, minimizing plastic in personal care products is particularly challenging. Look for brands packaged using recycled plastics & support companies who offer refill options. And yes, even changing up TP and dental floss can have an impact!