The Meaning of "Green"- by Christie Harris
At home there’s a green movement afoot and there are conflicting ideas about what “green” means. Often, it’s just about making educated choices about available products whether they are household cleaners, paint for the walls, or furniture and flooring.
We don’t often think about indoor air quality. Exposure to volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, can cause dizziness, respiratory stress, and trigger asthma attacks.
Household all-purpose cleaners can certainly affect indoor air. Bleach, anti-bacterial sprays or wipes, and glass, tub and tile cleaners all emit VOCs. The good news is that there are many citrus or plant-based cleaners on today’s market and they work just as well for the same cost. Or back to basics, steam kills bacteria and lifts stubborn stains.
If you are thinking about a new wall color, low VOC paints are available from your favorite hardware store and are a smart choice if you are concerned with indoor air quality.
When it comes to decorating your home, look for products that use sustainable woods like bamboo. Bamboo grows quickly unlike our deciduous hardwoods, which take decades and even centuries. Sustainable flooring and carpeting choices are increasing as more companies become environmentally aware and quest to answer the green consumer’s demand.
There are water saving, energy saving fixtures and appliances on the market too. Think about it... each time you flush a toilet; you are using fresh potable water. Gallons of it. Low-flow or low-flush toilets are one way to reduce the fresh water consumed by flushing. Not for the feint of heart, there is energy around the household utilization of composting toilets. These wonders use no water at all.
Recycling isn’t a new idea, but the products made from recycled materials are flooding the market. Rugs, decking, pet beds… all made from recycled milk jugs. Glasses and dinnerware from recycled windshield glass. Mulch mats for the garden from recycled tires. Re-purposing is a bit different and requires some creativity. For instance, candle holders or clocks from scrap metal, gears, nuts, and bolts. License plates as purses or mailboxes or flowerpots and pencils from reclaimed currency. For those less creative; think about buying antique or thrift, rather than new. Though different, recycling and re-purposing have one common denominator. Stuff doesn’t go to our landfills.
Finally, look for where the product is made. It takes more energy and fuel for products made in China to reach your home, than the ones made right here in the States. Better yet, buying from domestic producers keeps the jobs at home.
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