Madeleine
Skidmore College
PGC DAY 4: SPACE
Greener
maddiewelsch@weebly.com
To find the alternatives I used TTG’s Project Green Dorm page. It’s so helpful and
informative!
1. My Klean Kanteen: I love my kanteen. It’s the color green as well as green for
the environment. I’m a big proponent of Ban the Bottle and this reusable
water bottle goes with me everywhere from hikes to quid practice to class.
Klean Kanteen is made from reusable and sustainable stainless steel. Back in
2002, there were no stainless steel water bottles for personal hydration, and
the health and environmental issues linked to plastic use were not widely
known. A few years later the media began to report on the dangers of BPA
and the demand for Klean Kanteens grew. KK has donated more than 1% of
our annual sales to nonprofits working to protect and promote the health of
our amazing planet. In 2012 they became a Certified B Corporation! Certified
B to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA
Organic certification is to milk. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to
meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance,
accountability, and transparency. RATING: GOOD for the environment
2. Clorox wipes: Why did I buy a product that specifically tells me on the
package to thoroughly wash my hands with soap and water after handling?
The ingredients listed in Clorox wipes fresh scent version, beginning with the
highest amount, are water, substrate, isopropyl alcohol, and alkyl dimethyl
benzyl ammonium chloride. Other ingredients include alkyl dimethyl
ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, alkyl polyglucoside, disodium EDTA,
fragrance, preservative, and propylene glycol propyl ether. Isopropyl alcohol
may be harmful if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed by the skin and may act as
an irritant. The very soluble formula of alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium
chloride, C24H42IN, is a class-three poison. Side effects are noticed with
ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. According to the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services' household products database, there are three
acute health effects that can be caused by Clorox disinfecting wipes.
The
first is eye contact, which can cause moderate eye irritation. If the product
comes into contact with your eyes, you should flush your eyes with plenty of
water. If the irritation continues, go to a physician immediately.
The second
is skin contact. With prolonged skin contact minor irritation may occur; wash
the area thoroughly with soap and water.
The last concern is ingestion.
RATING: BAD for the environment
Alternative—Seventh Generation Botanical Disinfecting Wipes clean and
disinfect with one easy step using the disinfecting power of thymol, a
component of thyme oil, which is obtained from the common garden herb
thyme. This botanical disinfecting household cleaning formula kills 99.99%
of household germs. Ingredients include: Thymol (component of
thyme oil), oregano oil, blue atlas cedar bark oil, lemon peel oil, lemongrass
oil, lemon fruit extract, and orange bergamot mint leaf extract.
3. Eucalyptus Origins Jersey Knit Sheet Set: I couldn’t find a ton of information
on these sheets from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They aren’t GOTS (The Global
Organic Textile Standard) certified which means “that no harmful chemicals
were used from harvest through manufacture, waste is disposed of
responsibly, and fair labor practices are enforced”. Many of the bed sheets,
blankets, comforters, and duvets today also have chemicals in them, most
notably formaldehyde. All sheets made of polyester and cotton blends, along
with anything permanent press or wrinkle-free, most likely contain
formaldehyde. Small amounts of this chemical do make the bedding antiwrinkle, but have also been linked to cancer and respiratory illnesses,
including asthma attacks. RATING: AVERAGE for the environment
Alternative—Under the Canopy Organic Cotton Twin Sheet Set. This super
soft and silky 300-thread count sheet set is created with a blend of 100%
GOTS certified organic cotton and Tencel.
4. Dakine Detail 27L Backpack in La Grande. This is made out 100% recycled
material. This could potentially just be greenwashing but from the Dakine
website I learned that the bag is made out of recycled polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) bottles which is respectable!
RATING: GOOD for the environment
5. Staples Composition Notebook: Not made out of recycled materials, comes in
plastic packaging, and paper is relatively flimsy and 100 sheets mean I’ll
probably need to keep replacing the notebooks. RATING: AVERAGE for the
environment
Alternative—Kejriwal Green 100% post-consumer waste recycled notebooks
are made 'Tree Free.' What this means is that no virgin fibers (no trees were
cut) in the production of their products.
Something really interesting I learned from the Kejriwal website:
“The Various Shades of Green”
100% Recycled Paper Products - The waste in this cateogory is all Recycled
paper only. Again the combination of post consumer and post industrial is
not specified. There shouldn't by any agricultural waste.
100% Recycled Post Consumer Waste - These products have been made using
only the paper waste that once was used for consumer consumption. So
paper garbage thrown out in our homes and offices is post consumer waste.
This could be old newspapers, magazines, files, notebooks, packaging paper,
etc. Sometimes, percentages are specified (for example: 100% recycled, 30%
post consumer, so out of 100% recycled paper, 30% comes from waste that
consumers have discarded)
100% Recycled Post Consumer Waste - FSC Certified - This paper is not only
100% Recycled Paper but is also certified by a third party, Forest
Stewardship Council, that reviews the process of where the waste paper is
coming from. FSC lends an extra transparency to the Recycled paper space
where you know that each process has been reviewed by an independent
agency. Not all certifications, however, convey 100% Recycled. Mixed
Sources still use Trees as a part of their mix. So be careful, to be truly
significant, look for 100% Recycled certifications, the greenest of the greens.
6. Energy Star Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: These are the bulbs I’ve been
using for my dorm. Packaging is minimal. Replacing one regular light bulb
with an approved compact fluorescent light bulb would save consumers $30
in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use
at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide
the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact
fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to
operate and can also reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and
offices. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that by replacing
regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs at the same minimal
rate, Americans would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million
homes for a year. If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a
light bulb that's earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to
light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy
costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year,
equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.
RATING: GOOD for the environment
7. Ball Mason Jars: I took a few of these from home for my water and smoothies
in my dorm. They’re reusable and much better than red solo cups. Zero
waste!
RATING: GOOD for the environments
8. Bounce Dryer Sheets: Oh, sheet! I didn’t realize how terrible dryer sheets
were. We never used them back home but my friend gave me her extra box
and it’s sitting in my dorm. Aside from being filled with fragrances and toxic
chemicals they are also single use, meaning I’d throw them out after one toss
in the dryer. http://home.howstuffworks.com/dryer-sheets2.htm
RATING: VERY BAD for the environment
Alternative—nothing. I don’t need to use them. This is one unnecessary, toxic
product that I can feel good about not spending my money on. If I really
needed an alternative, I could use wool balls or an old sweater to decrease
static and reduce drying time.
I’ll be signin’ the Ditch the Dryer Sheets Pledge here:
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2708/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13015
9. Dr. Bronner’s Hands and Body Lotion: USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified
and "Pure-Castile" is now also a guarantee that what you are using is a real
ecological and simple soap, not a complex blend of detergents with a higher
ecological impact due to the waste stream during manufacture and slower
biodegradability. There is still
RATING: GOOD for the environment
10. Bamboo Hanging Shelf Organizer from Home Depot: is made from canvas
with bamboo shelves; both are sustainable and durable materials.
RATING: GOOD for the environment
My favorite pinterest of the night!
http://www.pinterest.com/teensturngreen/food/