The Ecologic Earth Eco-Action Plan
If you are completely confused about how to begin bringing the green lifestyle to your home, then this is the place to start. We know that “going green” can be confusing, so we have taken the guesswork out of greening your life and have broken it down into the simplest steps. Make one change today and it will make a significant impact on what you leave, or don’t leave, behind.
The 5 Steps to Go Green
At Ecologic Earth, we define the environment as anything that surrounds us, be they humans, animals, plants, the air, and the water, and we try to care for the environment as a whole, not only to the amorphous notion of the planet. If someone smokes next to you, they are harming the environment, even though the global impact is negligible, the impact on YOUR environment is tremendous.
1. Eliminate Harmful Materials – The first thing to do would probably be to get rid of the things that can harm your family’s (and your own) health. This means getting rid of Styrofoam cups, dishes and bowls. It would also be wise to get rid of the disposable plastic cutlery, since plastic melts in heat and releases plastic particles after being exposed. Also, all the cleaning products in the home that use harmful chemicals, especially if you have small children in the house, as children are more susceptible to chemicals than adults.
2. Use Less – The next thing would probably be using less electricity, water, and material. You’ll be saving money in the process as well. This means changing light bulbs in the house to CFLs (compact florescent light). Changing the filters on the a/c, setting the heat to 68 F – 70 F (in winter), and having as much natural light in the house as possible. If a family wants to go further, using solar energy, wind energy suitable for the home are a great way to save money and “go green”.
3. Reduce Your Environmental Impact (EI) – Anything that puts a strain on the environment we call Environmental Impact. For example, driving your car impacts negatively on the environment because the gasoline being burned to power the car releases various types of extremely harmful toxins into the air. Riding a bicycle instead of taking your car does not have an environmental impact, since it produces no harmful toxins in the process.
4. Reuse or Make New Use – Reusing things is essential, and the best thing to reuse would be grocery bags, which is relatively easy to do, and requires the purchase of a reusable bag only once, saving tens and sometimes hundreds of plastic bags per reusable bag.
5. Recycle (when possible) – Of course, recycling everything plastic, paper, glass and aluminum is always good, but is used as a last resort when environmentally speaking “all else fails”; e.g. when you can’t reuse the items and they are not compostable/biodegradable. When you have to go disposable, the best thing would be the biodegradable./compostable choice, whether it is dinnerware, trash bags, or packaging.
The 6 Most Harmful Ingredients to Eliminate From Your Home
The EPA estimates that the air we breathe indoors is 5 times more toxic and polluted than the air we breathe outdoors. Cleaning products contain chemicals that are more toxic to us than the germs we’re trying to kill! (YIKES!)
THE RESULT: Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic and associated with asthma, allergies, birth defects, skin reactions, psychological abnormalities, insomnia, migraines, depression, joint pain, dizziness, and chronic fatigue. The most susceptible to these are small children, and pets, as their bodies are smaller and absorb the chemicals more than us adults. Also, small children are especially at risk since they are at a crucial point of growth in their lives and some of these harmful chemicals can deter development in children, and cause permanent damage. Next on the susceptibility list are pregnant women, whose fetus can sustain serious damage when the woman is exposed to these chemicals. Seniors are also high on the list of susceptible to these chemicals, since their health is more fragile and they are more vulnerable to disease.
LOOK ON THE LABELS: The main culprits are alkalies, phosphates, acids, and detergents. They do help in cleaning and getting out the grime and dirt, but they are also a threat to our health.
One of the most dangerous of these is Diethyl Phthalate, which interferes with the endocrine system, and can inhibit growth and development. Another endocrine disruptor is Ethoxylated Nonyl Phenols, found in laundry detergents and toilet bowl cleaners, which have been known to cause reproductive damage in rodents. Some stain removers contain Toluene, a well known carcinogen which is even linked to neurological problems and birth defects.
Aerosol sprays contain various toxic ingredients, such as Hexane, Xylene, and 2-Butoxyethanol (found in some spray cleaners). These are broken down into small particles by the aerosol and can be easily inhaled by humans, and by doing so enter the bloodstream rapidly. They have been linked to headaches, depression, low-sperm count in men, and increased ear infections in children.
It’s best to use products which do not contain any of these, rather use cleaning products which contain naturally derived or plant-based ingredients that have no phosphates and are biodegradable.
Go to Green Products
Ecologic Earth has scoured, scored and researched hundreds of eco-friendly products to help consumers choose the best products when it comes to cleaning their homes and helping the earth. There is a full list of these green cleaning and personal care items on their website at: www.ecologicearth.net.
Seasons Greening!
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For media inquiries, product requests or eco-friendly media assistance, please call Jenee’ Michelle with Pur Publicity at: 317.750.7606 or email at pur.publicity@gmail.com. For More information about Ecologic Earth and their mission, please visit their website at: www.ecologicearth.net or read their blog at: http://blog.ecologicearth.net
