Some Climate Friendly Household Products

 

We are all accustomed to using many household products without necessarily thinking about their packaging (petroleum derived plastics), what they are made of,  or about the carbon cost of shipping heavy items long distances (from the manufacturer to your local store, or direct to you). That carbon cost is never considered – but we will all pay the increasing costs as our earth warms from too much carbon in the atmosphere. So, I decided to learn more and to try out some alternative products that are now available, and I thought you might be interested. You may want to research the ingredients, too. Most of the items mentioned below are made with climate-friendly ingredients, and several make significant donations instead of keeping all the profits.

 

Please note:  I do not have any stake in any of the products, companies or websites mentioned below. I included these as starting places to encourage you, the reader, to consider exploring some of these options!

 

Laundry detergent sheets

 

I recently “bit the bullet” and ordered a package of Earth Breeze “Eco Sheets”, in part because I immediately noticed they had a fragrance free option, which is important to me. To try this out, I purchased a package (enough for 60 loads) for $20; a small lightweight cardboard (biodegradable, no plastic) packet came to my house by regular mail. There are 30 sheets, but you only need half a sheet for a normal load. The sheets are soft (easy to tear in half), kind of like a soft cardboard of compressed foamed detergent. My experience is that they dissolve readily and clean the clothes perfectly, with no residual odor, in hot or cold water. Visit their website for more information. We had been using 7^th Generation, which is a good product, but includes some plastic packaging and is heavy, so shipping from the source has a considerable carbon footprint. Earth Breeze sheets cost just a few pennies more per load.  Here is the website: http://earthbreeze.com/shopnow

 

Another brand is TruEarth, which appears to be comparable, but I have not tried it yet.  Again, find thorough information on their website.  https://www.tru.earth/

 

Shampoo in bars

 

Shampoo is another product that almost always comes in plastic bottles and is wet, ie heavy, so a high carbon footprint for shipping.  I am now seeing ads for shampoo bars. I plan to try this when I finish my current plastic bottle of shampoo!

 

A friend of mine says she has been using Liggett’s “Old Fashioned Shampoo Bar” for years, and really likes it. This is available in the Lebanon and Hanover Co-op, which may have other brands as well. You can find out more at: https://www.iherb.com/pr/j-r-liggett-s-old-fashioned-shampoo-bar-original-formula-3-5-oz-99-g/5825 

 

If you like high-end shampoo bar possibilities, check out: https://www.vogue.com/article/best-shampoo-bars

 

Dishwashing soap in bars or concentrate

 

I plan to try waste free dishwashing soap next!  This website lists a number of options:

https://www.sustainablejungle.com/zero-waste/zero-waste-dish-soap/

 

If you don’t like the idea of using a solid block of soap for dishes (some come with a brush), the shopetee concentrate comes in biodegradable “pods”. Squeeze the concentrate into your own dispenser container and add water. You and the planet are not paying the costs of shipping all that water! More information at: https://www.shopetee.com/pages/plastic-free-dish-soap-concentrate?avad=55097_b2105c7f9

 

Toilet paper options

 

Toilet paper is not full of water, but most of it comes wrapped in plastic, and if made of virgin paper, costs many trees: “Every day, 27,000 trees are cut down just to make regular toilet paper.” Trees absorb carbon from the air, and the longer they are left to grow, the more carbon they sequester.  So, using toilet paper made of recycled paper or bamboo, that is wrapped in paper (not plastic!), is good for the climate and for the earth. 

 

I initially heard about “Who Gives a Crap” toilet paper and we have been using their recycled paper toilet paper for a couple of years. (They have some additional products, including bamboo toilet paper, that I have not tried yet.) The TP comes in extra long rolls, and is thicker and softer than regular toilet papers I have tried. Also, this company has a real sense of humor, and they make significant donations for toilets in 3^rd world countries.  A cardboard case of 48 rolls delivered to your door is $48 (no additional shipping), and with just two of us at home, it takes us more than a year to use a case.  Check out their website: https://us.whogivesacrap.org/

 

For more options and reviews:  https://earthfriendlytips.com/best-eco-friendly-toilet-paper/  This site also mentions other eco-friendly products for your bathroom.

 

“Kleenex”

 

Paper tissues for blowing one’s nose also require trees, and often come wrapped in plastic (outside the cardboard boxes). Here is a do-it-yourself alternative:  cut up cotton bandanas or other cotton or linen fabric and hem the edges. I have cut 2 (well-used) bandanas each into 4 pieces and find they work very well. I have almost never used a commercial paper tissue since I made these, in part because they work better and never disintegrate!

 

Clorox wipes

 

I just came across this link the other day:

The Cheaper, Greener Alternatives to Clorox Wipes

The convenience of Clorox disinfecting wipes can be recreated at home.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-cheaper-greener-alternatives-to-clorox-wipes?utm_source=pocket-newtab 

 

 

If you have found other climate-friendly products, do it yourself or otherwise, please share in a comment!