Save the World Using 5 Easy Eco-Friendly Swaps for Your Home Contents

Your home may be spotless, you may drive an electric car to work, but unfortunately, you are still surrounded by items that are toxic to the environment. From air fresheners laden with a cocktail of un-needed chemicals, to moisturisers loaded with harmful organic compounds, we are surrounded by things that could be deadly to us and the environment.

You can swap most of these toxic items in your home with eco-friendly products. All these are bio-degradable and don’t pose any threat to the environment.

Here we list five of our favourite eco-friendly swaps which you start using today.

1. Conventional household cleaners are bad news

Traditional household cleaners which are advertised so voraciously everywhere can be a death knell to the environment. To give them the ability to work on stains, companies use compounds that are highly volatile. Not only do they poison the environment after they are discarded, but the carcinogenic compounds in them are harmful to anyone who is exposed. Bleach has been shown to cause COPD, an irreversible lung disease.

Instead, use lemon juice, baking soda, vinegar or a range of eco-positive cleaners which are brilliant in ridding your home of pathogens. Employ essential oils in some cleaning tasks, as they have anti-biotic and anti-fungal properties.

2. Get rid of those commercial air fresheners

It doesn’t matter what it says on the label, commercial air fresheners are endocrine disruptors . The multiple fragrances which are advertised are nothing but a mixture of harmful chemicals that cling to you whenever you spray or plugin these products. Formaldehyde, Benzene and Toluene, are all phenolic compounds which are responsible for the pleasant smells and are problematic to you and your family. Irritating to those with lung or breathing disorders like asthma and known to play havoc with your hormonal systems.

Employ reed diffusers and aromatherapy diffusers instead. Some essential oils can be irritants to children and toxic to pets, so choose wisely.

3. Paper towels aren’t as innocent as you think

Water, energy, and trees. These are what it takes to manufacture paper towels. All three are a limited resource and should not be wasted. Even recycled products need energy and water for the recycling process- and all for an item you use to throw away.

Use dishcloths when possible, and things like old cut-up dishtowels or old clothes are great for bigger messes. They are very absorbent and work beautifully when trying to handle a messy disaster in any room. When they are dirty, a spin in the washing machine and then drying in the sun kills most bacteria.

4. Your moisturiser might be more harmful than helpful

Believe it or not, even the moisturiser you use may be packed with harmful chemicals . Take a look at the label and there will be a host of ingredients you don’t understand the implications of. Some moisturisers contain Triclosan which does incredible harm to our endocrine system. Although most chemicals aren’t that harmful if used in isolation, the average woman uses products every day which contain nearly 168 ingredients, some of which are harmful. This is alarming and definitely not good news for your body.

Instead, choose a natural product such as jojoba oil, cocoa butter or coconut oil which act as great moisturising agents. Coconut oil is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and fragrant. Store it in a jar for easy application and usage.

5. Replace all your plastic with glass or beeswax covers

In 2013, almost 300 million tons of plastic were produced across the world. From cutlery to bottles, almost everything we use seems to be made of plastic. Even after you discard plastic and send it to recycling, more than 40 percent ends up in landfills where it takes thousands of years to break down.

Plastic has found its way into our oceans, and the largest garbage dump today lies in what’s called The Great Pacific Garbage Patch located in the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, plastics contain harmful chemical compounds like Bisphenol A (BPA) which leaks into our food. BPA is known to mimic oestrogen and can increase the risk of cancer, infertility, and early puberty. So, ditch all those plastic products you have lying around your house, and swap them with glassware or steel. Replace plastic cling wraps with re-usable food wraps like beeswax, which you can make at home yourself .

Eco-up your life with very little effort

Almost everything has a safer eco-friendly alternative. Apart from this list there are other things which you can do like replacing your floss with vegan floss, plastic toothbrushes with bamboo ones and many more. Instead of adding to the problem, with these simple swaps, you can start being part of the solution. If you are looking to protect your most precious items visit State NZ for more information about contents insurance.