green is universal

Toss Toxins Safely and Responsibly

Dear Mr. Green,

I really enjoyed your article on using lemons instead of bleach as cleaning agents. I would like to adopt more eco-friendly cleaning habits, but unfortunately, my cabinets are filled with harmful cleaning agents. What is the best way to dispose of these chemicals without harming the environment?

Best,
KE

Dear Tossing Toxins,

Purchasing commercial cleaning products can be a crapshoot. They're expensive, they sometimes work and sometimes don't and to top it all off - many are proven to be dangerous. Speaking as a voice of experience regarding the risks - I know. As kids, my twin sister and I knocked-back a bottle of window cleaner and neither of us will ever forget the taste of the "blue stuff," the trip to the emergency room, and the medication prescribed to make us both vomit (not pretty and completely avoidable.)

Measuring-up safety in a minefield of products is not only confusing but also a challenge. The reason for the mystification? Manufacturers aren't required by law to disclose ingredients thereby allowing many makers the opportunity to conceal nothing more than active ingredients (which are sometimes less than 1% of all contents) and leaving the remaining materials a colossal "whodunit" to the purchaser. Manufacturers are allowed to get away with this tremendous hoax on the public by saying that if they were to list all ingredients, they would be giving up their trade secrets and patent rights.

Therefore, to help you as a consumer, my recommendation is to only purchase from manufacturers who list every single ingredient on their labels - and if you need a PhD in Chemistry to understand what those ingredients are (butyl cellosive?, methylene chloride?, napthas?, petroleum distillates?, phosphates?, phthalates?, sodium hydroxide?, sodium hypochlorite?, sulfuric acid?, trisodium nitrilotriacetate?), best bet...they're probably harmful to you, your kids, your pets, the planet or all of the above.

The average Joe (or Jane) uses about 40 pounds of cleaning products each year (that's about one-third the weight of a supermodel!! 2/3 if you include Kate Moss!). Within the most familiar brands of spritzes, sprays, foaming bubbles and powders you might discover cancer causing agents, carcinogens, central nervous system depressants, neurotoxins and heavy metals (and I don't mean the head-banging music of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, or Led Zeppelin), not to mention harmful elements that potentially cause allergic responses, behavioral troubles, respiratory ailments, and even reproductive irregularities and deformaties.

Dumped, flushed, poured, thrown or tossed - ingredients from domestic cleaning products release their contents into the environment and contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer, tainting of our groundwater, air and soil pollution, and impairment of natural plant and animal life and precious eco-systems. However, with just a few inexpensive, pure ingredients (baking soda, borax, lemon, salt and white vinegar) and a little know-how about mixing them together - cost-efficient, environmentally sound, and safe natural homemade cleaning concoctions are a worthy alternative to the toxic and potentially poisonous commercial cleansers used in many homes. By opting to go green with natural cleaning solutions, you help keep everything safer for yourself, your children, your pets, our Mother Earth and generations to come.

As you wise observation indicates, however, once the decision to go safe and healthy has been made, many folks are then left with mountains of risky commercial cleaning products. Besides stashing them in cabinets or locking them behind doors (neither of which I recommend), it's crucial to correctly dispose of your old bio-hazardous cleaning products after "going green."

Chucking the contents down your drain, flushing them down the toilet, pouring them onto the ground or down storm sewers, or tossing them out with the regular trash, are all BIG no-nos. Doing so only causes more undue pollution and gambles with human health. Instead, consult with your city, state or local municipality about environmental, health, or waste management programs available in your community. Coast-to-coast, many neighborhoods are now offering opportunities for a safe-and-sound disposal of the stuff we once believed to be harmless. And if you need an easy place to start your search for waste disposal try checking out Waste Management at: http://www.wm.com/wm/contact_corporate.asp

about mr. green

From re-gifting, re-cycling, to natural cleaning products for your home, Mr. Green has all of your ecotiquette answers. Our Mr. Green (aka. Michael De Jong), is the author of "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing." He lives in Jersey City with his partner (Richard,) dog (Jack,) and three goldfish (Phil, Jill and Gill) all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in "CLEAN" and is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by an immigrant family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of "CLEAN" books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing" can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.

Click here to send him a question and he'll put in the elbow grease to scrub out the answers!