5 or 6 years ago, I took some pants in to get dry cleaned and what did I get in return? A nasty rash on my legs that took
weeks to heal. I think it was due to the chemicals that dry cleaners use - at least this is what I would like to believe.
Since then, I haven't had any similar skin rashes despite my trips to the dry cleaners. But this got me thinking, if this really was due to the chemicals used, are there any better alternatives?
With the intent of becoming more environmentally friendly, dry cleaners are starting to go green. What does this mean for you? Clothes that are not cleaned with nasty toxins called percs.
What's a perc, you might ask? Perc is short for perchloroethylene and is known to be a potential human carcinogen. It's the primary cleaning solvent used when dry cleaning. In addition to being not so great for you, it's also not very green. Percs are hazardous air contaminants and must be handled as hazardous waste. Worse, 70% of all perc used in the United States ends up in the environment, contaminating ground and drinking water. (Source:
Wikipedia)
Unfortunately the majority of dry cleaners use percs. However, I just learned that perc has been banned in the State of California as of January 2007, and in the next few years, current PERC users must cease using this product. By 2023, no drycleaner in the state will be allowed to operate with perc. (Source:
Wikipedia)
Are there any alternatives? Great question, dear reader! I'm so glad you asked. As a matter of fact, there are some good green options.
- Wet Cleaning - uses biodegradable soaps and water; can clean fabrics like wool, silk, linen, rayon, leather and suede
- Liquid Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - uses recycled carbon dioxide emissions and does not contribute to global warming; however, unlike wet cleaning, detergents used in this process may contain some volatile organic compounds
- Liquid Silicone - uses silicone based solvents and is marketed under "GreenEarth"; produces non-hazardous, non-toxic wastes
Which solution is best? I think the jury is still out on this one; I've heard that some methods degrade color, others leave a slight odor, and still others shrink clothing. The cost can vary significantly too.
You can find some more information here:
To find out where your local green cleaner is, visit:
Leave us a comment if you have experience with any of these alternative green solutions!
I was searching online for about 30 minutes on "how to dispose of incandescent bulbs", and couldn't find anything definitive. It seems like the general consensus is that you can throw away these "traditional" lightbulbs as you would your regular trash - it goes straight to the landfill. Unfortunately, there's no way to really recycle these incandescent bulbs.
If you're using CFLs (fluorescent bulbs) though, great!
PLEASE don't forget to recycle them when they've burned out. I came across this
website which had some very startling facts. As you know, CFLs have mercury in them. Mercury is very, very bad! Here is some very frightening information on mercury, courtesy of this
website:
- One teaspoon of mercury can contaminate a 20 acre lake forever
- Each year, an estimated 600 million fluorescent lamps are disposed of in US landfills, amounting to 30,000 pounds of mercury waste
- The mercury from one fluorescent bulb can pollute 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe levels for drinking
If you don't know where to recylcle your CFLs, contact your local waste management agency and they should be able to help you out.
Have you heard of
FLOR? It's modular flooring in the form of carpeted tiles, that you can install yourself. It comes in all sorts of colors, textures and patterns, and is a fun way to mix up your flooring that is not permanent.
I've been thinking of installing some in my own home, and went to their website to get more info. Imagine my delight when I saw this:
"
At FLOR, we're really proud of who we are. From our great designs, to the functionality and versatility of our product, we think FLOR is pretty cool. But more than that, we're proud of what we stand for: Mission Zeroâ„¢. Our environmental position, launched 12 years ago by our parent company, Interface, Inc., seeks to eliminate any negative impact our family of companies has on the environment by 2020.
We believe it's not just about what a product is made of, it's about how it's made. In the last 12 years, we have reduced manufacturing waste sent to landfills by 63% and our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 56% worldwide. FLOR products bring a piece of Mission Zero into your home."
They also have this cool recycling program - if you ever want to replace your FLOR, you can easily recycle your existing FLOR materials. FLOR will come and pick up your used tiles and recyle them into new products.Â
Want to learn how you can make your house green? Or how you can start a green business?
West Coast Green is having it's big show coming up this September 20th-22nd, in San Francisco.
They say, "West Coast Green is a feast of innovations, ideas and opportunities designed to expand your business, widen your vision, and stimulate your thinking with the latest, best practices and key players in green building."
If you want passes to the whole event, you'll need to shell out $450 bucks or so, but a day pass to the Saturday "Homeowners Day" is only $25. See ya'll there!
The Lancet put out an study today saying that, to quote the AP, "
Eating Less Meat May Slow Climate Change." A few facts from the study:
- 22 percent of the planet's total emissions of greenhouse gases come from agriculture
- Livestock production, including transport of livestock and feed, account for nearly 80 percent of agricultural emissions, mainly in the form of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas.
According to an
article by AFP, a study published in July by Japanese scientists showed that, "a kilo (2.2 pounds) of beef generates the equivalent of 36.4 kilos (80.08 pounds) of carbon dioxide, more than the equivalent of driving for three hours while leaving all the lights on back home."
As it turns out, eating less read meat is also good for you, as a simple search using the terms "
red meat cancer" will show.
JB and I started an experiment 2 months ago mostly for health reasons, and have essentially cut down to eating red meat to at most once a week. We've been eating lots of tofu, and do eat fish and eggs more frequently, and it's been great. And both of us were avid carnivores who never thought we'd be able to sustain a low meat diet.
But now with more evidence that it's also a great way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, it's really a no brainer. My suggestion? Try cutting down. You may surprise yourself, and it'll be better for you and better for the environment.