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There are many products out there; from cars to light bulbs, that claim to be green, eco friendly or less harmful for the environment.
But as there are no hard and fast rules as to what makes an eco friendly product or not it can be quite difficult to discern between something that claims it is green and something that actually is.
However, there is a good rule of them and four aspects that make up most eco-friendly products and checking for them can give you an idea if the product you are looking at is environmentally friendly or not.
What is the alternative?
Many items claim to be eco-friendly because they use less energy than an alternative, but is this really what makes something greener. A car that uses an eco fuel system may be greener than a petrol model but not if you could just as easily walk to most of your destinations. So the first thing to ask when looking for eco-friendly products is – do I really need it?
Energy Saving
Energy efficiency is a key aspect to an eco friendly product. Global warming and climate change is linked to the CO2 that is ejected from our power use.
Reducing the power we consume will benefit the environment so any product that uses less energy than similar products (and you need it) is greener.
Energy saving light bulbs, for instance, produce the same effect as regular lighting but use a third less power.
Sustainability and toxic materials
Another aspect to the green credentials of the goods we buy is what they are made of. If something doesn’t come from a sustainable source or contains harsh chemicals or toxic metals
Recycling
Eco friendly products should also be either made from a recyclable material or able to be recycled themselves (or parts of them).
Products that do not degrade can linger in the environment for decades so anything that can avoid adding to the waste build up certainly qualifies for green credentials.
Just take a look at the products around you in your home or office; you may be surprised to know that most of these products are harmful to the environment in some way or the other. So, what should we do?
Here are a few points that are worth considering while you set out to buy a product. You should check the item on the basis of a few guidelines like:
i. Adverse effect on the environment
First, make sure that the item you propose to buy does not cause any kind of contamination to the environment, either through air or water. In this context, we should consider the fact that even the pets in our home should be protected against any kind of harsh chemicals.
ii. Detrimental to health
Many products contain chemicals that are so pungent that you can’t stand them even for a few minutes. So, you can imagine how hazardous it is to use them in your home especially if you have infants.
You will be cleaning your home often to keep the place clean for your kids to crawl, walk and run; make sure that you choose only natural products.
In fact, you can prepare room fresheners or cleaning agents at home, if you practice DIY solutions.
iii. Toxic effect
You may not know that some products containing chemicals can cause illnesses like headache, nausea or allergy.
So, opt for natural, home-made alternatives that are mild to use, safe for health and easy to prepare.
iv. Money spent
When you shop for eco-friendly products, you may feel that the prices are quoted higher than you expected.
There are many reasons for this-less demand, only a few vendors coming forward to sell them, lack of awareness among buyers and the not-so-popular methods of manufacturing these items.
But, all said and done, even if you pay a few cents extra for a noble cause, it should make you feel good.
You should feel encouraged to patronize such products and spread a word or two about them to your contacts.
v. By-products
Strikingly, even when an eco-friendly product crosses its lifespan and is reprocessed for reuse, there is no harm done to the environment in lieu of the by-products. But, this is not the case with items that contain a large amount of dangerous chemicals.
Hence, this is definitely considered to be one of the pivotal advantages of choosing and buying eco-friendly products for our daily activities.
Responding to the growing awareness among people about the need to use eco-friendly products, manufacturers have come up with innovative solutions like the recycle bag or non woven bag. These bags are made of strong and durable materials like non woven polypropylene.
