Green Products I'm Trying:Updated

I'm always looking for day-to-day products (like cleaning products) that are easy to use, that work properly, and also reduce my waste output and the amount of chemicals I bring into my home. I recently found this website Grass Roots Environmental Products that has many interesting products I wanted to try.

Here is what I bought:

Himalayan Soap Nuts 250g for 9.99 (about the size of a medium sized freezer bag)

"For centuries, soapnuts have been used by people in northern Asia to wash their laundry and finest textiles (e.g. wool, silk, cashmere). They have also been used to make cleaning solutions for washing dishes, floors and hair.

Sustainably produced, biodegradable and compostable, soapnut shells are economical and leave your laundry fresh, clean and soft. Soapnuts are gentle on skin and clothes and suitable for sensitive skin, allergy and eczema sufferers."


I haven't tried them yet, but the directions say to place them in the cloth bag provided and place them in the washer with your clothes. I will update this post when I have used them.

I also bought reusable dryer sheets, as I can't live without a static remover, but I also hate buying wasteful products that only add toxic chemicals to the home.

Did you know you are supposed to wash your lint screen with soap and water regularly if you use dryer sheets such as Bounce because they leave a gooey chemical residue behind that blocks up the small mesh of the lint screen and can cause fires?

$14.99

"You'll think your clothes were dried in the breeze!
Static Eliminator is the world's longest lasting dryer sheet system. It eliminates static, softens fabric, and each box lasts an incredible 500 loads (two sheets per box).
Chemical free, safe for sensitive skin and 100% hypoallergenic, these anti-static powerhouses really get the job done."


Reviews of this product say that in drier climates you need to use both sheets per load in order for them to soak up all of the electricity that is conducted during drying. Again, I will write my own reviews after I use them.

I also purchased a portable water filtration system for school, because I hate the taste of chlorine and like to avoid buying water as often as I can. The system is 12.99 and came with some filter replacements, and the replacement filters that last 3 days or 1 gallons of water each, 16 in a pack was 9.99. One set of replacement filters plus the 4 that came with the system should last me both semesters of school.

The system is simply a tiny metal cylinder with holes and 2 plastic ends that hold a carbon filter that looks like a tea bag. Simply drop that into your water bottle and shake, and drink.

So far, since using it at work, it has taken away the taste of chlorine, but not the smell, which is interesting but good enough for me! The tea bags of carbon are compostable as well!

 I have since washed and dried a comforter and it came out clean and static free! Both products are working well.

I also washed a load of towels and cloths and they came out very clean as well, cold water both times.

You can see that the soap nuts do release soapy suds!
Since I think I have somewhat hard water, I put 10 halves in my little bag, and I will continue to use them until I don't see any more suds and write down how many loads that was.

Sweet Grass: Wiingash, Hair of Mother Earth, Hierochloe odorata

When the Green Plan went to a Water Conference in Sault Ste. Marie on July 18-21, the theme or the recurring message was always that the youth needed to be taught traditional knowledge, and that the Earth would be better understood and protected if our ways are passed on.

But the #1 question was "How?"

This made me think about how much traditional knowledge I have, and realized its not much. One of the things I always wondered about was sweetgrass and other traditional medicines. When is it appropraite to use? How do you get them? What exactly is each one for? All I had to do was ask one or two people, and I had all of that information.

My coworker Deb showed me how to pick sweetgrass, which I would like to share:

Before you pick a sacred medicine, you need to lay some tobacco and say a prayer of thanks.

 This is what sweetgrass looks like. Its abundant in some spots, but others it will be sparse and harder to see. They seem to like moist, disturbed areas like clay or sandy roadsides where there are other types of wild grasses/cat tails.

 It has a sheen to it, is smooth and thin, and droops over once it gets to a certain height. There is also a purplish colour down near the root, which helps with identification. Also, you can really smell it when you are near sweetgrass:

When you find it, you must pick it one stem at a time, follow the stem down to the ground and try to pull it out at its root

I broke it many times above the root, so the art of yanking it out gently enough so it snaps at the root takes some getting used to.

 The ones that are picked properly have a bit of the root still attached, a small white nub at the end.

After you pick it, you tie a string or a piece of grass around the end of the bundle and hang it to dry for a couple of days. Then you can braid it. If it gets very brittle before you can get a chance to braid it, soak it in some warm water for a few minutes before braiding.

You can propogate sweetgrass by burying pieces of root, as they will grow from a cutting of root. I have also heard of people using seeds. Here is an image of the plant with seeds:

The 3 strands of a braid of sweetgrass represent mind, body, and spirit, and is used to purify our thoughts and carry our prayers to the Creator.

Get rid of standing water in your yards!

From the Sault Star Online:

A mosquito has tested positive for West Nile Virus in Sault Ste. Marie.

The insect was caught in a trap last week, said public health inspector Heidi Pittman of Algoma Public Health.
It's the first such confirmation of an insect having the disease in Algoma District since 2005.
"The virus could be present even in all the previous years," said Pittman.
"It didn't end up in the traps so it didn't get identified."
The health unit sprays many concrete electrical vaults in the city with a larvicide twice annually.
When the first spraying was done last week, a "higher than normal" amount of larvae was found, said Pittman.
West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no cure.
Sources of standing water, such as old tires, unused containers and wading pools, should be removed from residential properties.

What is Precycling?

Sure, recycling is good for the environment in one way, but in others it adds to carbon emissions because it takes energy to recycle, and most recycling plants don't use renewable energy (although many are starting to).

So what is another way, on top of recycling, that can help keep unnecessary garbage out of our landfill?

Precycling is the idea of watching what you buy based on how much waste it's going to create.

A few examples of Precycling:

• Buying in bulk to reduce packaging
• Purchasing things with little to no packaging (such as when buying used)
• Only purchasing that which you are sure your local facility accepts (for instance, our facility will trash any plastics numbered 3-7, so I try to avoid those whenever possible)
• Choosing quality items that will have a longer life span (rather than something inexpensive yet poorly made and quickly needing replacing)
• Supporting companies who print on or package with recycled materials
• Choosing reusable over disposable items

Statistics

Approx. 250,000 plastic water bottles are thrown out every hour.
• Planning ahead by bringing your own bags (for produce, dried bulk goods, check-out, etc), napkins, utensils, coffee mugs, etc.
• Making your own yogurt or bread, instead of buying packaged options
• Wrap gifts with other gifts: a book wrapped within a shirt and a belt as a bow.
• Avoid the purchase of things you don't really need or that do not serve an important purpose in your life. Surround yourself with inspirational and useful items, rather than more "stuff".

Precycling is the first step in reducing waste, recyclable or not. Keep it in mind when shopping for groceries or gifts. And allow the reduction in waste to make space within your personal life, as well. Because reducing the waste coming and going from our home simplifies our life and reduces the clutter in our own minds as well.

From here

The 153 best sunscreens

I know not everyone can order things online, but I find more and more that I have been compelled to order soaps and other things online that I have done research on and I know are safe for my family, especially my toddler. If you do a little reading on the ingredients on the back of most of the things in your bathroom you use on your skin every day, it can be a little scary.

I order soap from this company Druide as they list all of their ingredients and their process for making soap.
This company is also Canadian and Certified Organic under Canadian Standards:   http://www.greenbeaver.com/

A few organic brands of sunscreen may be available in stores like Country Way on Brock Street, but unfortunately most of these are probably only available online.

Here is a list of the 153 best sunscreens to buy in the United States under United States Standards:
153 Best Sunscreens : Safest for you and your kids

You can go to EWG's Cosmetic Database and search any of the sunscreens on this list and find out the pros and cons of each and where to buy them if you like what they have to offer:

EWG's Cosmetic Database

One product that is for children and has a rating of #1 (zero is the best rating you can get from EWG) is Aveeno's Sun Natural Protection Baby SPF 50 Stick, which is probably more widely available than most other products on this list. Its available online at Amazon.com

From this list, I like the stats and ratings on the following products because they comply with The Compact for Safe Cosmetics and their sunscreens have a rating of 1 or better:
http://www.badgerbalm.com/  
http://www.californiababy.com/   
http://www.supergoop.com/  
http://elementalherbs.com/   
http://luvalla.com/
http://mvorganics.com/
http://www.mexitan.com/ 
http://www.poofscloset.com/servlet/StoreFront 
http://www.purpleprairie.com/
http://www.suntegrityskincare.com/Welcome.html 
http://thinkbabybottles.3dcartstores.com/thinkbaby-Safe-Sunscreen_c_21.html
http://www.trukid.com/ 
http://www.organicevolution.ca/uv-natural/ 

 

Honouring the Water Indigenous Water Forum

This week the Green Plan students are at the 4-day water conference being held in Sault Ste. Marie. It is a great chance to learn about our most important resource that is quickly becoming endangered. You can view a live feed of it every day from 8:30 to around 5pm here: Nation Talk

Why Everyone Should Grow Something

Everyone should grow some of their own vegetables because:

It's cheaper

It's healthier for you and your family because its pesticide free. Most of us today have lost someone before their time. Disease is no longer a rarity.

You don't have to leave your yard (or house- if you grow indoors) to get it.

You know exactly where it came from.

 Your vegetables will be more nutrient rich because they didn't sit in a truck or store for weeks before you ate them.

 They will taste better.

Gardening is proven to be therapeutic and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

It is educational for your kids.

You can share with family and friends.

It's not as complicated or time consuming as you think.