Comparison-shopping for just the right product now includes a demand for the lowest carbon footprint.

When shoppers are given choices, for example, many say that eco-friendly products are a meaningful way to make an individual contribution to the good health of the planet.

“If that many people come together and act on their convictions to reduce chemicals and contaminants from reaching landfill, it’s going to make such a difference to protecting our land, air, and waterways,” says Steve Matyas, president of office supplies retailer, Staples Canada.

Recycling is a continuous service at Staples where handy, in-store bins for used ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries and unwanted cell phones, make it easy to discard these toxic items.

“And in keeping with this commitment, our stores have also stocked the shelves with at least 2,000 eco-friendly products,” Matyas continued. “As a low-cost retailer, it’s important for us to weigh value alongside our environmental impact. The answer was to give Canadian shoppers a lot of choice in sustainable products and supplies.”

Details about these items are available online at www.staples/environmentfrom/community. Here’s a snapshot of just a few:

• Eco-friendly notebooks by Staples, made from 80 percent bagasse, a sugarcane waste by product. The bagasse line also uses eco-conscious vegetable and water-based inks for printing.

• Exercise books by Hilroy are made from 30 percent post-consumer waste and environmentally friendly ink.

• Scissors byWestcot KleenEarth have green handles made from 70 percent recycled plastic. And, the microband handles also have antibacterial protection against the growth of germs.

• Eco Easyreport covers by Staples are not only reusable, they are made with a starch-based cellulose and that makes them biodegradable.

• Chipboard binders by Avery are made 100 per cent recycled chipboard.

“Perhaps of equal importance, our company goal is to eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from all brand packaging by the fall of 2010,” Matyas said. “Customers tell us they want the most eco-friendly products available, so this year we’ve taken the initiative to develop PVC-free packaging. Once in place, shoppers can be confidant about this environmental contribution with any Staples item they buy.”

Comparison-shopping for just the right product now includes a demand for the lowest carbon footprint.

When shoppers are given choices, for example, many say that eco-friendly products are a meaningful way to make an individual contribution to the good health of the planet.

“If that many people come together and act on their convictions to reduce chemicals and contaminants from reaching landfill, it’s going to make such a difference to protecting our land, air, and waterways,” says Steve Matyas, president of office supplies retailer, Staples Canada.

Recycling is a continuous service at Staples where handy, in-store bins for used ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries and unwanted cell phones, make it easy to discard these toxic items.

“And in keeping with this commitment, our stores have also stocked the shelves with at least 2,000 eco-friendly products,” Matyas continued. “As a low-cost retailer, it’s important for us to weigh value alongside our environmental impact. The answer was to give Canadian shoppers a lot of choice in sustainable products and supplies.”

Details about these items are available online at www.staples/environmentfrom/community. Here’s a snapshot of just a few:

• Eco-friendly notebooks by Staples, made from 80 percent bagasse, a sugarcane waste by product. The bagasse line also uses eco-conscious vegetable and water-based inks for printing.

• Exercise books by Hilroy are made from 30 percent post-consumer waste and environmentally friendly ink.

• Scissors byWestcot KleenEarth have green handles made from 70 percent recycled plastic. And, the microband handles also have antibacterial protection against the growth of germs.

• Eco Easyreport covers by Staples are not only reusable, they are made with a starch-based cellulose and that makes them biodegradable.

• Chipboard binders by Avery are made 100 per cent recycled chipboard.

“Perhaps of equal importance, our company goal is to eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from all brand packaging by the fall of 2010,” Matyas said. “Customers tell us they want the most eco-friendly products available, so this year we’ve taken the initiative to develop PVC-free packaging. Once in place, shoppers can be confidant about this environmental contribution with any Staples item they buy.”

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Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

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Chemical Free Living for Life

I can remember back when the experts said aerosol cans were ripping a hole in the ozone layer. Many of these cans have been replaced by squirt bottles that seem to stop working, when there is still a quarter of the liquid chemical remaining. The point is, we are still using the chemicals. Recent studies prove those cleaning products are hazardous  to our health. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air we breathe inside our homes could be as much as five times as polluted as the air outside. These cleaning products expose you and your family to chemicals that could be more harmful than the germs they are trying to rid you of. Other studies have shown that the average American will, flush down the toilet, wash down a sink, or place in the garbage, more than 20 gallons of toxic and hazardous chemical products. It is all right to be conscientious about recycling or energy consumption, but think about the potential for affecting the health of people, plants, animals, land and water because of this waste. Believe me when I say, I am not trying to scare, but merely inform. Of the roughly 17,000 chemicals found in common household products, only 3 in 10 have been tested for their effects on human health.  

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,  the agency responsible for the safety of consumers, does not require manufacturers to test household cleaning products before they appear on store shelves. So we as the consumer must rely on the label to get any pertinent information about safety and health hazards. They are only required to provide hazard symbols, such as “poison” and “flammable,” and must give information about first aid treatments for those ingredients. Marketing and advertising gimmicks  are not proof of the safety of the household products. It is their function to come up with words and phrases that will promote their product. So words like “natural” don’t have anything to do with the safety of the product, and phrases like “eco-friendly, and “environmentally safe” have no real meaning, other than to sell their products to unsuspecting consumers who only bother to read the pretty part of the label.

Your Own Chemical Warfare

A Few Tips to Fight Back
There are things you can do immediately to stem this chemical tide. For the next time you go shopping, here are a few green tips that will help you and the planet to a healthier future.

1. If a product is making  cleaning too easy there might be a reason for it. If you are not using any elbow grease, you should be a little weary. Chemicals from these cleaning products have been known to emit fumes even while being stored.

2. Remember those aerosol cans are still around. People who use air fresheners in excess should know that they contain synthetic fragrances, whose chemical make up has been linked to cancer in rodents.

3.Most dish and detergent soaps are made from petroleum, a nonrenewable synthetic resource, another good reason to go with formulas that are plant-based, biodegradable and contain no phosphates. Your fabric sheets that have “fragrance” on their label, means that they are also petroleum based.

Zero Chemicals Are Possible

Help Is Just a Click Away
If all of this seems overwhelming to you, do not threat because  you can have all the information you and your family needs to end your dependance on chemicals. Zero Chemicals- Chemical Free Living is a two-volume guide to chemical free-living options. You can use it to go completely without chemicals, or just choose what you feel is right for your circumstance. For every chemically based product, there is an equally effective and totally safe natural alternative. And the amazing thing is that you will actually save money with this method. With your new home environment you will see a change in everyone. They will feel a boost to their immune system, an energy explosion, and generally an improvement to their overall health.

These are just some samples of the incredible knowledge gained from these guides. The list goes on and on. I don’t have time obviously, to go into all the benefits these guides provide, however at my site Possibly GREEN, you can find this under the Green Guidance section. Feel free to browse. I have reviews on the top online green resources, on such things as: Renewable Energy, Car Conversion, How to Grow an Organic Garden, and even a guide to help you  find green jobs in your area.

At 57, I consider myself to be a Jack Of All Trades And Master Of Nothing. I was a struggling actor for 25 years. During that time I learned a little about a lot of things, and would like to pass along some of that knowledge. I live in California with my beautiful wife and a menagerie of pets.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/green-living-ideassave-your-life-with-zero-chemicals-1247121.html

Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

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