Green Consumer Day is on September
28th every year. You might be asking yourself, what does that mean?
It is a day intended to build
awareness around how even the smallest actions we take as individuals can
help—or harm—the planet. Read on to find out some small ways you can
help the planet!
Reusable shopping bags are all the
rage. People even made the Home Depot one a hot accessory for summer. Yes really. You can get them anywhere. Discount
shops, such as TJ Maxx and Marshall’s, and grocery stores sell their own bags
for usually about a dollar and they’re large. A lot of stores have non-store
brand ones that you could use as anything from a purse to a catch-all bag. Over
a trillion plastic bags are used every year. China alone uses three billion A
DAY. A single plastic bag can take over 1000 years to degrade. You can find
more facts about why plastic bags are bad for the
environment here.
In 2008, the health problems from
BPA in water bottles made headlines. BPA
is a chemical that has been used to harden plastics for more than 40 years.
It's everywhere. It's in medical devices, compact discs, dental sealants, water
bottles, the lining of canned foods and drinks, and many other products. BPA
can affect hormone levels, cause brain and behavior problems, cause cancer,
cause heart problems, and other conditions with an increased risk to children.
The government is now funding new research into the risks of BPA. So try to
find products that are BPA, like reusable metal water bottles.
Another
problem that made headlines a few years ago were candles with paraffin in them.
Paraffin is a sludge waste product of the petroleum industry that releases
carcinogenic chemicals when burned. The soot is similar to that released from a
diesel engine and can be as dangerous as second-hand cigarette smoke. You can
still enjoy candles, but look for soy-based candles. They’re clean-burning, as
soy wax is non-toxic. They are also biodegradable and you will be supporting
soybean farmers! Scented soy candles are more aromatic than those made from
paraffin wax.
In the past,
we’ve had blog posts about energy efficient lighting, utility efficiency,
recycling, composting, solar energy, wind energy, and Energy Star products.
These all can also reduce your footprint on the world.
So how do
you reduce your footprint? Let us know and don’t forget to check out our website, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest in news and events for NHS!
