I bet if I walk into your office and open your cleaning cabinet I will see a pollution party of toxins leaching out who knows what into the air you’re breathing. It’s easy for us to justify this collection of chemicals because these products have been around for decades, so we think we can trust them (or so we think).

Now that caring for the environment is a cool thing to do, every company wants to get on board, but the key to becoming truly green is education. This may seem like a lot to ask but think about how much educating you do for yourself already. You educate yourself when purchasing a new computer, you educate yourself when purchasing an appliance for your house, you even educate yourself when choosing a new pet. Learning is what we do – we’re humans!

Companies know that we have busy lives and don’t necessarily have the extra time to learn about the better choices available. There are so many different products that claim to be green just because they have a pretty blue sky on the label, come in a recycled plastic bottle or (the worst) have the word, biodegradable, bolded in big letters on the package. Yep, this is green washing alright, tricking us into believing that we’re actually bettering our environment by purchasing this product. It’s not fair to lie to us and that is why I personally don’t support the companies that make these products.

Thankfully, there are a number of stores (Goodness Me! Natural Food Market, Grassroots Environmental Products), websites (Earth Day Canada, David Suzuki Foundation, The Story of Stuff Project, PETA, Green Living) and resource centres (RBG Nature Interpretive Centre, GreenVenture EcoHouse) that are helping us understand the ingredients that we have been spraying, scrubbing and soaking in the spaces we spend our days and nights. The key to green cleaning is to limit the products you’re using. You’ll be amazed at how much you can clean with baking soda, vinegar, lemons, essential oils and castile soap. The great thing about these everyday products is that they are reasonably priced and they are commonly available.

You wouldn’t announce to the world how wealthy you are or how built your body is. This is something that other people can sense without saying it. So, don’t just talk about how green you are, actually BE GREEN and set a positive example for others.

About the Author: josh
Inspired by the colours of nature and the characters he meets, this creative,visual story teller offers a window into his world as a designer and tree enthusiast. Enjoy the view.

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