Green Cleaning - Is a Label Without a List Still a Label?
The news these days is full of new product releases from
natural toothpastes to green cleaning products…
But are they really? And how could you tell?
With toothpaste there is a required list of ingredients on
the label, which is some help…
But with cleaning products, in many cases there is no in-
gredient list; and none is currently required. So what’s a
green shopper to do?
Well, you could just start replacing cleaning products with
hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, sodium percarbonate and
acetic acid… (that’s white vinegar, btw)
Or you could check labels on green cleaning products and
if there are no ingredients listed, either choose to call the
manufacturer, or, choose another product which does provide
an ingredient list…
The new surge of interest and of scrutiny being applied to
“green cleaning products” may ultimately change the rules for
ingredient lists on products, but in the short term, supporting
companies who provide the ingredient information is a best
practice for smart consumerism.
And don’t forget that “green” is not only about what is in the
package but about how much packaging and energy goes in to
getting the package to you… Avoid excess boxing, wrapping,
containers and look for local products where possible.
And as always, hydrogen peroxide wins awards for all these, with
nothing extra: a bottle full of liquid which is recycleable when
empty… There you go!
