Environmentally friendly, or eco-friendly, products for greener living are everywhere you look: from the kitchen cupboards to our garages. Products to help the green effort are easier to find and more affordable to buy than they ever have been before.
Check out these environmentally-friendly products we love:
Fibered towels
Americans consume approximately 90 billion tons of paper products annually. Instead of reaching for a paper towel, try one made of cotton fiber that absorbs more and can be reused. Skoy, for example, is a colorful square made of natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp that absorbs 15 times its own weight. Best of all, the dishwasher and washing machine-safe Skoy, at $5.99 for a pack of four, is incredibly affordable.
Reusable bags
Green chains like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods introduced reusable bags several years ago, sparking a reusable bag frenzy that most retailers and savvy marketers have also embraced. To date, Americans have cut the annual production of six billion plastic bags in half, greatly reducing waste and making it another environmentally-friendly (and collectively cute) product we love.
High efficiency appliances
The sleek, new appliances you see in most retailers are not only pretty to look at, but also help conserve water and energy. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that residential use accounts for almost 60 percent of the public water supply, and 20 percent of your energy bill goes to power appliances and electronics, says the US Department of Energy. Choosing eco-friendly appliances not only helps the environment, but can also significantly reduce your monthly bills.
Hybrid cars
The world is taking notice of hybrid cars because they are being promoted as a big part of the solution to the world’s fuel problems. Hybrid cars usually have two or more sources of power, unlike regular cars which have one common power source – gasoline or diesel. In addition to gasoline, hybrid cars can be powered by electric batteries, solar power or hydrogen, as well as alternative fuels. With the obvious result of less carbon monoxide emissions, no list of great environmentally friendly products would be complete without the hybrid car.
Non-toxic cleaners
Natural household cleaners provide an alternative to chemical cleaners for a cleaner, greener home. In general, they are bio-friendly products which do not contain unnecessary chemicals and are significantly less toxic for people and the environment. With so many of us becoming increasingly sensitive to the chemicals in our homes, non-toxic cleaners like Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation and even the big-boys like Clorox might provide us some relief and can be an effective addition to green living strategies.
Low-VOC Paint
The paint of the previous century is smelly, messy and is tagged as a major indoor air pollutant. Thanks to consumer demand for healthier paints that perform, manufacturers are now offering low-VOC options that are better for people and the environment. VOC is short for volatile organic compound; the meaning of the acronym is scary enough! The new low-VOC paints come in all the same great designer colors and are almost always available at your local paint and home improvement retailer.
Environmentally friendly products are sneaking into all phases of our life and are much more readily available and affordable today as a result of consumers seeking better alternatives.
Tell us: What are your favorite green products? Share your picks in the comments below!
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