Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Here is a 'short' answer.I don't have time right now to find the info I've read, but over the past 30 years I have read numerous articles on paper towels, toliet paper and the chemicals in trash bags (often used by folks to put food in) Even our underwear and 'whites' aren't truly white...case in point. I have a son with eczema that only flares up in conventional undercothing. I have to buy organically grown cottn products that aren't bleached , sprayed etc....then he doesn't have skin issues Kathleen New! Five more things to never buy again » 1. Styrofoam cups Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable. Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups. Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you. 2. Paper towels Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money. Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green PagesT for recycled paper products. Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse. 3. Bleached coffee filters Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals. Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters. Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters. 4. Overpackaged foods and other products Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging. Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging. Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping. 5. Teak and mahogany Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth's surface and are home to over half of the world's wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world's oxygen. Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood. Learn how to become WoodWise at home and in your office » 6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children. Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth. Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides. 7. Conventional household cleaners Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home. Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners. Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap. Find safe, green cleaners in the National Green PagesT» 8. Higher octane gas than you need Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car. Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk. Learn more about green transportation » 9. Toys made with PVC plastic 70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children's toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children's toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic. Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as " PVC " or " #3. " Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don't produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials. Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children's toys. Find safe toys in the National Green PagesT » 10. Plastic forks and spoons Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas. Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose. Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers. Learn more: Do you have a source for this info? I'm pretty sure my seventh generation paper towels don't have formaldehyde in them. Peace, Diane , " RAWKAW " <rawkaw wrote: > > I used to use paper towels but read they contain formaldehyde, so I switched to cloth > > Kathleen > - > strayfeather1 > > Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:22 AM > Re: Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy > > > Glad it helped, Mindy And actually I forgot to put in about > wrapping lettuce & other greens, even herbs, in paper towels before > you put them in plastic in the fridge. I was reminded when I found a > head of butter lettuce in my fridge tonight that I *know* has been in > there 2 weeks and is still fresh and gorgeous and tasty > > Peace, > Diane > > , " Mindy-n-Shawn " > <hunnybunns4233@> wrote: > > > > Hello, > > > > Thank you so much. Everyone really helped me out and I can't thank > > you enough. I printed this out and will put it in my kitchen notes > > folder. Thanks again! > > > > Hugs, > > Mindy > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Here is an article about formaldehyde and paper towels. http://www.eco-usa.net/toxics/formald.shtml Marilyn Daub Vanceburg, KY mcdaub My cats knead me!! - " RAWKAW " <rawkaw Friday, February 08, 2008 8:34 AM paper towels/ Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy Here is a 'short' answer.I don't have time right now to find the info I've read, but over the past 30 years I have read numerous articles on paper towels, toliet paper and the chemicals in trash bags (often used by folks to put food in) Even our underwear and 'whites' aren't truly white...case in point. I have a son with eczema that only flares up in conventional undercothing. I have to buy organically grown cottn products that aren't bleached , sprayed etc....then he doesn't have skin issues Kathleen New! Five more things to never buy again » 1. Styrofoam cups Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable. Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups. Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you. 2. Paper towels Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money. Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green PagesT for recycled paper products. Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse. 3. Bleached coffee filters Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals. Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters. Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters. 4. Overpackaged foods and other products Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging. Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging. Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping. 5. Teak and mahogany Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth's surface and are home to over half of the world's wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world's oxygen. Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood. Learn how to become WoodWise at home and in your office » 6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children. Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth. Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides. 7. Conventional household cleaners Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home. Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners. Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap. Find safe, green cleaners in the National Green PagesT» 8. Higher octane gas than you need Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car. Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk. Learn more about green transportation » 9. Toys made with PVC plastic 70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children's toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children's toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic. Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as " PVC " or " #3. " Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don't produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials. Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children's toys. Find safe toys in the National Green PagesT » 10. Plastic forks and spoons Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas. Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose. Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers. Learn more: Do you have a source for this info? I'm pretty sure my seventh generation paper towels don't have formaldehyde in them. Peace, Diane , " RAWKAW " <rawkaw wrote: > > I used to use paper towels but read they contain formaldehyde, so I switched to cloth > > Kathleen > - > strayfeather1 > > Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:22 AM > Re: Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy > > > Glad it helped, Mindy And actually I forgot to put in about > wrapping lettuce & other greens, even herbs, in paper towels before > you put them in plastic in the fridge. I was reminded when I found a > head of butter lettuce in my fridge tonight that I *know* has been in > there 2 weeks and is still fresh and gorgeous and tasty > > Peace, > Diane > > , " Mindy-n-Shawn " > <hunnybunns4233@> wrote: > > > > Hello, > > > > Thank you so much. Everyone really helped me out and I can't thank > > you enough. I printed this out and will put it in my kitchen notes > > folder. Thanks again! > > > > Hugs, > > Mindy > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 I buy Seventh Generation paper towels--they are made from recycled paper. However, I only use about one to two rolls per year. I only use paper towels to pick up cat poop accidents. I use rags for everything else. Old t-shirts make great rags. My husband's old t-shirts/undershirts that are too good to be used as rags, I cut up and knit into rag rugs to be used as bathroom rugs. Our throw-away training by our multinational corporations has been very successful. We need to reverse that training and go back to using things as our great grandmothers did. Kathleen Eureka CA Seventh Generation makes natural paper towels that do not contain harmful > chemicals. I buy them by the case. I use cloth for most things, but do use > paper towels for several things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 You knit rag rugs? Please tell me more, sounds neat! Lori " Kathleen M. Pelley " <kmpelley wrote: I buy Seventh Generation paper towels--they are made from recycled paper. However, I only use about one to two rolls per year. I only use paper towels to pick up cat poop accidents. I use rags for everything else. Old t-shirts make great rags. My husband's old t-shirts/undershirts that are too good to be used as rags, I cut up and knit into rag rugs to be used as bathroom rugs. Our throw-away training by our multinational corporations has been very successful. We need to reverse that training and go back to using things as our great grandmothers did. Kathleen Eureka CA Seventh Generation makes natural paper towels that do not contain harmful > chemicals. I buy them by the case. I use cloth for most things, but do use > paper towels for several things. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Me, too!!! Tell us more about your rag rugs!!! Marilyn Daub Vanceburg, KY mcdaub My cats knead me!! - " Lori Denley " <loridenley Friday, February 08, 2008 11:40 AM Re: Re: paper towels/ Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy > You knit rag rugs? Please tell me more, sounds neat! > > Lori > > " Kathleen M. Pelley " <kmpelley wrote: > I buy Seventh Generation paper towels--they are made from > recycled > paper. However, I only use about one to two rolls per year. I only > use paper towels to pick up cat poop accidents. > > I use rags for everything else. Old t-shirts make great rags. My > husband's old t-shirts/undershirts that are too good to be used as > rags, I cut up and knit into rag rugs to be used as bathroom rugs. > > Our throw-away training by our multinational corporations has been very > successful. We need to reverse that training and go back to using > things as our great grandmothers did. > > Kathleen > Eureka CA > > Seventh Generation makes natural paper towels that do not contain > harmful >> chemicals. I buy them by the case. I use cloth for most things, but > do use >> paper towels for several things. > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it > now. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 That's an interesting article. Has anyone ever noticed how paper towels smell? Mine always have a burnt smell so it might be the formaldehyde that I'm noticing. - Marilyn Daub Friday, February 08, 2008 8:41 AM Re: paper towels/ Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy Here is an article about formaldehyde and paper towels. http://www.eco-usa.net/toxics/formald.shtml Marilyn Daub Vanceburg, KY mcdaub My cats knead me!! - " RAWKAW " <rawkaw Friday, February 08, 2008 8:34 AM paper towels/ Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy Here is a 'short' answer.I don't have time right now to find the info I've read, but over the past 30 years I have read numerous articles on paper towels, toliet paper and the chemicals in trash bags (often used by folks to put food in) Even our underwear and 'whites' aren't truly white...case in point. I have a son with eczema that only flares up in conventional undercothing. I have to buy organically grown cottn products that aren't bleached , sprayed etc....then he doesn't have skin issues Kathleen New! Five more things to never buy again » 1. Styrofoam cups Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable. Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups. Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you. 2. Paper towels Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money. Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green PagesT for recycled paper products. Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse. 3. Bleached coffee filters Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals. Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters. Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters. 4. Overpackaged foods and other products Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging. Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging. Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping. 5. Teak and mahogany Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth's surface and are home to over half of the world's wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world's oxygen. Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood. Learn how to become WoodWise at home and in your office » 6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children. Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth. Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides. 7. Conventional household cleaners Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home. Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners. Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap. Find safe, green cleaners in the National Green PagesT» 8. Higher octane gas than you need Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car. Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk. Learn more about green transportation » 9. Toys made with PVC plastic 70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children's toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children's toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic. Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as " PVC " or " #3. " Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don't produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials. Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children's toys. Find safe toys in the National Green PagesT » 10. Plastic forks and spoons Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas. Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose. Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers. Learn more: Do you have a source for this info? I'm pretty sure my seventh generation paper towels don't have formaldehyde in them. Peace, Diane , " RAWKAW " <rawkaw wrote: > > I used to use paper towels but read they contain formaldehyde, so I switched to cloth > > Kathleen > - > strayfeather1 > > Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:22 AM > Re: Storing Fresh Veggies Mindy > > > Glad it helped, Mindy And actually I forgot to put in about > wrapping lettuce & other greens, even herbs, in paper towels before > you put them in plastic in the fridge. I was reminded when I found a > head of butter lettuce in my fridge tonight that I *know* has been in > there 2 weeks and is still fresh and gorgeous and tasty > > Peace, > Diane > > , " Mindy-n-Shawn " > <hunnybunns4233@> wrote: > > > > Hello, > > > > Thank you so much. Everyone really helped me out and I can't thank > > you enough. I printed this out and will put it in my kitchen notes > > folder. Thanks again! > > > > Hugs, > > Mindy > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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