You know the kind of stuff I’m talking about, little knick knacks, cutie figurines, gadgets to make your life easier etc. Of course now with a three year old and one year old, our house is bear of anything that could be swallowed, used as a weapon, or otherwise used in a manner not intended. Even BC (before children) I was a pretty minimalist person. I hate those knick knacks and figurines, and little novelty items are lost on me.

But this year after watching The Story of Stuff I have a completely different take on these gifts and just stuff we buy in general. This short movie really opens your eyes to what it takes to make all the consumer goods we think we just have to have.

Usually I would just think about stuff in terms of what happens to it when I throw it out. But this movie makes you realize that adding to our landfills is just a small portion of the impact all our junk has. We don’t realize what it takes to manufacture and deliver and then get rid of all of our stuff. Little useless knick knacks have a bigger impact than we think and not just on our environment but on the people that work to make these items available to us. So watch the movie, its only twenty minutes, and let us know what you’re doing to have a green Christmas. Regifting maybe be tacky but its ecofriendly!

1. Chemical Cleaners

Why they’re toxic:
It’s pretty obvious why these need to go; they contain so many toxic chemicals. The crazy thing is there is no regulation forcing companies to list the ingredients on the bottles and no regulations for testing the chemicals to discover possible side effects of exposure. And many of the chemicals used are known carcinogens. The not so obvious reason is the chemicals in the cleaners as well as the bottles they are packaged in are made from petroleum products. To clean this way is simply unsustainable. We won’t even talk about the problems associated with petroleum (save that for another day).

What to use instead:
Vinegar, water, baking soda and good old fashioned elbow grease are just as good as any cleaner on the market. There are many recipes out there for simple and cheap green cleaners that do just as good a job and won’t kill you.

2. Bottled Water

Why it’s toxic:
Again let’s go with the obvious first: the bottle. It’s made of plastic so you have who knows what chemical leaching into your water. The bottles are recyclable but I always see tons of bottles in garbages. And again the plastic is a petroleum product. So not only is it detrimental to the environment to manufacture the bottles it’s also unsustainable. The not so obvious is there are no regulations on bottled water, so for all you know your neighbour could be bottling his toilet water and putting a fancy label on it (probably not but you get the picture).

What to use instead:
Get a filtering system like a Brita and a stainless steel or glass water bottle. It’s cheaper than buying all that bottled water anyways.

3. Antibacterial Soap

Why it’s toxic:
Not all bacteria are bad; we need the good bacteria around to fight off the really bad guys. When you use antibacterial soaps you wipe out everything. This creates superbugs, resistant to antibiotics and it actually weakens our immune systems. Our immune systems need practice to stay in shape. So when they have no little bugs to fight off they crumble when they’re asked to defend against big guys and sometimes the little ones too.

What to use instead:
Anything NOT antibacterial!!! The best way to go is to use plant based soaps with essential oils. Essential oils have natural antibacterial properties that will keep your hands clean and not start the next pandemic.

4. Coffee Filters

Why they’re toxic:
If coffee is your religion than bleached coffee filters are the devil! Coffee filters are bleached and are a source of harmful dioxins which leaches into your morning brew. Dioxins do so many awful things from being a carcinogen to causing genetic mutations, and causing liver and nerve damage. That’s just to name a few. You don’t want this stuff anywhere near you and especially not in your coffee.

What to use instead:
Try out unbleached filters; they’re right beside the bleached ones at the grocery store. Many coffee makers on the market these days come with a reusable coffee filters. My cheapo pot did and I taste no difference.

5. Nonstick Coatings (Pots and Pans)

Why they’re toxic:
Your nonstick pots and pans are coated with Teflon, and you probably don’t want to know all the toxic chemicals that go into making this stuff. These chemicals are linked to birth defects and cancer. Companies will tell you that the chemical won’t get in your food, but that’s hard to believe when after a while the nonstick seems to wear off (especially in cheap cookware), so where does it go? 3M even stopped making nonstick chemicals citing ”principles of responsible environmental management”.

What to use instead:
Use stainless steel, cast iron, glass, ceramic or copper cookware. Yes I know the cleanup may be a bit more of a hassle, but I think it’s less of a hassle than getting cancer!

So what other chemical and/or items do we need to remove from our houses?