Laundry day has never been so environmentally-friendly.

One of the sneaky ways you are putting both the environment and your health at risk can be found in none other than the laundry room. Store-bought products are packed with toxic ingredients – some of which are not even noted on the packaging – that irritate the skin and can lead to diseases such as cancer. These five alternatives cover all your laundry needs without much effort, and they take heed to both your skin’s health and your environmental consciousness.

Stain Remover

There are a lot of natural stain removers to choose from, but I prefer hydrogen peroxide for its accessibility and environmental-friendliness as well as for being a panacea of sorts. Hydrogen peroxide has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold, and anti-mildew properties, which makes it a wonderful cleaning agent. In addition to cleaning cuts and wounds, it can be used to remove clothing stains. Simply spray the hydrogen peroxide onto the stain, allow it to sit for 10 minutes, and then throw the clothing into the washer. Prior to washing, it may also help to use a toothbrush to scrub the stain while the hydrogen peroxide is sitting.

Detergent

Adapted from My Healthy Green Family, this detergent recipe mimics the effects of Tide, without the toxic, potentially cancerous ingredients. The soap gets rid of impurities and oils, the washing soda both cleanses and softens, the baking soda removes stains and odors, and the salt prevents fading.

Ingredients:

• 1 bar vegetable-based glycerin soap, grated finely
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup coarse salt

Directions: Grate the bar of soap. It can be scented according to your olfactory preferences, but make sure there are no artificial perfumes. Combine the grated soap with the remaining ingredients and mix until evenly combined. When not using, store in an airtight, glass container. Use in dosages equal to what any regular detergent company recommends.

Softener

Instead of using softener, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle. Baking soda is a natural softener and isn’t less irritable to your skin as are chemical-ridden store-bought brands.

However, if you have the time to put together a more effective and aromatic softener, in a bowl, combine 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/2 cup water. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved. Next add 2 cups of white vinegar, but slowly, as the mixture will foam and rise slightly. Once it has settled, add about 15 drops of your favorite essential oils. Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container. Use the same amount you would if adding normal softener to the laundry.

Wrinkle Releaser/Dryer Sheets

To prevent wrinkles, take 1 teaspoon of the extended softener recipe and mix it with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray lightly onto wet clothing, just out of the washer, before putting into the dry cycle or hanging to dry.

Dry-Clean-Only Clothing Deodorizer

To remove the stink from clothes that require dry cleaning only, vodka is a handy tool. Simply spray vodka all around the clothing item and let it hang overnight to dry. Vodka has anti-bacterial properties that get rid of the smell, surprisingly without leaving any vestiges of vodka aroma behind.

Images: Gemtek1, Tim Samoff, Kathie Lapcevik, TPapi, Catzkill, Lordelo

The post 5 Ways to Wash and Freshen Your Clothes Without Chemicals appeared first on EcoSalon.

Join Teens Turning Green and the Eileen Fisher sustainability team on Twitter today at 12:30 eastern to talk lunch, school lunch that is.

Eileen Fisher loves supporting women and girls and is hosting a Twitter Chat today (#EFCSRChat) on sustainable school lunches. The company has been hosting these Twitter chats as a vehicle for their Social Consciousness Team to talk about issues important to them and EF. In the few months since launching this monthly series, they’ve partnered with Not for Sale, Practically Green, Pop Culture Pirate and trended (in NYC) every single time.

This month they’re partnering with Teens Turning Green to shed some light on how to make school lunches healthier and engage  kids and communities to have an aggressive voice about the food choices they’re offered daily. EF’s Social Consciousness Team Leader Amy Hall will talk with TTG to help break down what sustainable food means, understand the GMO food issue and how it affects school lunch. They’ll also offer information about TTG’s education and advocacy work to get all stakeholders, including teens, involved in the change.

What: Live Twitter Chat #EFCSRChart
Topic: Sustainable School Lunch
When: Today, Wednesday, June 20th. 12:30 – 1:30 pm EST
Join us at #EFCSRChat on Twitter

EILEENFISHER on Twitter
teensturngreen on Twitter

Image: Teens Turning Green

The post Eileen Fisher Wants to Know What Your Kids Are Eating appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’m  so over the annual mandatory retail blitz which prompts us to purchase scads of presents no one needs (and few can afford).

Enough is enough. Necessity is one thing; waste is another. Be an angel and give material items only to the needy. Give kisses,  homemade jam and DIY potpourri to your family, teachers, bosses, employees and friends. Stick to eco for everything else.

Here is my festive round up of gifts both you and Santa can live without:

A new cell phone

The cynical perspective is that these communication devices are made not to last. From batteries that die prematurely to signals that crash to the uncool technology factor, we are inclined to trade in our models for new bells and whistles. Instead of tossing out (remember, there is no out), research ways to make your battery last through a few more seasons.

Uggs

AOL Shopping wants you to buy Uggs for the holidays because “they are getting better and better, having evolved from a boho chic trend to an integral part of many people’s wardrobe.” The so-called sheepskin baked potatoes grew 57% in sales last year because of the desire to own newer pairs. Shouldn’t a pair of $200 boots (and I don’t mean the knock-offs) last several winters? I say keep the ones you have lovingly broken in and get them resoled and patched or whatever is needed to endure the city and slopes.

Toys

Dear Syd and Lolo: You have been more nice than naughty this year but that doesn’t mean I will buy you  toxic plastic entertainment to junk up your rooms, or virtual computer games or board games, DVD’s or learning gadgets. You hardly use the ones you have and your life won’t be improved by having more under the tree. Let’s take a hike, instead. Love, Santa.

Calendars

How much paper is wasted on these obligatory annual date keepers that are becoming obsolete? I was at Borders the other day and couldn’t believe the variety, from New Moon to 365 Cats to Nuns Having Fun. The ones that don’t sell are virtually useless, having no shelf life in 2011. Sure, some of them are green, but there are greener ways to schedule your days.

Diamonds

They aren’t a girl’s best friend. Everyone knows chocolate is. Or her Pug dog. Or maybe her laptop. The U.S. is the largest consumer of the rocks, purchasing over $33.7 billion dollars’ worth in 2005. If you must become engaged and do it with diamonds on Dec. 25, buy the conflict-free variety. Otherwise, say it with a handwritten letter or poem.

Ornaments

There are enough existing tree ornaments out there to deck all the halls of the  North Pole and then some. If you’ve busted your balls, buy used or eco tree decor that will last, or trade with friends and loved ones. Make your own DIY felt ornaments with your kids, string some corn, nix the lights or go solar. The more the demand, the more the production, the more the waste. When the old objects get thrown out, remember, there is no “out”.

Personalized Coffee Mugs

They’re far better than throwaway paper cups, but still tacky, and usually are made in China from toxic materials. Sure, Nana might enjoy getting her morning jolt looking at renderings of her precious babies with reindeer ears, but an eco-friendly commuter cup made from corn, stainless steel or recycled post consumer materials is a better way to go, plus, you won’t need a refill of that Joe.

Holiday Gift Baskets

Stores like Costco are make shopping for that boss or neighbors a no-brainer with a pre-packaged $130 junk food basket disguised as a gourmet food orgie. If you must give a basket, why not go with quality, healthy goods, such as fair trade dark chocolate and coffees? I’m sorry, but Jalapeno-blend cheese spread is not organic and summer sausages have Food Inc. written all over them.

Dalmatian Puppies

Rascal, one of the stars of the new 101 Dalmatians Musical was one of dozens of rescue dogs discovered at animal shelters for the stage show. Rescue was found with a broken leg at the side of the road. Like many Dalmatians, he was abandoned when he grew from an adorable Christmas puppy into a energetic teen. Resist buying puppies for Christmas unless they are from a shelter and you plan to see them through adulthood, just as you would a child.

Main Image: NeilT

The post The Unlist: 9 Holiday Gifts Not to Buy appeared first on EcoSalon.

America runs on coal. It creates half of our electricity. And the unclean technology producing this source may be killing our children, grandchildren and the future unborn, not to mention our natural environment.

Is the fed sensing the urgency to limit the damage from this source we depend upon?

Not according to three environmental groups looking for clean coal technology. They are planning to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for being blatantly lax in limiting toxic discharges from power plants that threaten the health of local communities exposed daily to the pollutants.

According to Planet Shifter, the federal government is 26 years behind setting restrictions on the discharges which contaminate ground and surface waters and threaten aquatic life. Apparently, the EPA should have limited coal ash discharges to meet its own requirements for annual environmental reviews.

Back in December when a coal ash spill occurred at the Tennessee Kingston Fossil Plant, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson promised to issue regulations by the end of the year for nearly 600 coal plants with on-site coal ash storage ponds or landfills.

But the three groups planning to sue: the Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club and the Environmental Integrity Project argue “the EPA need to stop kicking the can down the road and set a date for the regulation.”

There is evidence that these coal plants discharge millions of pounds of toxic pollutants every year. According to the report, in  Kingston, alone, more than 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash spilled from a coal-ash holding pond last December when a earthen wall ruptured. The ash contains elevated levels of arsenic, selenium and lead, among other toxic substances.

In a 60 Minutes investigation on harmful waste by-products from coal, it was revealed that the tremendous amount we burn for electricity every year generates 130 million tons of waste. They even interviewed coal barons who have become rich off coal, who admitted being responsible for those smoke stacks that pump out 100-million tons of carbon dioxide every year.

Most of the waste emitted from power stations  is coal ash which is dangerous to humans and other living things. Environmental scientists tell us that the concentrations of mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxic metals are considerably higher in coal ash than in ordinary soil.

When properly disposed of  in dry, lined impoundments, coal ash is considered to be safe. But observers say it is often dumped into wet ponds (nearly 500 of them in the U.S.)  and in those cases the ash could pose health risks to the nearby communities.

Images: Tennessee Valley Authority, Earth Observatory, NASA

The post EPA Taking Heat Over Toxic Emissions from America’s Coal Plants appeared first on EcoSalon.

At first, it seems extremely eco-friendly, the biannual Compost Giveaway Events every fall and spring in San Francisco hosted by the city’s Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

Residents are offered free compost to produce soil for community and school gardens and local backyards. It’s the green and organic thing to do.

The problem is the mulch isn’t made of food scraps and manure but a combination of toxic sewage sludge from waste water treatment, green waste, yard waste and wood chips.

What’s in sewage sludge? Stuff that’s foul and harmful to people and other living things.

The True Food Network, which is leading a petition drive against the latest giveaway argues sewage sludge is shown by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to contain heavy metals, pathogens, pharmaceuticals, PCB’s, flame retardants and endocrine disruptors. In addition, organic pollutants are present in sludge samples, such as polybrominated diphenal ethers (PMDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT degradation products, chlordadanes, synthetic musk products, triclosan and tributytin.

“Residents may be led to believe that the city’s sludge compost is organic,” says the network. “The USDA’s National Organic Program’s (NOP) regulations, however, strictly forbid the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer or soil amendment, no matter if it is composted or otherwise treated. This compost is by no means organic.”

The Center for Food Safety and the Resource Institute for Low Entropy Systems filed a petition with Gavin Newsom, San Francisco’s Mayor and Ed Harrington, General Manager of SFPUC, asking them to immediately and permanently suspend the sewage sludge compost giveaways for the fall. Residents are asked to join the letter writing campaign to protect the health of its gardeners.

Image: SfLatchkey

The post Ag-Caustic! Battling Toxic Compost Giveaways in San Francisco appeared first on EcoSalon.