Fabric Softeners Toxic Secrets
You’ve probably all read the memes and emails on wonderful things you can use fabric softener sheets for. What the manufacturers would rather you not know are how the ingredients affect our bodies and our central nervous system .
The chemicals go from our clothes to our skin, our largest organ, and are absorbed through our bodies. Children, pregnant and nursing women are at increased risk.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists only 8 Fabric Softeners that meet their Designed for the Environment criteria and none of them are the better known brands.
The most common chemicals found in name brand Fabric Softeners and their health risks are listed below:
Alpha-Terpineol – central nervous system disorders, highly irritating to lungs; pneumonitis, fatal edema, ataxia (loss of muscle coordination), headaches, respiratory depression
Benzyl Acetate – pancreatic cancer, irritating to eyes and lungs, respiratory coughs and lung irritation
Benzyl Alcohol – headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, upper respiratory tract problems, central nervous system, depression, and death in severe respiratory responses
Camphor – central nervous system disorders, irritates eyes, nose & throat, dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles & convulsions
Chloroform – headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, irritation of respiratory tract, loss of consciousness, kidney disorders, liver disorders, skin disorders, inhalation can be fatal
Ethyl Acetate – headache, stupor, anemia, leukocytosis, liver damage, kidney damage, irritating to eyes and respiratory tract
Limonene – human carcinogen
Linalool – respiratory disturbances, depression, CNS disorders
Pentane – headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract, loss of consciousness depression, dermatitis, CNS disorders.
Clothing & Fabrics, Toxic Chemicals | Comment (0)I’m recycling more, Why is my trash bill going up?
Closed 1970’s landfill still pollutes this creek in Angola NY
Unfortunately there are few financial incentives for responsible curbside recycling. ZeroWaste is a complex whorl of economic, social and environmental incentives and penalties involving citizens, governments and businesses.
For profits (and some non-profits) have stripped off many of the profitable ends of the business:
- Waste collection services (WasteManagement, BFI, etc)
- Waste metal management for large pieces and valuable metals (from the jeweler & dentist to the auto junkyard)
- Landfills
- Glass, bottles, cans, cardboard: the reason scavenging in your recycling is discouraged is because your city tries to keep you costs down by selling these. Your city competes with individuals who take them to recycling centers. No easy answers here, many people make ends meet using these strategies.
- E-waste – stripped down for precious and recyclable metals
- Concrete
- Wood and other separable construction waste
What is left in municipal waste landfills is the dregs, that has no market and is expensive to maintain with toxic barriers – sadly, the contents of landfills are the most environmentally destructive:
- Styrofoams, black plastics, non-conforming plastics found predominantly in food containers & wrappings, electronic items shipped from overseas
- Packaging – wrappers from chips, candy
- Toxic items – against the law but people do it anyway
- Mixed material content items, for example:
- metal shovel w/wooden handle
- many toys
- Electronic appliances, tools, toys
- Plant matter that is difficult to compost – cactus & bamboo
- Recyclable/compostable materials that some folks are too lazy or unable to separate – milk cartons with attached plastic caps
Did you know that for every one trash can of non-recyclables that you put in front of your house that 71 have been put out in the manufacture of the contents of your trash?
That being said, in many cities, business trash has been subsidizing residential trash. Business complains, resident rates rise.
Social Costs:
- One stream trash systems and single barrel street recycling are less efficient – we lose things such as high-grade white paper that could be recycled in to copy paper (that’s why it’s become more expensive). Hard-core recyclers are rabid because recycling efforts are dumbed down.
- On the flip side, much more is recycled overall because more residents are compliant
- Legislators are stuck in the middle trying to please both types of constituents, no one is fully happy.
The only “financial” incentive that I can think of is that your garbage costs would be even higher if you did not recycle. You may force your government to try it out but you may not be happy with the results.
How to change things? Find ways to change or legislate disposal/manufacture of items that typically fill up landfill waste. Make noise at town council meetings, join a committee, talk to your family, friends and neighbors.
Practice the 6 Rs of Zero Waste: Refuse, Reduce, Repair, ReUse, Recycle, Regulate.
Composting, Economics, Packaging, Plastics, Polystyrene, Recycle, Regulate Waste, Zero-Waste | Comment (0)Sustainably Spicy
One thing that still remains in my brain from calculus is that the smaller the container, the higher the ratio of container to contents. Once upon a time I could calculate the most cost and weight efficient sized can – who said calculus has no real world applications?
Herb & spice containers jars are low on the container-to-contents sustainability scale. That being said, spices can last many years and they often come in lovely shaped jars and cans. I could not bring myself to throw out the darling A&P spice cans, a favorite wedding-shower gift appropriate for newlyweds on a tight budget. I am quite thrilled that there are now so many options for re-filling these containers and the choices are usually less expensive, as well.
Penzey’s (some stores & online) offers 4, 8 and 16 oz bags of their spices with discounts for the larger bags (again less packaging per oz of spice) plastic bags can be recycled at your grocer with other bags; foodies appreciate their quality and wide variety.
Whole Foods and some health grocers offer the Spicely line of boxed (totally bio-degradeable paper & cellophane) spices that fit perfectly in your jars ;(they also donate a % of sales to a children’s charity). Ethnic groceries and the international aisles in the supers offer authentic bagged spices at excellent prices.
Looking for sustainably & ethically harvested Ceylon cinnamon? Enjoy the photos and stories of La Cannelle plantation.
I’m blessed to live in a climate where I can harvest fresh rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme and bay leaf year round – also blessed that they are hardy as I am not the most attentive gardener.
Gardening, Packaging, Plastics, Re-use, Sustainable Food | Comment (1)Polystyrene at The Fish Market
We went to The Fish Market in San Mateo last week after a long hiatus and I was frustrated to find that they still use styro for takeout. Since they have 6 California locations and do a large business and I feel they should be a market leader in sustainability and set the bar.
If you agree, please take a few minutes to go to their website and write them (choose “Contact Us” from the top menu).
Below is my letter which you are free to plagiarize (but please personalize and change it up a bit). Forward this to others you know who go there so we can have a big impact.
“I am very frustrated that you still used Styrofoam/polystyrene takeout containers; not only that, the container was much larger than was needed for a small amount of food. I am especially surprised because the fish & shellfish on which you pride yourselves are the animals most impacted by the Pacific Garbage Sworl and the breakdown of plastics that become part of their flesh. It is time for Fish Market to take a lead in this environmental initiative.
I am making my restaurant choices based on sustainability practices and share my findings with others folks I know that have the same concerns. I am looking forward to hearing about a change in this practice so I can become a regular customer again.”