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Products made with eco-friendly materials are less polluting and more gentle on ecosystems. These environmentally sound shopping choices support less destructive industries, require fewer chemicals, and focus on renewable, natural options that are also healthier for you and your family.

How to shop for products made with eco-friendly materials

You can find eco-friendly alternatives for virtually any purchase you want to make—from a new carpet to air fresheners, baby clothes to cleaning products, wine to furniture.

In general, look for products with these characteristics:

1. Made with organically grown ingredients, such as organic cotton, organic flowers, or organic produce.
2. Created using alternative materials that are natural and renewable, like hemp, bamboo, jute, and sea grass.
3. Constructed with fewer non-renewable resources, including petroleum byproducts.
4. Contain fewer harmful chemicals.
5. Made using sustainably sourced renewable resources.

Here’s a load of ideas to get you started:

Cleaning products

• Avoid skin irritants, carcinogens, and non-biodegradable substances by buying natural household cleaners.
• Stop using the most hazardous product in most homes—common drain cleaners—and instead use natural alternatives.
• Flush-out eco-contaminants by choosing eco-friendly toilet cleaning products.
• Choose cloth baby wipes to avoid nasty chemicals and cut your daily waste production.
• Conventional air fresheners can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so choose an eco-friendly option.
• Keep your tots and tootsies toxin-free by choosing natural floor cleaner.
• Opt for nontoxic clothes cleaning by using alternative solvent, liquid carbon dioxide, or "wet" dry cleaning options.

Clothing and accessories

• No more dirty gold or conflict diamonds! Choose eco-friendly gold and be-jeweled accessories.
• Look for natural materials in your next eco-friendly jacket or eco-friendly fiber sweater.
• Organics are a great clothing choice—organic jeans, organic cotton T-shirts, and organic wool sweaters top the list.
• Keep nasties away from your privates with natural women's and men’s underwear.
• Search for a shoe made from natural materials like hemp, jute, crepe, or bamboo.
• Take that next trek in boots made with environmentally friendly materials.

Electronics and appliances

• Look for an eco-friendly cell phone created using fewer polluting materials.
• Buy an EPEAT computer to cut your office’s toxicity.
• Choose an A/C unit with non-ozone depleting refrigerants.

Food and drink

• Opt for organic beer or organic wine for your next party.
• Celebrate that special someone with organic chocolate.
• Partake in coffee-break conversation over a cup o’ organic joe.
• Protect ocean biodiversity by choosing sustainable sources of seafood.
• Take care of your diet and the environment by picking up GMO-free and organic produce.

Furnishings and accents

• Buy bedding made from eco-friendly fibers like hemp and bamboo to cut pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer waste.
• Keep waste chems out of the earth by choosing organic bedding.
• Sleep soundly knowing your natural pillows create a healthy bedroom.
• Choose a petroleum-free mattress to reduce your dependency on oil.
• Stop your consumption of petroleum-based, cruelty-laden materials by buying eco-friendly comforters.
• Opt for baby furniture, tables, chairs, or a couch made of FSC-certified sustainable wood to reduce forest destruction.
• Choose low-toxicity furniture to avoid contaminating your indoor air.
• Buy a couch, table, or chairs made of a rapidly renewable material to protect valuable forests.

Home improvement items

• Buy FSC-certified wood floors or those made from rapidly renewable materials to keep our forests alive and healthy.
• Choose low- or no-VOC paints with fewer volatile chemicals that effect human and environmental health.
• Choose natural paints made with plant oils and milk proteins.
• Sea grass, bamboo, jute, and cotton—opt for carpets made of these natural fibers.
• Install carpet with low-VOC adhesives to keep your home’s air clean and chem-free.
• Select doors made from sustainable materials to minimize new resource use.
• Buy bath enclosures to keep disposable vinyl shower curtains out of landfills.
• Create a green outdoor oasis by using environmentally friendly materials for your pool.

Personal care and cosmetics

• Use nontoxic, natural bug sprays to keep your skin and the earth’s atmosphere chem-free.
• From lotion to rash cream, choosing organic baby care products helps cut down on toxins that can hurt your baby and the environment.
• Sans hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, eco-friendly hair dyes will make you and the earth more beautiful.
• Choose organic lipsticks made with natural ingredients.
• Shop for cruelty-free face wash for guilt-free beauty.
• Use a reusable menstrual cup to avoid needless feminine hygiene waste.
• Choose paraben-free lotion, organic shampoo and conditioner, biodegradable soap, and natural toothpaste for truly green hygiene.

Baby toys and supplies

• Choose organic cotton toys to keep harmful toxins out of your baby's reach.
• Look for toys made from sustainable wood and natural fibers.
• By choosing organic cotton or PVC-free bibs and green baby bottles, you’ll ensure your child’s meals will be toxin-free.

Misc eco-friendly purchases

• Turn your next workout into a green one—buy a PVC-free yoga mat and eco-friendly workout clothes.
• Protect farm workers and the earth’s soil system by buying organic flowers.
• Reduce your paper consumption by choosing alternative paper products, chlorine-free paper products, and certified paper.
• If you’ve got to purchase bottled water, choose brands packaged in bio-based plastic bottles.
• Make your next gift-giving experience green with eco-friendly wrapping products and tree-free [[greeting cards.
• Opt for biodegradable kitty litter and pet waste bags, as well as natural flea repellents and grooming products for your green feline or canine companion.

Before you buy

Green claims may not mean real-life eco-friendly products, so dig a little to be sure your purchase is truly green. A recent study by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing found that of the 1,018 products examined, all but one committed at least a few sins of greenwashing in their attempt to convince consumers that their product was greener than it actually was.

Need a little help distinguishing the true thing from the fakes? Check out this Responsible Shopper guide which'll give you the skinny on the social and environmental impact of major corporations. And check out What's Green? to find out how GreenYour chooses products.

Buying eco-friendly products helps you go green because…

Organic products require fewer toxic chemicals to create.[1] Alternative fibers such as hemp, bamboo, sea grass, and jute grow rapidly, require little, if any, chemical additives for production, and are made using fewer non-renewable resources such as petrochemicals.[2] Choosing sustainably sourced materials such as FSC-certified wood means supporting earth-friendly industries, which typically practice green purchasing and operational principles.[3]

External links

• CorpWatch Greenwash Awards
• Greenwashing Index
• Responsible Purchasing Network - Purchasing Guides
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Let’s Go Green Shopping