Your impact on the environment may not be massive, but unfortunately, the bad habits that one person has will be echoed a million times in varying forms across the globe. It is only through collective action that the planet will be saved, and it all starts with the individual, so it is well worth starting with your contribution, to ensure that there is a planet to live on for future generations. The cleaning is not one of the most publicized areas in which to combat global warming, but just like everything else that humans do, it is a contributing factor. Reducing the impact that your cleaning habits have on the planet is pretty easy, it just takes a little thought and some consideration for the sources, production techniques and disposal of the products that you use. Reducing the amount of electricity and water that you use in the process is also important, though it is a little more difficult.
First off, the equipment that most people use in cleaning tends to be made from plastic. There is a bad trend in cleaning for disposable items, with the market catering for those who simply want to get rid of things that are clogged up with dirt, rather than washing and reusing them. Whilst this mainly applies for sponges, paper towels and certain cloths, you will find that there is not a huge amount of design that goes into maintaing the integrity of the equipment used in cleaning, especially in cheaper items. Low price tools like plastic dustpan and brush sets are often made from low grade plastics that will crack and flex, warping them in to pretty much useless items fairly quickly. You will need to ensure that this is not the case for you by either looking after your equipment really carefully, or just buying more durable tools. The fate of these plastics is usually the landfill site,. which is a massive strain on the planet already. Recently a whale was washed up dead on a beach in Southern America, with a stomach full of landfill waste. How many cracked dustpans and J-cloths were in there do you think?
Cleaning products are also harmful to the environment and the animals that we share the planet with. You will find that the reverse of most bottles of household cleaner have scary words on like ‘harmful’. Sure, this is what makes them so good at killing bacteria, but it what cost? The chemicals in these compounds will be bad for humans in a similar way, whether through breathing them on, or through skin contact, so it is well worth avoiding using them for that reason alone. Flushing such chemicals into the waterways means that they build up in the rivers and lakes throughout the country, affecting the delicate balances of chemicals found in water that will be the source of life for whole eco systems. There are eco friendly cleaners out there, that use plant and mineral extracts to ensure that they can clean without being bad for the environment. These cleaners tend to come in recycled bottles, and are refillable from the plant where they are produced, which means less plastics and less waste. You will find that you can make your own natural cleaners from vinegar and lemon if these eco cleaners are too expensive. There are some surprising cleaning alternatives to be found on the internet, so why not investigate, and see what might work for you?
