Walking down the aisle at a large, unnamed (but it rhymes with Mole Moods) grocery store this week, I stole a glance down the cleaning aisle. There were tons of options, and this store has a lot "greener" choices than others. I couldn't unsee the plastic containers, though, and paused to consider the irony of cleaning our homes with products that are toxic to humans, in a single-use container made of another material that's toxic.
As part of our CA Green Business Certification process, we have to do a review of all cleaning products that we use (and sell!). While I was familiar with some of the resources to show us what's in our products, I was shown new resources. Because you're here, you're probably also curious about what's in your cleaning products, so here are some ways to learn more:
Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that researches products and publishes the results. They have in-depth databases where you can check what's in your cleaning products, skin care, food, and much more.
The Good Guide is a database that provides consumers with ratings and information on a wide variety of products, and provides in-depth information about product ratings.
The EPA Safer Choice Program shows a listing of products that meet the Safer Choice Standard. Participation is voluntary on the part of a manufacturer, so this is not a comprehensive database of good products, but more a good starting point.
Green Seal is an ecolabel that certifies products and services based on their criteria for human health, reduced environmental impact and excellent performance.