Five Ways To Go Green For Less

BPA, phthalates, lead, VOCs, pesticides, toxic cleaning agents, dioxin…the list of scary invisible dangers to us, our children and the planet seems endless. For new parents, the potential hazards to a new, vulnerable baby can be overwhelming.

Enter the eco-proofing industry. For a tidy sum, an expert will come into your home, take note of potential hazards, make suggestions for improvement and in all likelihood, some recommendations for pricey vendors of such improvements. “Safe” seems to mean “expensive” when approached from this perspective.

It’s true that a BPA-free bottle, a stainless steel sippy cup, an organic cotton cot mattress, zero-VOC paint IS more expensive — sometimes much more so — than conventional alternatives. But are folks without the budget for these things doomed to expose their children to poison? While environmental racism and other injustices in how hazards are distributed among the population, there is one big — if open — secret the eco-proofing industry doesn’t want you to think about: lots of improvements you can make are free — some can even save you money.

For example:

1. Take off your shoes.

Alexandra Zissu, 34, co-author of “The Complete Organic Pregnancy,” says “her number one eco-friendly tip is for families to take off their shoes when they come home and leave them by the door. Dirty shoes track in industrial grime, oil from cars and pesticide run-off, all of which can find their way right into the mouths of rolling, crawling little ones.”

2. Clean green.

Reduce your use of toxic cleaning products by using baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and other classics your great-grandmother relied on. Not up to making your own laundry detergent from scratch? Reduce your use of dangerous chemicals or stretch the pricier eco-friendly versions by using half as much as directed and topping it off with inexpensive baking soda.

3. Buy less and wash more.

When I threw out my sippy cups made of unidentifiable plastic (which also meant I couldn’t recycle them), I found that the eco-safe stainless steel cups I wanted to replace them with would cost me $US15 each. So instead of twenty colorful, stackable cups, I ended up with four. I’ve spent more time washing cups, yes. But I’ve also gained some space in my kitchen cabinets.

4. Buy used.

Hand-me-downs don’t only save money, they save the planet. Charity store shopping can not only be a fun treasure hunt and a great way to pinch pennies, it’s also a great example of reduce, reuse and recycle. Many times, kids outgrow their clothes too fast to wear them out. Take advantage, dress for less and do the Earth a favour. You can also look for pricey baby items second hand. I sold my own $US300 baby hammock with organic bedding (after two long runs of use by my own kids) to a fellow mums’ group member for $US50.

5. Make trade-offs.

I find that I can let almost anything slide but food. When it comes to feeding my kids I’m almost compulsively organic. But there are ways to buy that pricey produce without breaking the bank. Maybe organic bananas are a dollar more a pound than conventional, but any whole banana is a bargain compared to a box of cereal. I’d estimate that I saved over $US1500 per kid making 100% organic baby food from scratch. Those savings would be valid even if I’d bought conventional, rather than organic ready-made baby food in jars. By cooking more meals at home, from simpler ingredients, you can save not just over eating out, but over eating conventional food, when that conventional includes a lot of instant, processed boxes from the grocery store’s centre aisles. And most of the times the food is more nutritious too, not just pesticide-free. An organic apple is usually not any pricier by volume than a handful of bleached-flour crackers, but it’s healthier — even if the crackers are organic.

In this society so often we are told (and tend to believe) that we can spend our way out of any problem; that the right purchasing decision can solve any quandary. But when the underlying problem is “too much stuff” the answer might just be to purchase less in the first place.

Image: Jessica Hill, Associated Press