Green Living Tips
Keep toxins out of our water by buying biodegradable

Keep toxins out of our water by buying biodegradable

Keep our waterways cleaner by paying close attention to what you send down the drain.

By Aileen Brabazon

Have you ever thought about what goes down your drains?

Besides water, toothpaste, hair dye, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent and bathroom and kitchen cleaners swim through your pipes and eventually end up in our waterways.

And if these products contain chemicals that don't neutralize into harmless compounds, there's a big ecological price to pay. For example, surfactants -- the stuff that makes solutions foam up and spread well -- found in some degreasers, disinfectants and cleaners breakdown into agents that can feminize fish, Adria Vasil reports in Ecoholic (Vintage Canada, 2007). Eek!

To help keep our waters and marine life healthier, choose personal care and cleaning products that are as chemical-free as possible and choose items that quickly biodegrade (the best products often have a certified biodegradable stamp on the bottle and state how long it takes to break down).

[ Source:

Ecoholic (Vintage Canada, 2007) ]

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  • Sandy Thiessen wrote:

    Dec 09, 2009

    2009-12-09 6:08 PM

    VERY IMPORTANT that people start thinking of where our waste goes. Our lakes are suffering in Manitoba and the rivers are a terrible stew of garbage and chemicals and sewage. It only takes a second or two to reach for a bio-degradable product to try instead of your regular choice. I have been completely satisfied with all green products I have purchased so far.

  • Jessica Ross wrote:

    Jan 13, 2010

    2010-01-13 3:18 PM

    I agree, Sandy -- I've tried a lot of green products for Homemakers and for my blog, Eco Logic, and I've been very impressed with how well most of them worked. I always look for the Eco Logo when deciding what to try.

  • Elemental LED staff wrote:

    Jan 19, 2010

    2010-01-19 6:26 PM

    It's very easy to find dish soaps and personal soaps that are biodegradable. It's surprising that this is still a question, using these products. They just came out with a biodegradable laptop, after all!
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