FAQ - Green
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Why choose products free of phosphates and nitrates?
When present in too great quantities, phosphates and nitrates are harmful to lakes and water bodies. They serve as nutrients to algae and nuisance weeds, which overwhelm and eventually deplete the water's dissolved oxygen content. This process, known as eutrophication, leads to the destruction of the ecosystem since the water can no longer sustain other living organisms. Typical sources include fertilizers applied to agricultural fields, golf courses and suburban lawns, detergents, and sewage treatment plant discharges.
What does "biodegradable" mean?
A biodegradable product has the ability to break down, safely and
relatively quickly, by biological means, into the raw materials of
nature and disappear into the environment. Most materials will
ultimately biodegrade, even if it takes centuries.
For example, a dead leaf will biodegrade 100% in a matter of
weeks whereas a plastic bottle requires around 4000 years.
Here's how
long it takes for some commonly used products to biodegrade, when they
are scattered about as litter:
| Paper | 2-5 months |
| Orange peels | 6 months |
| Cigarette butts | 1 to 12 years |
| Plastic coated paper milk cartons | 5 years |
| Nylon fabric | 30 to 40 years |
| Tin cans | 50 to 100 years |
| Aluminum cans | 80 to 100 years |
| Plastic 6-pack holder rings | 450 years |
| Glass bottles | 1 million years |
What is the OECD 301B standard?
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has established test methods for determining the extent and speed of biodegradation of organic chemicals whose route of entry into the environment begins with their discharge to wastewater. A product which meets the 301 B standard or its equivalent will biodegrade 70 % within 28 days.
Are odourless products effective?
As more and more people develop an intolerance to (often heavily) scented cleaning and laundry detergents, some manufacturers are offering equivalent, scent free products, such as odourless dish washing liquids, laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, and even personal care items like deodorants and soap. Cleaning power without the perfume!
What does the "HE" symbol stand for?
"HE" stands for high efficiency, a term applied for instance to front loading washing machines that use tumbling action to clean, thereby reducing energy and water consumption significantly. High efficiency laundry detergents are more concentrated and produce less suds than regular detergents.
What are the 3 "R"s?
The golden rule in any green movement: REDUCE. REUSE.
RECYCLE.
REDUCE: buy less, choose items with less packaging
REUSE: find new uses for your purchases
RECYCLE: do not send anything that can be brought back into the manufacturing cycle to the dump
(glass, paper, plastic, metal, etc.)
What is an ecological footprint?
This is a measure of man's demand on nature, comparing human consumption of natural resources with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate them. Ecological footprinting is now widely used around the globe as an indicator of environmental sustainability. In 2003, the average biologically productive area per person in the U.S. was 9.6 'global hectares'.