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ReducingToxins in Home Liora's List/Reducing PBDE's: Flame retardant chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenyls(PBDE's) found in furniture, clothing, and carpet padding manufactured in the U.S and Europe have been found to accumulate in women's breast milk. They have also found their way to the Arctic, poisoning Indigenous peoples and endangering Arctic polar bears and other wildlife. What you can do to reduce PBDE's and other toxic chemicals in your home and environment: 1) Consider buying used furniture, mattresses, and clothing from thrift stores, antique shops, estate sales, or e-bay. This way, you are not adding any new PBDE's or other flame retardants into the environment as you would with the purchase of new items, and you'll be saving money, too! Check out Furniture Shopping Tips/Used Furniture: http://www.furnitureshoppingtips.com/usedfurniture.html
2) Join a recycling co-op on-line, where you can list used items you have for trade or give-away, and see if anyone else has posted items you may need. And, be sure to donate any unwanted used furniture to nonprofit organizations; this ensures the furniture will be recycled rather than dumped into a landfill. Check out this fantastic website to find out where you can recycle just about anything, including furniture, mattresses, and carpet padding (look under "Miscellaneous"): Earth 911/Reuse & Recycling Services: http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=ls&a=Recycle&cat=1&serviceid=
3) Buy organic clothing--there are innumerable websites listing organic cotton and/or hemp clothing for sale, or check out the on-line Co-op America's National Green Pages: http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/ and type in "organic clothing" or "hemp clothing" under "key word" on search guide. New organic clothing tends to be pricey; I prefer to buy everyday clothing from thrift stores, and go to re-sale shops for nicer items. About the only clothing I buy new anymore are undergarments.
4) If you must buy new furniture, consider furniture made without flame retardants. Check out EcoChoices Natural Living http://www.ecochoices.com/ or Furnature http://www.furnature.com . Custom eco-furniture is very expensive, but high quality. You can purchase organic mattresses without flame retardant through these companies as well. For more choices in eco-furniture and organic mattresses, go to National Green Pages http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/ and type in "furniture" "mattresses" "sofas", etc.
5) When it's time to replace your old carpeting, consider alternative flooring instead, such as tile, cork, or bamboo. Purchase used, antique, or organic fiber area rugs for warmth. Again, National Green Pages is a great resource for "green" businesses supplying eco-flooring: http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/ and type in "flooring" for many choices of eco-companies. If you decide to go with a wood floor, be sure it's sustainably harvested (FSC certified). If you decide to go with new carpeting, consider 100% biodegradable wool carpeting without carpet padding.
No matter what type of flooring you choose, whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or are hiring a floor installation crew, I'd recommend you contact American Formulating & Manufacturing (AFM) to talk to a representative about zero or low-VOC, least-toxic floor glues, tile sealants, and floor finishes. They also have a great line of low-VOC housepaint: 1-800-239-0321 or http://www.afmsafecoat.com/index.php
VOC's, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are highly toxic in the environment and add to indoor air pollution. Recommended articles about VOC's: http://curezone.com/blogs/c/fm.asp?i=1109817
Thanks for going Green!
The Polar Bears and Great Mother Earth will thank you!
Liora Leah
Related Blogs:
Is Your Home Making You Sick? http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=368 Is your home making you sick? You may have multiple chemical sensitivity. 15% of the US population has sensitivity to chemicals commonly found in household products. Toxins in Cosmetics: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=309&i=2 Poisoned Polar Bears
Flame retardants in furniture, clothing, and carpets manufactured in the U.S and Europe are finding their way to the Arctic, polluting polar bears and other wildlife. Add This Entry To Your CureZone Favorites! Print this pageEmail this page  Alert Webmaster
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