Issues
Cleaning Products
Most cleaning products don't list ingredients. However, you can learn something
about a product's hazards by reading its label. 'Danger/ Poison' - most hazardous;
'Warning' - moderately hazardous; 'Caution' - slightly toxic. Ingredients vary
in the type of health hazard they pose. These include skin or respiratory irritation,
watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or
long-term, effects such as cancer.
Avoid:
- Chlorine or Ammonia, listed as active ingredients
- Formaldehyde, Terpenes, Phenols, Chlorine, Organic Mercurials, Balsams,
Aluminium Complexes – known to have carcinogenic effects.
- detergents containing Alkylphenol Ethoxylates (APEs) - do not degrade completely
and are known hormone disruptors.
- detergents containing phosphates - cause algal blooms in water ways
Look for:
- biodegradable to AS4351, or better still , an international standard
- plant-based ingredients, instead of petroleum-based
- concentrated form
- specific ingredient information (such as "solvent-free," "no
petroleum-based ingredients”) rather than unregulated "greenwash"
claims (such as "natural" and "eco-friendly")
Find out more at www.safersolutions.org.au
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* The contents of these u-tube links
are not necessarily endorsed by the Ethical Consumer Group. Rather these
are discussion starters about the relevant issues. |
