There has been a lot of attention focused recently on product safety, due to several issues such as listeria in meat and cheese and melamine in pet food. In addition, people are trying to buy items for the home that are not only healthy for our families, but also healthy for our environment.
There are a variety of guides that are available to help you more easily choose products and services that are healthier and safer.
Good Guide
One recent site is the Good Guide at http://www.goodguide.com/. This site offers information about common products such as shampoo, toothpaste, household cleaners, air fresheners, and other common items. Each item is rated in 3 categories: "Health Performance", "Environmental Performance" and "Social Performance". In addition, you can find out more detailed information such as if the product is a possible carcinogen, if the company that makes the product has had chemical spills, and if the company contributes to climate change.
The information provided by the Good Guide is very helpful, however it should be pointed out that the site is a little vague on where the information comes from and how it is evaluated. While the Guide offers some valuable information that you may find helpful, at this time we feel it shouldn't be seen as the final word on these products.
Greenpeace Canada Shoppers Guide
A longstanding guide that we have found to be very helpful is Greenpeace Canada's Shoppers Guide at http://gmoguide.greenpeace.ca/. Intended to be a guide to help your family avoid genetically modified food, the guide lists many common grocery items. For example, the guide notes that Arrowroot teething biscuits likely contains genetically modified ingredients, while PC organics jarred baby foods do not contain GE products.
The foods are listed in 3 categories: "Green" (not made with GE ingredients), "Yellow" (companies have committed to removing GE products) and "Red" (likely made with GE ingredients).
As the Guide states, organic foods by their nature cannot contain genetically modified ingredients, so the most effective way to avoid eating GE ingredients is to only buy organic. For most families, this isn't currently a viable option, so this guide can help families choose the products that make them more comfortable.
The Little Green Book of Big Savings
While not exactly a buying guide, The Little Green Book of Big Savings at http://www.thelittlegreenbook.ca/ offers tips and savings on Green products and services in Toronto. Some of the savings include food, art, cooking, entertainment, restaurants, sports & activities and pet products.
The book can be purchased for $15, and offers thousands of dollars of coupons for local businesses. For example, if you were thinking of signing up for AutoShare, you would get a coupon in the book to possibly save over $100 on your membership. If nothing else, the book offers a handy listing of local environmentally friendly businesses ready to serve you.
Post new comment