Method and Clorox’s Green Works are just two of a growing selection of natural or sustainable household cleaners on shelves in today’s market. Green Works is certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its Design for Environment (DfE) partnership program for safer chemistry and Method is known for its responsible sourcing, recycled plastic packaging, and overall company business transparency. Both companies are incorporating green chemistry into its business objectives and promoting a more natural alternative to the harsh, environmentally unfriendly chemicals commonly found in household cleaning products. These chemicals are a source of concern to most household keepers more for their damage to the human body, but they are equally as damaging to the environment we live in.

So what is “green chemistry”? Green Works acknowledges that there is currently no standard for what “natural” is in household cleaning agents. They’ve set their own standards for what it should be, but critics are still harsh on the reality that these supposedly greener alternatives to traditional household cleaning chemicals are still damaging to the planet. As one blogger claims, these “natural” household cleaners are “completely unnecessary” because they still require resources and energy to manufacture, if not more.

Truly natural household cleaners can be created right at home using actual natural ingredients commonly found around the house, as this blogger goes on to explain. Things like baking soda and vinegar can perform the same cleaning abilities as manufactured cleaning agents do.

The idea of “green chemistry” made me realize that while certain industries receive more attack for sustainable practices, every aspect of the products we use in daily life can be pitched into more sustainable conversations. It never used to occur to me that there are environmentally damaging chemicals in household cleaners that can ultimately end up in our resources streams, such as toxins and pollutes in local rivers and lakes.

While businesses are looking to capitalize on the sustainability trend, some consumers, such as the blogger at Sustainable Baby Steps, reminds us that we don’t need specific products (and consume even more) in order to lower our environmental impact. “Old school” tried-and-true methods, even from before the Industrial Revolution, can still get the job done. Household cleaning products are just one of those examples. Biking as a form of transportation is another. Wind energy (turbine now vs. windmill before) is another. Can you think of any others?

Source(s):

https://www.greenworkscleaners.com/about-us/design-for-the-environment/

https://www.greenworkscleaners.com/about-us/

http://methodhome.com/beyond-the-bottle

http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/natural-household-cleaners.html