A Few of My Favourite Green Things

I just wanted to share some of the eco friendly products that I use and find fabulous.  In this age of the eco-conscious consumer (I like to think of it that way…perhaps I’m a little optimistic) I’m often amazed by the availability of green product versions.  Since I live in Australia, the products I use tend to be Australian, or from as close to home as possible.  If you live overseas, you probably have some different but similar eco products at your fingertips.  I’ve discovered that it always pays to search online for eco friendly versions if I’m after a new item.

1. Soapnuts: I love these!  Nature’s soap that grows on a tree.  Soapnuts are berries that contain saponins.  They grow wild in the foothills of the Himalayas.  Locals collect the fallen berries, remove the seeds and dry the shells (which contain the saponin) in the sun, then ship them off to the sellers in Australia (and other countries).  It’s a completely sustainable and fair trade practice.  Soapnuts do an awesome job of cleaning your laundry, body, hair, dishes and home.  Then onto the garden or compost they go.  Wonderful.

2. The Environmental Toothbrush: A completely biodegradable (it’s compostable) toothbrush made of sustainable Moso bamboo and designed by an Aussie dentist.  They come in adult (medium and soft bristles) and child sizes and compare favourably in price to regular toothbrushes, that are made from petrochemicals and end up in landfill.  If you prefer plastic, then check out these toothbrushes made by Preserve in the United States, from recycled plastic.  The company also offers a recycling programme and sells a range of recycled plastic kitchenware and tableware.  I love these, but tend to favour the bamboo toothbrushes as they’re made closer to home and have a beautiful, natural look and feel.

3. Tread lightly on the planet with a pair of My Honeybees sandals, and help save precious bees at the same time.  Made of 100% recycled rubber these sandals come in an array of gorgeous colours and their sale helps support the work of Aussie CSIRO scientist Dr Dennis Anderson and his Bees Downunder Foundation.

4. If you’re a straw-y kind of person then try a reusable glass one from Glass Dharma.

5. Makedo: a clever connecting system for making stuff out of trash.  They are completely recyclable too.  I love Makedo so much I have a page dedicated to it on my blog!

6. Ecotools: a large range of cosmetic brushes and bath tools made with environmentally friendly materials including bamboo and recycled aluminium.

7. Ecocern: the most eco friendly recycled paper available in Australia.  It is non-bleached and made from 100% post-consumer scrap paper, in Australia.  The range includes cardboard and envelopes.

8. Full Circle: cleaning brushes and sponges made from eco friendly materials including recycled plastic, bamboo and cellulose.

9. Shampoo bars and facial cleansing bars from Beauty and the Bees in Tasmania.  My favourite thing about these is that they don’t come packaged in plastic bottles but in recycled cardboard.  They are also palm oil free, which is rare in soap products  (in fact, any products), and they are natural, luxurious and gentle.

10. Let’s not forget the dunny (that’s toilet, if you’re not familiar with this Aussie colloquialism).  Frankly I don’t think our bottoms are that precious that they need to be wiped with virgin timber paper.  I always choose recycled paper toilet paper.  My preferred one is Safe, as it’s made from 100% recycled paper, is unbleached, housed in recycled paper packaging and made in Australia by an Aussie company.

I’m quite happy to promote products with such impeccable eco-credentials.  My list could go on quite a bit further.  The point is we can choose to make responsible purchases, because there are eco friendly options for just about everything you might want.  What are some of your favourite green products?