Seventh Generation

When I had to set up my apartment from scratch in Washington DC for my summer stay, I made a trip to the Whole Foods Market on 15^th Street and stocked up on a bunch of Seventh Generation supplies. Here are some of my favorite Seventh Generation products, many of them staples in my home.

• Garbage bags
  Plastic bags are catastrophic to the environment and animals.  Miles of plastic bags are floating in our oceans and devastating marine life.  See my blog entry on plastic bags from last spring (Plastic Bags – so passé!) to read in more detail.  Bottom line: we need to use biodegradable when we can, and reduce our plastic use overall.  SG’s Kitchen Trash Bags are made from 55% recycled plastic.  Tip: the bottom of these bags tends to open up along the perforation; I just take the two ends and tie them together in a knot before placing in the trash bin
• “Free & Clear” Natural Dish Liquid & Automatic Dishwasher Powder
  Non-toxic & biodegradable, hypoallergenic, free of phosphates — and the dish liquid’s bottle contains 90% post-consumer recycled plastic.
• “Free & Clear” Laundry Detergent & Dryer Sheets
  I can’t tell you how many times people’s comment to me about eco-friendly laundry products is that they just don’t do as good a job.  I think SG works well…  I’ve used the both the powder and the liquid detergent. I’m a huge fan of the “Free & Clear” line: I want my laundry really clean, which to me doesn’t mean ridding my clothes of dirt and then infusing the items with a bunch of chemicals and fragrances!  Ugh.  The chlorine-free, unbleached dryer sheets use plant-based softening agents and are compostable after use.  And the sheets are good for a couple of loads… something to weigh into your shopping decision-making when you see a less expensive box with same number of sheets by another (animal-unfriendly) brand.
• Chlorine-Free Bleach
  This is the cruelty-free bleach that I found works the best on whites.  Since I have a penchant for white bed sheets and white towels, there’s a lot to keep looking white ‘n bright in my home.  Best part: the bleach is non-toxic, free of phosphates and optical brighteners, and — like all SG products, not tested on animals.

also:
Diapers
Though I don’t have any little ones of my own to buy for, the SG diapers still make my fave list.  “Dark green” mamas have made the choice to use cloth diapers.  But if you’re more of a light- or medium-green kind of mom, choosing SG’s disposable diapers is a good option: they are wood-pulp processed without chemicals, chlorine-free, fragrance free, and latex free.  I know many of you think eco-friendly diapers are just too expensive: “You know how many diapers I go through in just one week?” To which I say: exactly.  I know it’s a lot of freakin’ diapers.  Which means making a better choice when it comes to which diapers you’re loading into the shopping cart can make a pretty significant difference.  SG makes chlorine-free baby wipes and training pants, too.

Seven Acts of Seventh Generation
A good way for a company to gain almost instant loyalty from me is to practice corporate responsibility by supporting efforts that go alongside its mission statement and quality products.  SG supports the following efforts by working with other organizations; you can read more about each of them on the Seventh Generation web site page.

1. Toxic Chemical Policy Reform (Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition)
2. Women’s Action To Gain Economic Security (WAGES)
3. Sustainable Palm Oil (Rainforest Action Network)
4. Rethinking Laundry (Project Laundry List)
5. Sustainability Education (Sustainability Institute)
6. Household Care Product Ingredient Disclosure (Breast Cancer Fund)
7. Save the Poles (Save the Poles for Global Climate Change)

Community & Coupons
Join the Nation for semi-monthly e-newsletters and specials, and printable coupons.  Also, the Seventh Generation Blog is a great resource for tips and news. Nice!

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