Tips for Eco-Friendly Long Islanders
By Bernadette Starzee
Going green is a popular journey these days, as products boasting eco-friendly benefits are increasingly popping up on retail shelves in response to consumer demand.
Among the most ubiquitous are household products, whose various advantages range from cutting energy use and costs to creating a healthier environment in and around the home.
If you’re looking to make more eco-friendly choices for you home but are unsure where to begin, start with these simple, inexpensive products.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs.
The decision to replace your existing bulbs with Energy Star qualified CFL bulbs is a no-brainer, because they pay for themselves in energy savings within two months.
According to the Long Island Power Authority, CFLs use 75 percent less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Making the switch will not only reduce your electric bill by about $20 per bulb per year, but it will also take a bite, albeit tiny, out of your household’s carbon emissions.
As CFLs have increased in popularity, they have become available in a wider variety of shapes, styles and wattages. The Home Depot alone sold 60 million CFLs in 2007, according to Irwin Gorelick, a salesperson in the West Patchogue store, who noted a four-pack of CFLs, each providing the equivalent of 60 watts of power, costs $6.88.
Cleaners.
When purchasing household cleaning products, such as glass cleaners, disinfectants and degreasers, search the label to see if you can find the ingredients, suggests Stan Halpern, whose green cleaning supplies company, Healthy Clean Buildings, is based in Melville. "The name-brand products on the market usually contain petrochemicals, which are derivatives of crude oil, and they don’t list the ingredients on the label," he said.
That’s not the case with green cleaning products, which are nontoxic, bio-based alternatives. "These products contain simple, natural ingredients – things you can pronounce, that will not harm your child or pet – and they’re fully disclosed on the label," Halpern said, adding that green cleaning products can be found in health food stores or online.
Gorelick routinely recommends Green Works by Clorox, a line of cleaning products that is more than 99 percent natural, is plant- and mineral-based, and does not give off harsh chemical fumes. "It works very well," Gorelick said.
Paint.
Many paint companies are working to reduce the so-called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emitted from their products. VOCs contain chemicals that could have adverse health effects.
Gorelick recommends Fresh Aire Choice, a new product that does not contain VOCs in either the paint or the pigment. "It’s family- and earth-friendly. When you take the lid off, it won’t take your breath away, like many paints do," he said, adding that it comes in a wide variety of colors. "It is selling very well," he said.
Garden Supplies.
Lawn products that contain harmful chemicals can be hazardous to children, pets and the local environment. Over the past few years, natural lawn products have become widely available. They are offered by local companies, such as Long Island Compost Corp., whose garden products are sold under several brand names in garden centers, as well as lawn care giant Miracle-Gro, which now offers all-natural, organic plant food, potting mixes and other products that cost under $4 a bag at Home Depot, Gorelick said.
Home Depot also sells plants in biodegradable peat pots, which, when planted in the ground, decompose directly into the soil.
Karl Fridenberger owns Organic Care, a lawn- and tree-care service company that uses all-natural lawn products, which is located in Stony Brook and Westhampton. "Corn gluten meal is good for crabgrass control," he said, adding that it should be applied at the time forsythia bloom. "Kelp micronutrient products work well as fertilizers," he added.
Originally published by Bernadette Starzee.
(c) 2008 Long Island Business News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.