Terra Thread's Bumi Eco Duffel Bag is made from Certified Fair Trade Organic cotton canvas. The perfect size for weekend getaways, it has a large main compartment and exterior and interior pockets. Zippers are lead-free. They are handmade in a Fair Trade factory in India and contain no plastic except for the zipper tape and thread, which are polyester. Terra Thread, which makes only eco-friendly non-toxic products, is looking for an alternative to this. They are shipped in plastic-free packaging. I have this bag and love it. I got this green and it's as brilliant and rich as it looks.

If you're looking for earth-friendly plastic-free make-up it really doesn't get any better than Axiology. The cardboard housing is a welcome sight (no need for plastic). It's vegan, plastic-free, non-toxic, palm oil-free, cruelty-free and made in the U.S. These hydrating color cream multi-sticks are for eyes, lips and cheeks and come in 12 different shades. They are made from naturally-derived ingredients like avocado, coconut and other plant oils, some of which are organic. Axiology is also women owned and run. 

This breathable four-season organic cotton blanket from Avocado Green Mattress is made with four layers of GOTS-certified organic muslin. The stitching is natural too -- not polyester. It's also certified to to Made Safe standards — a process that screens for more than 6,500 chemicals and materials known or suspected to harm human health, animals, aquatic life, or ecosystems, including PFAS. Few brands meet this gold standard for product safety. I have this blanket and like it a lot. It's a nice weight and ..... no synthetic fibers. Just organic cotton.

The Environmental Working Group just tested the effectiveness of a number of free-standing water filtration systems at removing dangerous PFAS chemicals. Their top choice was the Travel Berkey filter system. Though it’s suitable to bring along on travels, it’s also appropriate for your kitchen counter. A big bonus is that much of the Berkey is made of metal, not plastic. In addition to PFAS, the filter system, which uses activated carbon to purify water, also removes a long list of other toxins including heavy metals and inorganic materials. No plumbing hook-up or electricity needed. It comes in several sizes.

This beautiful colorful stacking toy from Grimm's Spiel and Holz is made in Europe  and includes twelve solid wooden arcs. A versatile and open-ended toy, this set can be used as a stacking and nesting toy. The twelve rainbow-colored arcs have been created from a single tree trunk and dyed with child-safe water-based stains which let the natural grain of the alder wood show through. Each piece is hand-sawed from raw untreated wood. Grimm's toys can be found here.

When it comes to cooking, the best for quality and safety is cast iron. It's non-toxic, unlike a lot of popular cookware, such as aluminum and pans with non-stick surfaces. (Stainless steel is also safe.) Lodge Cast Iron has been making pots and pans, including this 9-inch pan here, since 1896. Cast Iron is a great gift for anyone who cooks and the vintage look adds to a kitchen's natural decor. And it lasts forever is cared for well.

Naturepedic, known for their organic non-toxic mattresses and bedding, is now making organic cotton stuffed animals. Each depicts an endangered species, bringing attention to the plight of eight animals dangerously on the decline -- hippos, whales, sloths, penguins, elephants, turtles and two bear species. The animals are 100 percent GOTS-certified inside and out. No toxic poly fill. In addition to being cuddly companions for tots, they offer an opportunity to teach children about our responsibility to protect the natural world and the wild inhabitants in it.

We are continually exposed to RF radiation from cell towers and antennas, wifi routers, cell phones, laptops and smart devices. Wireless radiation is linked to cancer, neurological diseases, sperm damage and reproductive damage, immune and endocrine system disruption and other serious health problems. In addition to common sense steps like hard-wiring computers and never putting your phone against your head, there are a lot of products offered by businesses like Defender Shield, such as hollow-tube headphones, laptop shields, phone cases and pouches, clothing and blankets and blue light glasses that help to shield the body from radiation. For more info on protective products, continue reading. 

Natural cork is an eco-friendly and attractive alternative to leather and is a great material for making items like wallets, belts and purses. Harvesting cork from cork trees is beneficial for the environment because as the cork grows back the trees absorb more carbon dioxide from the air than they do when cork is not growing back. They also grow without the use of pesticides or other toxic chemicals.  

These natural wooden blocks from Haba are made in Germany of sustainably sourced, solid natural, untreated beech wood. The 26-piece set is PEFC-certified, which means Haba uses timber from sustainable forests in Germany. The beech and birch wood comes from local forests located within 100 miles of the HABA production facility.

The Zero Waste Starter Kit makes a thoughtful gift for a college student -- or anyone. It includes great eco-friendly necessities like shampoo bars, plant-based floss, shower loofah, laundry sheets, produce bags and tons more. All plastic-free. From the Zero Waste Store. 

Our beloved pets need non-toxic beds too. Naturepedic's organic pet beds are made with natural organic materials instead of polyurethane foam, toxic waterproofing and other hazardous chemicals. That means any materials used are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, GMOs and more – and toxic chemicals aren’t added in the manufacturing process either. They are GOTS-certified  which means that beyond ensuring the organic integrity of your pet’s sleep space, GOTS verifies sustainable farming practices are used and fair labor conditions are adhered to. 

A recent article from Plastic Pollution Coalition is sounding the alarm about the overwhelming volume of plastic pollution in the health care industry. Excessive plastic in modern healthcare is adding to the plastic crisis. From gowns, IV fluid bags, medical devices, plastic gloves, pill packaging, syringes, and more, plastics are used widely across the healthcare field. These items have proven useful, even critical, in life-saving treatments—yet their overuse and lack of plastic-free alternatives have led to an escalating environmental and health crisis, with the healthcare field being a significant contributor to plastic pollution globally. The article offers a closer look at modern healthcare’s plastic problem. (Continue reading)

Rising temperatures are setting records around the world and data shows this deadly trend is accelerating. One significant source of global warming that we don’t hear a lot about is plastic. It's a major player in this phenomenon that is quickly affecting every aspect of life on Earth -- already causing deaths and health issues around the world, unsustainable ecological shifts, habitat loss, famine, unbreathable air, wildfires, dying oceans, sea level rise, and myriad other changes. Around the world, the plastics industry is the fastest-growing source of industrial greenhouse gases. (Continue reading)

Throw out your black plastic utensils. A recent NY Times article about the toxicity of most black plastic products “Black Plastic Kitchen Tools Might Expose You to Toxic Chemicals,” renewed awareness about the dangers of black plastic products. It’s not just the black ones, though they are the worst because they have a lot more discarded toxic e-waste in them. It's also not just utensils. Anything, including toys and hair accessories, made with black plastic likely contains highly toxic chemicals, such as hazardous flame retardants, some of which have been banned, lead, antimony, chromium and mercury. (Continue reading)

You’ve probably heard  of toxic PFAS chemicals found in water supplies across the U.S. and around the world. The so-called “Forever Chemicals” are everywhere. Their health impacts are numerous and are believed to include cancer, damage to the endocrine, immune and reproductive systems, and much more.
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization that studies the toxicity of thousands of chemicals and products, has tested  a number of popular water filtration systems for their effectiveness at removing PFAS chemicals. Their top choice was the Travel Berkey Water Filter. (Continue reading)

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widely-used, man-made chemicals that are all around us and in thousands of common consumer products. They're called "forever chemicals" because they don't degrade quickly due to an extremely strong carbon-fluorine bond. They can and do accumulate in both the environment and the human body. Research has found that PFAS can cause serious health problems, including various types of cancer (thyroid, kidney, ovarian, prostate, testicular, breast, childhood leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma). PFAS include around 5,000 chemicals. They have been produced since the 1940s, but their health and environmental risks only gained widespread attention after the chemicals were found in drinking water in 2001. Nearly everyone has come in contact with these chemicals through water, food or everyday products. (Continue reading)

For years, most mass market upholstered furniture, including mattresses, has been filled with polyurethane foam. Don’t buy it. It’s toxic. Sure it’s cheaper, it's out of sight hidden under a layer of (usually synthetic) fabric, it looks nice, from a distance. But the health risks are huge. As Darin Olien notes in his book, Fatal Conveniences, furniture was once made with natural materials. Real wood, real natural fibers. It was so solid and well-made it was passed down to younger generations like heirlooms. Starting around the 1960s all that changed. Now it’s full of toxic petroleum-based materials, plastics and pressed wood. (Continue reading)

Why is buying organic cotton so important? Won’t the pesticides just wash out of non-organic cotton clothing and other fabrics? 

No, they don't, not completely. Pesticides are imbued in the cotton’s fibers from the very beginning of its life and they continue to be slowly released for years, exposing us to these toxic chemicals as we wear them and sleep on them. These include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and defoliants. (Continue reading)

 Plastic is deadly to people and wildlife and harmful to environment. Here are just some of the numbers and and how they result in tragic consequences. This is why I recommend rejecting plastic wherever possible and buying biodegradable and non-toxic materials instead. (Continue reading)

I don't recommend aluminum cookware due to increasing evidence suggesting a link between aluminum and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and also breast cancer. Data so far is inconclusive but the there is enough evidence to warrant avoiding unnecessary exposure to aluminum, including that found in antiperspirants, pots and pans, foil, sunscreen, cosmetics, antacids and baking powder. (Continue reading)

We are increasingly exposed to RF radiation from our own devices, like cell phones, computers, smart devices, baby monitors and routers and, involuntarily from cell towers and antennas in our cities and towns, and public routers and smart devices. Children are even more vulnerable to the effects of radiation due to their thinner skulls and still-developing brains. In addition to most children having wifi at home, they are also exposed to wireless radiation all day long in the classroom and out in public. (Continue reading)

You’ve probably seen numerous initialism throughout the recommendations here, most followed by the word “certified.” GOTS, GOLS, FSC, etc... I’ve started linking these abbreviated certifications to websites explaining in detail what they mean and why they’re important. But here’s what they are in a nutshell. They all mean a product or raw material such as cotton has been tested or verified to ensure it is indeed as eco-friendly or non-toxic or organic as the manufacturer says it is. Many also look at a business’s ethical practices and philanthropic activities.  (Continue reading)

I was in a Whole Foods the other day getting lunch and as I went to get a fork and spoon to eat at one of the tables there I noticed that the plastic cutlery dispensed to customers was black. That they're plastic at all clashes with the eco-friendly mission Whole Foods purports to be on but black plastic is usually even worse It's often contaminated with hazardous chemicals like fire retardants, lead, chromium and mercury. That's because there's a dearth in cleaner acceptable black recyclable plastic so black is often made with recycled products like e-waste, which is loaded with toxic chemicals. (Continue reading)