At first glance, tape might not seem like a major source of plastic but just as seconds become hours and days become years, common plastic items when used often are significant. No need for plastic tape. This packing tape is made of paper, rubber adhesive and a natural wax coating. It's approved by the USPS, UPS and Fedex. It's biodegradable, compostable, recyclable and strong. An easy way to reduce plastic use. Another great use of paper tape is wrapping gifts with colorful masking tape. 

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.

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 or in myriad other ways. 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.

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. 

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 decor. It lasts forever if cared for well.

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. 

8000 Kicks' backpacks and other accessories are all made with hemp, a eco-beneficial plant that draws carbon dioxide from the air, and toxins from the soil. It also helps prevent erosion of the soil. It is naturally pest and disease-resistant, avoiding the need for pesticides. The backpacks are 100 percent hemp and are water-repellent without the use of toxic PFCs (perfluorinated compounds). They also have fun features like an anti-theft pocket in back and a USB power plug. You can see all of their backpacks here. 

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. 

4 Best Sunscreeens

+Badger mineral sunscreen

+Raw Love mineral sunscreen

+Stream2Sea mineral sunscreen

+Waxhead mineral sunscreen

Most chemical sunscreens contain harmful ingredients,  some of which are believed to be endocrine disruptors. Better to go with mineral sunscreens (also known as physical sunscreens) that have as their active ingredient zinc oxide or titanium oxide. This type physically blocks some of the sun's rays from penetrating your skin whereas the chemical ones absorb the UV radiation and convert it to heat which is then released. (No sunscreen will completely stop all UV radiation from your skin.) (Continue reading)

Here is a list of Good as Dirt's top ten eco-friendly brands working to reduce the volume of plastic and toxins in the everyday products we buy and the packaging they come in. Supporting these businesses fosters their success and encourages other manufacturers to follow their lead. While it's great that going green is now in and manufacturers are jumping on board with it, unfortunately this has led to an explosion of greenwashing. Greenwashing is the deceptive practice of giving the illusion that a business is eco-friendly. Greenwashing businesses want to look like they’re helping the environment but it's mostly hype. Rest assured, there is no greenwashing from the businesses on this list below. They’re all legit. They don't cut corners or woo us with superficial talk about caring for the Earth. They’ve invested in non-toxic plastic-free and organic materials and made products that are truly eco-friendly and better for you and the environment.  (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 affects every aspect of life on Earth -- already causing deaths, species extinction 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 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 accumulate and persist 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) and hinder fertility and reproduction. PFAS include around 5,000 chemicals. They have been produced since the 1940s, but their health and environmental risks only gained widespread attention after some 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. 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 much of it is 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 myriad sources including devices like cell phones, computers, smart devices, baby monitors and routers and from cell towers, antennas, 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 in the classroom and out in public. (Continue reading)

You may have noticed 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 and sought after by eco-friendly manufacturers. 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 safe or non-toxic or organic as the manufacturer says it is and doesn't contain certain toxins. Many also look at a business’s ethical practices and philanthropic activities.  (Continue reading)