Going green has become a new trend of sorts with many individuals around the world opting for a sustainable, environmentally friendly way of living. Sadly, the trend seems to have caught on with several businesses and marketers who are willfully exploiting individuals by selling green products that are actually not green at all. Here are two examples we wish to bring to your attention.
The quintessential light bulb
Incandescent light bulbs are hard to make and last for only a year or so. Their sustainable substitute, the LED, also does not provide enough light for households.
Their replacement therefore, comes in the form of the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL). It is considered to be last at least 7 times more than your average incandescent light bulb and is extremely energy efficient. However, it is not a green product.
CFL bulbs contain mercury, which cannot neutralize easily when exposed to the atmosphere and can get in the soil and water, thereby contaminating the food and water that we consume.
Excess exposure to mercury can have adverse side effects in the body, affecting children the most. Conditions prevalent with mercury exposure include motor skill impairments, short-term memory loss and learning disabilities.
Therefore, stay away from CFL bulbs unless you know they would be handled safely after disposal.
Bamboo fabric
Everyone knows that Bamboo is one of the most sustainable resources on earth. It can be available in a very short span of time (bamboo trees mature in just 4-5 years). It is also water resistant and harder than maple wood.
Another highlight of bamboo is an inherent substance called ‘kun’ that manages to protect bamboo from pathogens and pests.
Bamboo is widely used for floors, roofs and furniture in homes. Lately, bamboo fabric has made headway in the market and is expected to be a completely green product.
However, it is not. The bamboo fabric is produced by a process called hydrolysis alkalization which involves cooking the bamboo shoots in chemical solvents like carbon disulfide and sodium hydroxide, both of which are known to cause serious health problems.
Chances are high that if you buy bamboo clothing, the solvents used to create it may affect you. Not to mention the hazardous effects these solvents would have on the environment.
Summary
These are two examples of how green products that claim to be environmental friendly are, in fact, not so green. So make sure that when you buy a green product, do a check to make sure that it is completely green. Don’t be misled by advertisements and promotions.
