By Patti Wood
Many of us make a list of resolutions as the new year rings in—a tradition that actually dates back 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonians! Most popular on our lists today are personal health goals, such as losing weight, getting more exercise, joining a yoga class, learning to meditate, quitting smoking, drinking less, eating more vegetables, etc. All good ideas.
But list makers beware! An online 2019 survey of more than a million people came up with Jan. 19 as “Quitters Day,” the day most people default on their resolutions. Why? Some of the most common reasons were too many resolutions, lack of commitment and busy schedules. I can relate as I have always been accused of biting off more than I should.
Despite this disappointing statistic, it is still a positive thing to strive for better health, and maybe just focusing on one resolution would be easier to keep. I have some ideas to share, ones that “kill two birds with one stone,” an idiom frequently used in the environmental health world to call attention to the interconnectedness between the planet’s health and ours.
Clean air, clean water and a clean food supply are essential for our personal health, and yet not a day goes by when we don’t hear about the deterioration of these precious natural resources. No doubt, much of the harm is caused by industry’s smoke stacks and wastewater, but individuals play a significant role in polluting our environment by just purchasing and using everyday products. For instance, consider the potential harm to our air and water and to our personal health from something as mundane as doing the laundry.
Let’s start with the laundry detergent that you buy in the grocery store. Most people today purchase liquid laundry detergents that contain multiple chemical ingredients to clean, remove stains, brighten colors and add artificial fragrances. In addition to these intentionally added chemicals, you may also find 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen that is emerging as a major threat to public water supplies.
It’s a chemical that is actually created during the manufacturing process to make cheap detergents less harsh, and getting it out of our water has turned out to be a very difficult and expensive process. Other ubiquitous chemicals in liquid laundry detergents have been identified as asthmagens, neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors, posing a threat to both people and wildlife.
And that’s not the whole story. Manufacturers of the fragrances used in laundry products are not required to disclose their “trade secret” chemical formulations, but much research has been done in this area as they contaminate both water and air. An analysis of the captured air from dryer vents found more than 25 volatile organic compounds, including seven hazardous air pollutants.
Two of the chemicals, benzene and adetaldehyde, are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as carcinogens, for which the agency says there are no safe exposure levels. Repeat. There are no safe exposure levels for just two of the chemicals we know are used in artificial fragrances that are venting from millions of clothes dryers into our surrounding air. Researchers see this as a particularly problematic source of pollution because emissions from dryer vents are unregulated and unmonitored, unlike those coming out of smokestacks or tail pipes.
And what we wash is as important as what we use to wash it. For instance, a lot of our clothing is made from synthetic (or plastic) fabrics. Fleeces, while soft and warm, are the most problematic. When these items are washed, millions of plastic fibers end up going down the drain and out into the world. Wastewater treatment plants don’t capture these nanoplastics and microplastics which are now commonly found in most aquatic plants and animals. As smaller fish are consumed by larger fish, they rise up the food chain until they end up on your plate in a fancy restaurant. Dryer vents are also releasing these microscopic plastic fibers into the air, so think about this the next time you toss a fleece jacket into the laundry basket.
If this is compelling enough for you to think twice about how you do the laundry, you could make it your one resolution for 2023. Here it is:
1. Choose unscented powdered laundry detergent or a liquid detergent that you have vetted carefully.
2. Don’t use dryer sheets. One cup of white vinegar added to the washing machine makes clothes soft, or purchase reusable wool dryer balls for the same result.
3. Find a product that uses only natural essential oils if you want to scent your laundry.
4. Final Note: When kids grow out of their clothes or you want to replace some older items, choose natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, bamboo, and hemp over plastic synthetics.
There are other resolutions that don’t require a lot of personal sacrifice, but do require you to change your habits or routine. I know that brand loyalty is passed down from generation to generation, but if you can protect your family and the natural resources we depend on by making a switch, why not just do it! My laundry list (no pun intended) of other simple one-off resolutions to protect your health and the environment are:
• Filter your water at home, fill reusable bottles and stop buying water in plastic bottles.
• Avoid buying food in “single use” plastic packaging.
• Don’t take the BPA-coated receipt from stores and gas stations unless necessary.
• Look up sources of PFAS in cook wear, clothing and food containers and AVOID.
• Find an organic landscaper who doesn’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
And lastly, don’t ever feel that your actions are too insignificant to make a difference…collective actions add up! Author Alice Walker said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
Happy New Year!