The adoption of eco-friendly products and a green lifestyle is on the rise. Green living is inspiring people who care for nature, produce less waste, and strive to reduce their carbon footprint. Eco-friendly materials are used for a variety of purposes.

Some of the key materials include:

• Bamboo – Bamboo fiber and hardwood
• Cork – Tree bark
• Hemp – Fiber for clothing and linen
• Coconut – Coconut coir
• Organic cotton – Fiber for clothes and bedsheets
• Bioplastic compostable – Alternative to plastic
• Soy – Soybean fabric

You can go green by using products made from all-natural and organic materials. Green products and their packaging are biodegradable and recyclable. Some of the sustainable products in the market include:

• Kitchen products – Biodegradable trash bags, beeswax wraps, organic dish towels and scrubbers, reusable shopping bags, and non-plastic storage containers. Copper cookware and bottles make an excellent replacement for plastic.

• Cleaning products – non-chemical-based cleaning products, natural detergents, artisanal soap, and eco-friendly clothes. Coconut coir and scrubs offer durable scrubbing solutions.

• Home products – Rechargeable batteries, LED light bulbs, energy-saving power switch, eco-friendly shower curtains, stainless steel products, and reusable bamboo items. 

How to tell if a product is eco-friendly?

When buying eco-friendly products, just reading the label is not enough. Look for the following on the packaging, to know if you are opting for a genuine eco-friendly product.

• Green seal – shows that cleaning product is safe for the environment. 
• USDA organic seal – found on cosmetics and food that are genuinely organic. 
• Energy star – indicates how much the electronic devices are energy-saving.
• Mobius loop – implies that the product can be recycled.

The many advantages of eco-friendly products:

• Energy-saving – Use eco-friendly products such as solar panels as an alternative to fossil fuels to generate energy. It is a natural source of energy and does not emit any harmful gasses.
  
• Low maintenance – If operated and handled carefully, eco-friendly products result in low maintenance costs. Eco-friendly facilities and buildings promote natural lighting and decrease the use of artificial lighting. 
  
• Cost-effective – The production and construction of eco-friendly products and houses may be expensive, but they are very cost-effective in the long run. Green homes are built to conserve water and energy. 

• Healthy lifestyle – Usage of harmful chemicals, plastics, and lead causes risk of illness and diseases in adults and children. Environment-friendly products ensure safety from such harmful chemicals and improve quality of life.

• Protects the environment – By producing green products made from organic and biodegradable materials, toxic substances, and non-renewable resources are not consumed to generate energy. So, harmful gasses and toxic waste does not pollute and deteriorate the environment. 

• Easy disposal – Eco-friendly products are easy to dispose of after use. Some products can be used as growing materials for plants and others can be put into a compost pile and left to decompose. Fresh compost also provides nourishment to the soil. 

Steeper price but much larger benefits:

Procuring the raw materials and the manufacturing process of sustainable products cost more than traditional products. This is because of the organic materials used in place of mass-produced chemical products. Though this might increase the costs, green products tend to last longer which in turn reduces bills in the long term. 

Research suggests consumers are willing to change their consumption habits and switch to eco-friendly products to reduce their impact on the environment. While the willingness to pay more for these products is still debatable; if the demand for eco-friendly products rises it may lower the unit price costs. When more people start using eco-friendly products and contribute to the safety and preservation of natural resources such as metals, plastics, and water, the costs of other products will go down.

Adoption of eco-friendly products supports people who work to live and produce these. Clean products benefit our planets and all their inhabitants, including our future generations.