Spring Purge

In today's Edmonton Journal there were some great articles in the condos section, one called
Spring Purge--say adieu to those aerosol air fresheners.

An excerpt:

When tackling spring cleaning duties, there are some environmentally dubious household items that you might want to give a second look. And when I say "give a second look" I mean you should reconsider using and/or replace them with a more eco-sensible alternative.

Don't get me wrong -- I love fragrantly scented air. In fact, I have a bit of a purchase-problem when it comes to scented soy candles. But if you're the type who grabs for a can of Freesia Fiesta or Melon Madness aerosol air freshener to combat the stench of last night's fish fry or this morning's wet dog, I'm here to convince you to spritz your last spritz.

As you might be aware, the alluring fragrance housed in that aerosol can isn't derived from freesia or melons but from a complex chemical brew that can trigger allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and pollute the indoor air.

The four basic ingredients, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, p-dichlorobenzene and aerosol propellants. And unsurprisingly, air fresheners of all varieties, not just ones in aerosol cans, contain those nefarious volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a source of health woes and ground-level ozone.

And here's something to consider before you say adios to that half-empty aerosol air freshener: The contents are considered as hazardous waste and should be taken to an eco-station. Yep, that Freesia Fiesta is hazardous (not to mention ineffective since it masks odours instead of removing them).

The author recommends opening some windows and placing bowls of baking soda around the house to absorb odors. And a vase or two of spring flowers not only brighten the place up but offer a beautiful, natural, safe aroma.

You have to keep in mind that these things you are inhaling are chemicals. The commercials of people spraying air fresheners all over everything in house and then inhaling the scents...good grief. You would never take the can and inhale it's contents, but somehow we feel like it is OK, (or like we SHOULD) scent the air (and invariably inhale it that way).

The reason this is especially timely for me is because I went to our local farmer's market this Thursday where I was fed a sales pitch by a sell-from-your-home candle company, initials MB. While this company's candles are in fact made from soy, the salesperson proceeded to tell me that they were the only "green" candle in North America, were 100% natural and non-toxic. I asked, "What about the fragrance?" I was told "Everything is all-natural."

It is not, in fact, all natural, and the company's own website says they use synthetic fragrance because the scent lasts longer. And it is not a "green" candle, let alone the only "green" candle in North America.

This really made me angry because a) it's not true, b) it's misleading (known as "greenwashing" where a person or company misrepresents a product as natural/good for the environment/organic/safe) and c) it is being spread around and shared through at-home parties and women's shows (like the one in Lloyd this weekend). Consumers should not be lied to--if your fragrance is fake but the base is real, just be honest with us.

We offer all kinds of things at the store--just in our candle lines, some are, indeed, all-natural (soy or beeswax) and fragranced with essential oils. Some are soy, but fragranced with synthetic (man-made) scents. Some are old-school paraffin (what most candles are made of).

When making choices, as the author above indicated, consider all the information you receive. Does "sticky cinnamon raisin bun" or "birthday cake" scents exist in nature? No. So how can it be natural? Plain old cinnamon or vanilla, yes, go for it. If you don't care if it is natural, burn whatever you like. But if you do care, and you are buying the product because you think it is all-natural or safe, then you might have to do a little extra research if you hear something that sounds fishy.