Alternative Products

Sometimes replacing a toxic cleaning product can be as simple as going to another place on the retail shelf, using the information from our Toxins Table. But as long as companies don't disclose the ingredients on their product labels, consumers can't always be sure what's in a product.

A better choice is to buy alternative products from manufacturers that are committed to the use of non-toxic ingredients and disclose those ingredients on their product labels. Some alternative products have also been certified by third parties to meet established health and environmental standards. That adds to consumers' confidence in the value of the product.

In the past, those alternatives were generally only available in organic food stores or health food outlets, but the growing demand for non-toxic cleaning and laundry products has resulted in wider distribution, including many supermarket chains.

The following three companies do not use petrochemical-based ingredients in their products and have stated their commitment to use only biodegradable, non-toxic ingredients in their formulations and to follow the highest recycling standards in packaging. They also disclose ingredients on their labels.

All three companies all have a full line of laundry and cleaning products, including non-chlorine, non-phosphate dishwasher detergents.

Originally a European company, Ecover now distributes throughout North America. Its products are based on non-toxic plant-based or mineral ingredients that meet the test recognized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for biodegradability. Their products are all non-toxic to aquatic life.

A Canadian company that is expanding to the U.S. and Europe, Nature Clean makes detergents and cleaning products as well as specialty products such as non-chlorine bleaches and barbecue cleaners. Nature Clean products carry Environment Canada's EnviroChoice logo, which is certified by Terra Choice, a third party certifier that has established health, environmental and performance standards for various products.

A U.S. company, Seventh Generation draws its name from the Iroquois principle that any action taken today should consider the impact on the next seven generations. The company makes cleaning and laundry products as well as recycled toilet tissue and other paper products.