"It always seems impossible until it is done" Nelson Mandela

It may seem overwhelming when you want to start changing your life(style) into a greener and more sustainable one. Plastic is everywhere, from packaging to kitchenware, from building materials to furniture, from clothing to electric appliances. Although there are over 1.000 types of plastic, 90 % of plastics come from virgin fossil fuels.

It seems the benefits of plastic are endless: it is light, durable, easily shaped, and inexpensive. It preserves flavor and freshness in food, it`s contamination barrier in hospitals, it´s leak-proof and child-safe. Plastics made many of the items we know and use in the modern world possible. Think computers, cell phones, and lifesaving machines in hospitals. But our intense relationship with plastics comes at a price. Chemicals contained in plastic leach into our food when used, chemicals migrate into the environment when the plastic products containing them are discarded. These chemicals are building up in our bodies and in our environment.

But there are other sources when it comes to chemicals/toxins entering our bodies. Products that should be safe, whether they are intended for babies, pregnant women or adults, contain ingredients that can harm your health and well being. Only recently have I learned about these ingredients. I was like most of us, thinking that products we buy in the stores are 100% safe to use. But when my second child developed eczema I started reading labels and looking up ingredients online. That is when I discovered that not all products are that harmless, or at least there are many ingredients out there that can cause irritation and rashes. Babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable to toxic ingredients, because they are so small. As a mother of four (of which one was still born), I feel it is my duty to share what I learned with other mothers specifically, and with other people in general. Our children, and their children, deserve to grow up in a healthy environment and they deserve to inherit a planet that is not heavily polluted. That is why I started My Green Goodiebag.

With My Green Goodiebag I want to help you get started to change your lifestyle into a more sustainable, more healthy one with tips on how a product that we use can be replaced by another, more durable and/or more ecological friendly and/or healthier item. My Green Goodiebag also gives information on ingredients that can be found in everyday personal care products that are not healthy for our bodies or that are even toxic and gives back ground information on how and why certain products are not sustainable/healthy so you can understand and know how and why these products cause pollution, whether that be in your body or in the environment. Knowing is caring and caring is changing.

I firmly believe that even a small change can make a difference. You don´t have to rearrange your whole life. Step by step you can integrate more durable products into your life and hopefully inspire others to do the same. I admit I don´t always choose the most durable or ecological friendly option, but I continue to change my habits here and there, effectively improving the quality of life of my own family, as well as generations to come. It is not as complicated as you might think, but it might require a bit more effort and time when choosing the right products.

Although I do a lot of research, it is possible that I have missed information and that not all posts are 100 % “waterproof”, so if you have something to add or if you think I have written something that is completely untrue, please let me know. Also, if you would like to know more about a certain product and/or ingredient, don´t be shy - let me know and I will consider including it in the My Green Goodiebag blog.

Thank you!

Arlette

Disclaimers:

My Green Goodiebag is created and written solely by Arlette Diederiks, a mother passionate about healthy living and the environment. My Green Goodiebag cannot be held responsible for your personal health. You alone are responsible and accountable for your decisions, actions and results in life, and by your use of this website, you agree not to attempt to hold me liable for any such decisions, actions or results, at any time, under any circumstance.
My Green Goodiebag contains paid banner advertisements that are generated and managed by a third party network. This site also includes relevant affiliate links (both in the content and in banners). I specifically note at the end of a post when affiliate links are present, but for disclosure purposes, assume that any link you click on is an affiliate link. As such, I earn from qualifying purchases (if you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission). This does not result in any additional cost to you, and the affiliate money I earn helps pay the fees to keep this site up and running. Many thanks for your support!
My Green Goodiebag reserves the right to remove, replace, or move any images or content without prior announcement. All photos that aren’t taken by My Green Goodiebag are credited and linked to their outside sources and are believed to be in public domain and readily available on the Internet (published according to the U.S. Copyright Fair Use Act, title 17, U.S. Code). Any photos not credited to an outside source have been taken by My Green Goodiebag and are rights protected. Failure to link back and credit my site as their source constitutes a copyright violation.
This disclaimer governs your use of mygreengoodiebag.com. By using this website, you accept this disclaimer in full. If you disagree with any part of this disclaimer, do not use mygreengoodiebag.com or any affiliated websites or companies. We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. You should therefore check back periodically for changes. By using this website after we post any changes, you agree to accept those changes, whether or not you have reviewed them.
I don’t mind you using an image from My Green Goodiebag as long as they’re credited and accompanied by a link back to mygreengoodiebag.com. Using My Green Goodiebag photos in bulk, even with a credit, is prohibited. Please contact My Green Goodiebag for express permission if you’d like to use more than a few photos.