I can’t tell you who wrote this because the person who sent it to me didn’t know, but I felt it was worth passing along.
Inspired by Michael Pollan’s Food Rules, here is a short list of guidelines for choosing products—any product.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
ELEVEN RULES FOR CHOOSING PRODUCTS
- If it is cheap, it probably has hidden costs.
- If it starts as a toxic input (like ethylene glycol in the manufacture of polyester), you probably don’t want it in your house or office.
- Use materials made from substances you can imagine in their raw or natural state.
- Use carbohydrate-based materials (i.e., natural fibers) when you can.
- Just because almost anything can kill you doesn’t mean fabrics should.
- Pay more, use less.
- Consult your nose – if it stinks, don’t use it.
- If they can’t tell you what’s in it, you probably don’t want to live with it. (Note: this is not just the fibers used to weave the fabric – did the processing use specific chemicals, like heavy metals in the dyestuff, or are there any finishes on the fabric?)
- Avoid materials that are pretending to be something they are not (like polyester mimicking linen).
- Question materials that make health claims.
- Regard space-age materials with skepticism.
