Do you really want this stuff entering your waterstream and potentially your body?

First, let’s explore the basics. When coal, a highly combustible sedentary rock that generates the majority of our global energy (as well as a hefty amount of our carbon dioxide emissions), is processed, a dizzying array of heavy metal-laden waste products are left behind. In particular, highly flammable and carcinogenic coal tar — which contains roughly 10,000 chemicals, including heterocyclic compounds, phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (the latter of which actually smells pretty good) — has been used in everything from Egyptian mummy preservation and the surface coating of roads to color-resistant fabric upholstery dyes and water-resistant roof shingle sealants.

Back in 1856, a man by the name of William Perkins tried in vain to create a synthetic form of quinine and realized during his laboratory experiments that coal tar came in handy as a dye ingredient. His findings have resulted in the substance migrating into many of our modern day personal care items, which is probably not such a good thing now that the European Chemicals Agency has deemed it to be a toxic and/or carcinogenic “substance of very high concern.” Oddly enough, the FDA and the National Psoriasis Foundation still seem to think that it’s safe enough to use in skin and scalp treatments such as DHS Tar, Oxipor, Neutrogena T/Gel and Polytar as well as in hair dyes, soaps, deodorants, cosmetics and even foods, but there are some serious health concerns that consumers should keep in mind.

Hair color devotees who never let a month pass without touching up their locks might want to pay close attention. According to a 2001 USC School of Medicine study, “women using permanent hair dye (containing coal tar) at least once a month for a period more than one year more than double their risk of bladder cancer,” and that risk increases more than four times when they’ve dyed their hair consistently for 10-plus years. Laboratory animals also succumb to coal tar’s carcinogenic effects, but the substance has also been proven to irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes; cause blindness; depress the central nervous system and result in respiratory and cardiovascular system issues.

And, of course, there is the disposal of coal tar and products that contain the toxin. Coal tar products have been known to leech into soil and work their way into municipal waterways, creating a host of gastrointestinal and thyroid issues, and raising risk for lupus, immune system deficiencies and rheumatoid arthritis. Consider coal tar a hazardous waste item. Please bring it to your nearest drop-off location instead of dumping coal tar-containing items in the trash or down the drain.

The best course of action for consumers interested in ensuring their health and safety is to avoid coal tar altogether by paying close attention to product labels and purchasing natural/organic versions whenever possible. If going au naturel with your hair color is not a bridge that you’re willing to cross, then consider exploring nontoxic, plant-based permanent coloring products such as Aubrey Organics’ Color Me Natural instead. If you have a psoriasis issue that needs addressing, there are multiple home remedies that are worth trying, including the application of cashew nut oil, marigold lotion or a cabbage leaf compress to the affected area. Although many conventional cosmetics utilize coal tar-derived colorants, it is easier than ever to purchase 100% natural versions manufactured by such companies as SANTE Cosmetics, Ecco Bella, Human Nature, Nvey Eco and Lavera.

More than anything, it is imperative that we all commit to becoming well-informed consumers who take responsibility for our own health and wellness. The days of blind faith are long behind us, so keep a scrutinizing eye on all product labels and support companies that are dedicated to sourcing ethical, sustainably harvested ingredients that are botanically based. Your whole body and the earth around you will thank you for it!

I know it’s a cliché that women like flowery-scented products, but I’m here to buck that trend. I hate perfume — on myself and other people — and most other artificial, strong-scented products make me nauseous, so I buy fragrance-free everything, from deodorant to bath soap to moisturizer.

Some people think I’m kind of weird for not liking the smell of say, red raspberry body wash, but as it turns out, I’m probably onto something. “Fragrance,” that vague term you see on the ingredients list of darn near everything these days, is on The Green Guide’s Dirty Dozen list of hazardous chemicals in cosmetics.

According to The Green Guide, “The catchall term ‘fragrance’ may mask phthalates, which act as endocrine disruptors and may cause obesity and reproductive and developmental harm.” Reproductive and developmental harm? That doesn’t sound good!

Cosmetic manufacturers use phthalates because they cling to the skin, helping products such as nail polishes, hair sprays, lotions and perfumes last longer. Unfortunately, they also can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin — at much higher doses than anyone initially guessed, no less — leading to a slew of health problems.

Supposedly, phthalates are being phased out, or have already been outlawed, in North America and Europe due to safety concerns, but you can still find them in some U.S. products with “fragrance” on the label. Phthalates also show up in medical devices, children’s toys and other items. Look for “phthalate-free” labels before you buy.

The Green Guide suggests buying fragrance-free cosmetic products (which I’ve been doing all along!) and using essential oils as an alternative to perfume. Real lavender oil smells way better than lavender “fragrance” anyway.

Now they have a reference book for the would-be consumer who is afraid of the pitfalls of false green marketing. Just Green It!: Simple Swaps to Save Your Health and the Planet is a resource for anyone looking for a guide through the green world.

Lisa and Ron Beres

Ron talked with 1-800-RECYCLING.com to share their insight and story of their entrance into eco-friendly living almost a decade ago. See their answers to their journey, their latest works and their hopes for the green future below. Until you read their book, they encourage you to visit GreenNest.com for a video and articles on how to go green for less than $250. As a bonus gift to readers, go to FreeGreenGift.com, where you can download “Ten Essential Secrets to Creating a Healthy Office.”

1-800-RECYCLING: Lisa and Ron — a husband-and-wife team — how did you first get started down the path toward becoming eco-experts?
Ron: In 2002, my wife, Lisa, a former interior designer, started feeling run down and tired all of the time, suffering from chronic fatigue, sinus infections, hormone imbalances and lowered immunity after moving into a newly remodeled home. She was well aware of the abundance of toxic materials that exist in homes today from her experience as an interior designer, but was unaware these materials can off-gas as dangerous chemicals into the air we breathe (i.e., that “new home smell”). After much research and a dozen doctor visits, she discovered that her own house and products within the home were making her sick. After making the necessary adjustments in the home, her health gradually improved to a 180º turnaround, and we decided to help other people in their endless efforts to attain optimal health. We became BBEC/Building Biologist (Building Biology — a study derived from Germany that encompasses how buildings impact life and the living environment) and Certified Green Building Professionals.

1-800-RECYCLING: Your site, GreenNest.com, is a resource to the environmentally conscious everywhere, how did it start?
Ron: After Lisa’s experience of getting sick from her own home, we wanted to create a resource and place for people to go that had similar issues. We wanted to find a place where they can find things like do-it-yourself air quality test kits for mold, to organic cotton linens, shower filters and more. So, in 2005, we officially opened GreenNest.com.

1-800-RECYCLING: What is it about green products on the market that are so misleading?
Ron: “Green” can be very misleading as a term and lends itself to greenwashing tactics by companies. In our new book, Just Green It!, we have a whole chapter dedicated to the subject. Greenwashing occurs when companies and organizations spend time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing, but do not actually back up their claim with equivalent environmental efforts. Their products may sound or appear to be healing the environment, but they are ultimately taking advantage of consumers.

1-800-RECYCLING: What is the first thing that we can do not to be fooled by fake green products?
Ron: The marketing term “green” or other terms like “environmentally friendly,” “eco-friendly” and “eco-conscious” are meaningless unless they share the label with some proof. They can also be misleading. Look for reputable third-party certifications such as Green Seal or USDA organic. There should also be a full and complete ingredients list. Evaluate the packaging. Is it made from recycled material and recyclable? For a product to make these claims, it should walk the walk.

1-800-RECYCLING: While writing Just Green It!, what did you find out about the green products market that surprised you?
Ron: When we first researched products for Just Green It!, we expected to find and did [find] many toxic offenders in the marketplace. However, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised as to the plethora of great eco-friendly, green and healthy products that are available to consumers, if they just know what to look for. It is a great time to be green! We have a section in the book called “The Extreme Green,” and one of my favorites is the “Poo Poo paper products” we have listed. I know you have heard of recycling and regifting; but now there’s poo-cycling and poo-gifting. The company featured uses 100% recycled and odorless paper products made from our fiber-eating animal friends’ poo, including elephants, cows, pandas and horses, to create a wide variety of products: paper, journals, notebooks, greeting cards, wine bags and even a bouquet of roses! You can frame your loved one in the poo picture frame (or an ex should you find this more suitable). The poo, or dung, is thoroughly cleaned and additional plant fibers are added back in to add strength. So funny.

1-800-RECYCLING: What word of advice would you have to companies that are clearly taking the shortcut to green instead of changing their products?
Ron: Don’t do it! You are not only short changing the world, but you are also short changing yourself. In addition, the average consumer is getting more educated on the subject of green as well. So, instead of trying to save your bottom line, build a green brand that the consumers will learn to love and trust, and you will be rewarded a thousand times more. Besides, it’s the right thing do!

1-800-RECYCLING: You’ve become media personalities, how did that first come about and how has it helped you to spread the word to more people?
Ron: While attending a workshop on indoor air quality in Santa Fe, NM, in 2004, we were overcome with the feeling that we should pass on the information we have learned in all of our studies and personal experiences to mainstream America. At the time, most of our family, friends and neighbors had no idea what “eco-friendly” products were, and we felt compelled to take action. The green movement wasn’t all over the national media like it is now, and the idea that homes could make you sick was even a smaller dot on the radar. So, while in conjunction with starting our online healthy product store, GreenNest.com, we started doing a few local speaking engagements, eventually a local cable show segment, radio interviews and soon after we were on FOX & Friends and The Today Show with Matt Lauer! The increased exposure has helped our platform tremendously and we feel very blessed to be in the position to share such valuable information to many more people than we could have ever imagined.

1-800-RECYCLING: If there was only one value that readers could get from Just Green It!, what would you want them to walk away with?
Ron: Going green will not cost you green. With new green products hitting the market every day, it’s easy to think it would cost you a fortune to truly go green. The truth is, going green isn’t about buying all new furniture, cork flooring and organic towels — although those are nice. It’s really about the simple decisions you make every day and changing habits to conserve energy, reduce consumption and make healthier purchasing decisions.

If you think your vision suddenly blurred after looking at the artwork above, don’t worry, nothing is wrong with your eyes. The blurry appearance and fuzzy edges of the bear above are due to the fact that it is made of recycled coat hangers. Yes, that’s right, coat hangers. Scottish artist David Mach, whose amazing 3D matchstick portraits were recently seen here, also has a series of incredible coat hanger sculptures.

This sculpture will literally hook you — “Hooker” (2004):

Image via Jerome de Denoirmont

For each sculpture, Mach first creates a mold as an outline. He then coats it in hard plastic and attaches recycled coat hangers to it — many of them. Mach explains how the technique works on his website: “The work is made up from hundreds of standard metal coat hangers, welded to each other around a plastic positive later removed, and then silver nickel plated.”

Image via Jerome de Denoirmont

The public’s favorite: “Silver Back” (2007):

Image via inventorspot

Though he has also done collages and has gone through traditional arts training, Mach’s heart is set on sculpture. He admits, “Being a sculptor leads everything I do. Every project I take on starts from that point. I believe that an artist must be an ideasmonger responding to all kinds of physical location, social and political environments, to materials, to processes, to timescales and budgets.”

“Spaceman” (2000) rises up every hour:

Image via inventorspot

His fascination with space, for example, led to the coat hanger sculpture of an astronaut (above) as a tribute to Neil Armstrong’s first moon landing. He says about the project: “What does it cost to send a man into space, to make him walk on the moon? I am fascinated by the effort of that, the science, the brainpower, the sheer physical power of the rockets. Billions of dollars spent over decades, invested in the best minds, and here I am, using the cheapest, throwaway nothing object, a coat hanger, to portray that.”

Mach also does larger-than-life portraits with coat hangers. Below is the artist’s brother.

Image via inventorspot

The use of mass-produced, everyday items like coat hangers, matchsticks, bottles, car tires and shoes is a recurring theme in Mach’s work. Some say this obsession goes back to Mach’s student days when he worked in a bottling plant in Leven, U.K., during summers to supplement his income. He explains the influence of that experience: “Mass production processes had their effect on me. You’d be seeing thousands of bottles pass before your eyes every day. I loved the extravagance of that mass production thing.”

Sunimi (2008)

Image: Jerome de Denoirmont

David Mach was born in Methil, Fife, in Scotland in 1956. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, U.K., from 1974 to 1979, a time he remembers fondly: “The Dundee teachers were fantastic. I think it was probably the best art school in the world when I was there!“

From 1979 to 1980, Mach studied at the Royal College of Art in London, and already started exhibiting in London, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and France in the early ’80s. Many more national and international solo and group exhibitions have since followed, as Mach is known for his hectic work patterns and exhibition schedules. In 1989, for example, he had 12 exhibitions or installations in 10 different cities.

Piranesi Urn (1997):

Image via Jerome de Denoirmont

More information, close-ups and 360º rotating images can be found on David Mach’s website.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

The hydroquinone hype and definition

Hydroquinone, for human cosmetic uses, is a skin-bleaching topical medication that decreases the formation of melanin in the skin. Melanin is the pigment that causes brown coloring in skin. Most often, it is not used all over (as rumored with Jackson) but instead to lighten areas of darkened skin such as freckles, age spots, chloasma and melasma, according to Drugs.com. Prescription drugs containing hydroquinone include Lustra, Tri-Luma, and EpiQuin Micro. All bottle labels tell the consumer to limit exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays, including sunlamps or tanning beds. Hydroquinone makes skin more sensitive to the sun and more sunburn prone. Use of a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 is recommended.

The FDA on hydroquinone

On August 29, 2006, the FDA proposed a ban on over-the-counter sales of cosmetic products containing hydroquinone, according to Medicine.net. According to the FDA, approximately 65 companies sell over 200 different types of skin-lightening products containing hydroquinone in the U.S.

While products still containing up to 2% hydroquinone may be sold in the U.S. without a prescription, 4% hydroquinone must have a prescription. Those numbers could soon decrease quite a bit. What’s the evidence? There is enough of a pattern on tested rodents to have the FDA state that it did see “some evidence” that hydroquinone may act as a carcinogen or cancer-causing chemical, although its cancer-causing properties have not been proven to affect humans the same way.

Further, the FDA stated that studies have revealed that hydroquinone can cause exogenous ochronosis, a disfiguring disease where the skin displays blue-black pigments all over.

Contamination

Not surprisingly, hydroquinone has been found to be an eco-contaminate. Products containing the chemical regularly are pitched in the trash and end up in our landfills, seeping the toxin into soil, potentially becoming a health hazard. While hydroquinone undoubtedly comes in regular contact with skin on a daily basis, its moderate toxicity level is alarming nonetheless. It is best to choose products that include alternatives to the toxin.

The new hydroquinone

The alternative to hydroquinone for cosmetic uses is simple, according to the FDA, as well as the environmentally and health conscious: simply stay away from it and bare your natural skin tone. But beauty professionals are getting more creative with organic alternatives, of which there are many, according to NewBeauty.com.

The first choice for hydroquinone replacement is Arbutin, an extract of the bearberry plant. According to NewBeauty.com, it has been shown to be effective at inhibiting melanin synthesis. In other words, it offers the same lightening effect without unwanted side effects. The next choice is, azelaic acid, made from yeast that grows naturally on skin. Not far behind in recommendations is kojic acid, made from fungus, which has already been used for years as a skin lightener. Then there is the commonly mixed in but rarely used alone lactic acid. It is derived from sour milk and is known as a gentle, natural way to lighten skin. More commonly, it is an exfoliator, but when looking for alternatives, sometimes the least popular is the best bet.

Designed to make the recycling process easy and more accessible, 1-800-RECYCLING.com will now also be recommending 1-800-GOT-JUNK? as a service for times when no one else is able to “take it away.” The concept will provide a new accessibility to recycling for the elderly or infirm, for single parents or those who simply have no time but still want their space back and still want to “do the right thing.”

ERI's John Shegerian and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? founder Brian Scudamore

1-800-RECYCLING provides information about recycling services and facilities to anyone, anywhere by ZIP code. But in cases where there’s no service or facility suitable in the area, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? will now be their recommended service.

Of the partnership, Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, said, “1-800-RECYCLING is doing an important thing, providing information on responsible and accessible recycling to people all across the United States. We are very happy to partner with them and offer their users another alternative while helping to keep recyclable waste out of the garbage.”

“It’s a perfect partnership,” said John Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International, the nation’s leading recycler of electronics and e-waste, and parent company of 1-800-RECYCLING.com. “While we each provide different services, they are very complementary, and we are both dedicated to making life easier for the average person who simply wants to recycle everything in an environmentally responsible manner. We are honored to be teaming the two brands together!”

Both organizations hope that the partnership will provide users across the country with more accessible options to divert their waste from landfills. As of now, users of 1-800-RECYCLING.com will be able to book junk removal jobs quickly and easily by phone at, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? or online at 1800gotjunk.com, and avoid the dead end of the garbage truck.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

At first glance, this sculpture might pass for a dog, but look again and you’ll notice that despite having a curiously affecting expression, its eyes aren’t moving and its fur is made out of recycled newspaper.

The Gloamer. Photograph: Nick Georgiou

This is “The Gloamer,” one of urban sculptor Nick Georgiou’s newspaper sculptures, which he poses on the street before photographing people’s reactions to them.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Speaking to Helen Soteriou, he explained: “I get a lot of double takes, some people stopping me even before I position the piece. Most people have mixed expressions, curiosity morphing into familiarity. At first, they aren’t sure what to make of it. Moving in for a closer look, most smile and say something like, ‘Is this made from newspaper?’ or ‘This is a book!’”

Sculpture alongside a Banksy. Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Georgiou likes the spontaneity of the street, abandoning the sacrosanct boundaries of the gallery — you can’t predict how the environment will change, and you can’t predict how the public will interact with the sculpture, adding a whole new active personality to the artwork.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Georgiou works in all forms of paper, whether from books or newspapers, with the salmon pink sheets of the Financial Times a particular favorite. Georgiou, 30, really is a man who is excited about paper.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

For the most part, the artist, who was born in Queens, NY, but lives in Tucson, AZ — is able to find abandoned newspapers on the street, picking up boxes of papers that have been left out for the garbage collectors. While newspapers might take up a lot of space, the news they carry doesn’t stay fresh for too long.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

All this unwanted paper is symptomatic of a larger issue — the decline of the press — which is one of Georgiou’s key themes. Alongside the corresponding renaissance in digital publishing, this thread has combined with the uncertain state of politics, the economy and the environment to inspire the sculptor’s work. Breathing new life into print, by transforming its narrative from one medium to another, was one of Georgiou’s basic reasons for working in paper.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

The artist explained to Soteriou, “Books and newspapers are becoming artifacts of the 21st century. My work is not only about the decline of the printed word in today’s society but its rebirth as art.” His vision is to turn something old into something new.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

In the images above, one of Georgiou’s pieces stands alongside a Tucson Citizen newspaper stand, which commemorates the final issue of Tucson’s oldest paper. In fact, the sculpture itself is one of several that were made out of copies of the final issue, constructed within hours of the paper hitting the newsstands, so that the two could be photographed together.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Building each of the sculptures is a painstaking process. It starts with the paper being torn into strips, or rolled into tubes, before then being hand stitched into its new form.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

While the basic shape can be worked up relatively quickly, the artist says the most important thing about them is that their expressions and postures appear animated, which can take anywhere from several hours to months of work to achieve.

Photograph: Nick Georgiou

‘They wanted a picture.” Photograph: Nick Georgiou

Georgiou now has his hands full with a string of projects: He has a new gallery space in downtown Tucson, allowing him to interact with the public while he is actually creating his pieces; he is filming a documentary about the decline of the printed word; and he is creating a series of sculptures for a solo exhibition to be put on in Cyprus and Greece.

You can see more of Nick Georgiou’s work at his blog: myhumancomputer.blogspot.com

Sources: 1, 2, 3

For many, it’s no mystery that perfumes, colognes and fragrances are harmful. People can suffer from migraines and asthma or feel nauseated when someone walks in the room wearing perfume. This is due to the fact that nearly 95% of all fragrances are made from synthetic chemicals that can have damaging effects. If you experience any adverse reactions from a particular fragrance, discontinue use of it and refrain from being around people who wear that fragrance.

The Environmental Working Group found some surprising results after conducting a study specifically on fragrances, colognes and perfumes. Here’s what they found:

• 16% of the products they reviewed contained ingredients that may cause cancer.
• 5% may contain harmful impurities linked to cancer or other health problems.
• 18% contained penetration enhancers that increase exposures to carcinogens and other ingredients of concern.
• 98% of products contained ingredients not assessed for safety in cosmetics or with insufficient data.
• 76% contained ingredients that are allergens.
• 13% of products posed other potential health concerns.

People suffering from an allergic reaction to the chemicals found in a fragrance will experience a stuffy nose, excessive sneezing, headaches, nausea, difficulty breathing, tingling in the lips or arms and skin reactions. Here’s a list of the most common ingredients and the effects they can have, according to sixwise.com:

Butylated hydroxytoluene: cancer, allergies and other health concerns

Propylene glycol: penetration enhancer, allergies and other health concerns

Methylparaben: allergies and other health concerns

Tetrasodium EDTA: penetration enhancer, allergies and other health concerns

Propylparaben: allergies and other health concerns

PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate: harmful impurities, penetration enhancer, allergies and other health concerns

Diazolidinyl urea: harmful impurities, allergies and other health concerns

Tocopheryl acetate: harmful impurities, allergies and other health concerns

Octyl methoxycinnamate: penetration enhancer, allergies and other health concerns

Octyl salicylate: penetration enhancer, allergies and other health concerns

If you want to wear fragrance that’s all natural and by far cheaper than most designer fragrances, think about essential oils. Some of the most popular essential oils used as a cologne or perfume are patchouli, lavender and rosemary. Most come in a small bottle that will last almost a year when you use a drop or two on a daily basis. Buy body products that are free of synthetic fragrances or any fragrance at all to avoid harmful or allergic effects.

“What a relief!” we all thought naïvely to ourselves. “Modern times call for far more vigilant cleansing efforts, and now we’re finally armed with the right weapons!” Manufacturers convinced us that there was no better way to beat bugs at their own rapidly colonizing game than by slathering our assorted body parts (as well as our household surfaces and certain worldly possessions, for that matter) with new, improved disinfecting compounds containing Triclosan (or its alter egos, Lexol 300, Ster-Zac, Cloxifenolum, Irgasan DP-300), ethylene oxide, PCMX (p-chloro-m-xylenol) and lots of other difficult-to-pronounce ingredients. We bought into the whole “bacterial annihilation plan” hook, line and sinker, electing to abandon archaic yet perfectly effective products for a new breed of specially formulated, super-torching, antibacterial supplies. Boy oh boy, were we squeaky clean!

Or so we thought.

While manufacturers may have been well intentioned, it turns out that they’ve done us no favors, since bacteria that are repeatedly exposed to antibacterial agents are actually capable of mutating into resistant versions. Furthermore, despite what we’ve been led to believe, not all bacteria are harmful — they can actually help us to build a natural resistance. Antibacterial agents don’t discriminate, however, resulting in the death of potentially beneficial types that in turn leaves us prone to pathogens that are intent on infecting us any way that they can.

Neem fruit's 25 active compounds can be used to fight off bacteria.

The increased potential for infection shouldn’t be taken lightly, nor should the fact that antibacterial compounds are readily absorbed through the skin, resulting in compromised hormone regulation (such as impaired testosterone activity and thyroid issues), eye/skin irritation, increased susceptibility to allergies, eczema and asthma. In particular, the antibacterial agent Triclosan — found in countless consumer products from toothpaste, deodorants and shampoo to soap, clothing under the Biofresh/Microban labels, cutting boards and children’s toys — ends up accumulating in the body (yes, it’s been popping up in breast milk and fish bile) and has even been detected in sewage treatment plants, streams, rivers and lakes.

The good news is that there is a really simple, affordable and eco-friendly fix. Why not drop your antibacterial habit cold turkey and stock your household with clean, green products instead? Whether you make them yourself using baking soda, lemon juice and one or more of the natural antibacterial ingredients listed below, or you purchase commercially prepared options manufactured by Ecover, Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation, you are making a wise choice for better health and wellness. When in doubt, don’t forget that plain old soap and a dash of white vinegar also does the trick quite nicely!

Natural Antibacterial Ingredients:

• Allspice: Its leaves possess the phytochemical eugenol, which acts as a strong antibacterial agent (effectively treating viral infections such as food poisoning).
• Black mustard: Both the leaves and seeds of this cabbage-related botanical contain free allyl isothiocyanate, which is a highly effective antifungal and antibacterial.
• Clove: The flower buds of this plant are used not only for their eugenol-packed fungi and bacteria-killing properties, but also famed for their ability to naturally repel insects.
• Eucalyptus: This favorite mainstay of koala bears contains a potent antiseptic called cineole that sends fungi and bacteria (as well as fleas and lice) packing.
• Garlic: You probably don’t want to put this member of the lily family in your body care or household cleaning items, however, it’s worth mentioning that the allicin contained within is considered to be one of the most hard-working antimicrobial agents found in nature.
• Lavender: With linalol and linalyl acetate to its credit, the two potent compounds in this sweet smelling plant work synergistically to combat microbes.
• Neem: Organic gardeners love this antifungal, antibacterial and anti-parasitic substance, probably due to the fact that its 25 active compounds make insects hit the trail, stat. Although it has a pungent odor, the Ayurvedic mainstay works wonders combating bacteria and various additional nasties.
• Oregano: Containing a high volume of thymol (one of many substances used during ancient Egyptian times to preserve mummies), this active ingredient has long been used in antiseptic mouthwashes/toothpastes to kill bacteria and is equally as effective when added to household cleaning supplies.
• Tea tree oil: Obtained from the Melaleuca Alternifolia plant, this substance is the strongest known naturally occurring antiseptic, possessing antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, fungicide and germicide properties.

One of the wonders of the modern world is that you can stick something in a shipping container, send it off with thousands of other boxes, and see it land anywhere on earth. But, how do you get rid of shipping containers when you don’t want them anymore? They’re massive, sturdy and seemingly indestructible.

One thing you can do is recycle them — and unlike toy building blocks, they actually make rather good houses!

1. Container City, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London

Container City. Photograph: naughty architect

Container City started life as a three-story complex when it was built in 2001 — taking four days to install and five months to finish. However, the flexible residential and office space proved to be so popular that a fourth story was added, extending the project to a total of 20 containers, used over 15 properties.

Container City. Photograph: fairlybuoyant

Over 80% of all the building materials used for the project were recycled, while this construction technique can halve the cost of projects in which it is used.

Riverside Building. Photograph: Fin Fahey

Urban Space Management, the team behind Container City, wasn’t satisfied with leaving the project at that. Container City II was built in 2002 (using 30 containers to build 22 units), while the Riverside Building, shown above, was added in 2005. Sitting on the Thames opposite the O2 (formerly known as the Millenium Dome) the building uses 73 containers to create 22 units over five floors.

2. Zigloo Domestique, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Zigloo Domestique. Photograph: Keith Dewey

When Keith Dewey decided that he wanted to make affordable, designer living spaces to slot into the urban world, his mind hit on using containers as “architectural building blocks” to achieve an innovative “residustrial” style. In late 2006, he completed the Zigloo Domestique concept home, in which he lives with his wife and daughter, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

Zigloo Domestique. Photograph: Keith Dewey

It took eight months to complete the project, welding eight 20-foot containers into place. Now his company, Zigloo, specializes in recycling containers, using them to find “sustainable solutions to building technologies.”

3. Holyoke Cabin, Minnesota

Holyoke Cabin. Photograph: RO/LU

Paul Stankey and his wife Sara, brother Paul and sister-in-law Krista built this amazing cabin retreat in the Minnesota woods, near Holyoke, using only birch wood, two $800 container units and their bare hands. Due to the cabin’s remote location, it was constructed without access to electricity or running water, so, to make cement, water had to be pumped from a nearby creek and then trucked over. It looks like the trouble was worth it, though!

Holyoke Cabin. Photograph: RO/LU

The cabin was such a success that Stankey started a new subsidiary of his Hive Mind firm, specializing in prefab shipping container living units that can be delivered to wherever they might be wanted.

4. Freitag Shop, Zurich

Freitag Shop. Photograph: Micha L. Rieser

Zurich’s Freitag shop is one colossal shipping container building, including 17 containers and standing 85 feet (or nine containers) high. Sitting between railway tracks and an overpass, the tower overlooks the road that originally inspired the Freitag brothers to make messenger bags out of recycled truck tarpaulins in the early ’90s — which eventually made them famous.

Outside the Freitag Shop. Photograph: daisybush

Built in May 2006, the shop features four levels of display space as well as a viewing platform at the top of the building.

5. Cove Park, Rosneath, U.K.

The Cubes, Cove Park. Photograph: Cove Park

Talk about an amazing location for a shipping container home! The Rosneath-based arts center, Cove Park, overlooks the stunning Loch Long in Scotland, and, since 2002, has had a set of container buildings, known as The Cubes. The first three Cubes housed accommodation units, while another two sets of three were built in 2006, as additional residential and studio units.

The Cubes, Cove Park. Photograph: Cove Park

The buildings were designed by Urban Space Management, a firm that didn’t just build the Cove Park Cubes, but developed a whole city of containers in London as seen above!

6. The View Tube, London

The View Tube. Photograph: sludgegulper

The View Tube is a community venue close to London’s Olympic Park in the East End, which houses a café as well as arts and education spaces, and offers a panoramic view over the Stratford City and the Olympic venue.

The View Tube. Photograph: Tiredoflondon

While it is currently in the middle of a large building site, it is apparently the first venue to be completely finished for the 2012 Olympics.

7. Prefabricated shipping container

Prefabricated shipping container. Photograph: One Cool Habitat

Built by One Cool Habitat, this prefab container design is, well, one cool habitat. The units are built with an open layout, so you can do whatever you want with them and they are light enough that they can be shipped anywhere in the world. As the company puts it, it’s “your space, your way.”

8. Platoon Complex, Berlin

Platoon Complex. Photograph: p373

Platoon’s shipping container Berlin base of operations consists of a three-story tower containing a studio/office overlooking a swimming pool and performance space, which has played host to such events as a Foosball tournament.

9. Container House, Havana

Container House. Photograph: Paul Keller

Building materials are hard to come by in Cuba’s capital, which is perhaps why this two-story building has been constructed from old containers. With a staircase running to the second story, these are probably two separate properties and have been fitted out with wire mesh windows and cooling fans. This particular house is just one of many, in a long row, found near a building site in Havana’s city center.

10. Redondo Beach House, Redondo Beach, CA

Redondo Beach House. Photograph: Martin Schall

Designed by Peter DeMaria, the Redondo Beach House was built in 2006 using eight recycled containers. As well as winning several awards, it is reported to be the first two-story container house in the U.S. to abide by the Uniform Building Code. DeMaria describes the concept behind the design as being the idea of “architecture as a product.”

Here is a quote directly from Snopes.com regarding lead in lipstick:

Mercury and other harmful elements are lurking in your makeup, causing recycling difficulties.

“All dyes used in foodstuffs or cosmetics have to be vetted by the FDA for safety, and although some of the colorants the FDA grants approval to do contain lead, it is present in such miniscule amounts that it has no adverse effects on consumers.”

So, the FDA admits that some colorants, which are used in makeup including lipsticks, may have traces of lead, but the traces are so small there is no reason to worry. What about repeated daily exposure to lead? Do you only put your lipstick on one time a day? Probably not. Have you ever accidentally got some on your teeth and licked it off? Probably so. Essentially, you have just unintentionally ingested a product that may contain lead.

This is not a risk worth taking. According to an article that appeared in the April 2008 issue of Current Opinion in Pediatrics, “No level of lead exposure appears to be ‘safe… ’”

While researchers were looking specifically at lead exposure and neurological development in children, this does not mean that lead exposure is safe in adults. In fact, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wants the FDA to set more stringent lead requirements when it comes to makeup, specifically lipstick.

Out of the 33 brands that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested for lead, 61% tested positive. This prompted the campaign to lobby the FDA to conduct its own investigation, and what the FDA found was even more shocking. Every sample it tested contained lead, with some samples showing lead to be at 3.06 ppm (parts per million). This is far lower than the 20 ppm that is allowed in color additives, but well above the 0.1 ppm allowed in candy. While candy is indeed ingested more frequently than lipstick, 3.06 ppm is significantly greater than 0.1 ppm.

So, now that you know what may be in your lipstick, ask yourself if you know what’s in your mascara. Would you have guessed mercury? That’s right, some brands of mascara have tested positive for mercury. Your favorite mascara that plumps and lengthens might also be leaving trace amounts of mercury on your lashes and inevitably in your eye.

The FDA actually allows mercury-based preservative use in cosmetics, but only in eye-area cosmetics and only if the concentration is less than 65 ppm. You may be thinking “If the FDA approves it, then it must be safe,” but do your own research. You don’t have to be a scientist to know that mascara without mercury is better than mascara with it — the same goes for lead-laden lipsticks.

Go beyond the initial use of the product and think about its lifecycle. Mercury is not something that just breaks down in the soil at your local landfill. Think about compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). They contain a small amount of mercury and thus must be disposed of at specific facilities. Have you seen the same recommendation for your mascara? Lead is also another toxin that isn’t easily recycled, so the lipstick tube that ends up in the landfill may leach lead into the local water supply.

So, next time you head to the store to buy some makeup, you should probably know the answer to the question, “What’s in your lipstick?”

Marat/Sebastiao — Pictures of Garbage. Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

If you think that Vik Muniz’s work looks like it stinks, then you’d be mistaken; while the artist works in garbage, he trades in photographs. Indeed, for the portraits seen in these pictures, Muniz collected junk from Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest dump, found on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

The Gipsy Magna — Pictures of Garbage. Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

To make the pieces, Muniz collaborated with the local catadores, the people who make their living from picking over and recycling the rubbish that fills the gigantic dump. Muniz’s original plan had been to paint the workers with garbage, but upon working with them, the project became a collaboration. After posing so that Muniz could sketch them, the catadores went on to help the artist to actually build the designs, filling them out with garbage. In several of the images, you can see that the models are wearing jackets with the word “catadores” printed across the chest.

B/W photo of Magna. Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

One of the people he met was Tiao, the head of the Catadores Union, who loves to read and can’t stand to see books thrown out. He posed as Marat, originally by Jacques-Louis David (“The Death of Marat”), seen top. Above is a photograph of Magna, who fell on hard times after losing her job. However, she says she would rather work as a catadore than as a prostitute. The image below shows the artist comparing the original photo (seen above) with the design that it would inspire.

Vik Muniz looks down at Magna’s photo and portrait. Screengrab from Wasteland, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

Other pickers say that however little they can manage, they take pride in reducing the level of waste in the dump and reducing its environmental impact.

View down onto Irma’s portrait on the floor. Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

For Muniz, who describes himself as a “low-tech illusionist,” the paintings aren’t the finished product — instead, he photographs the decidedly temporary pieces, capturing them on film as “photographic delusions.” As an artist, he then trades in prints of the lost originals.

Close-up of Irma’s face in portrait. Screengrab from Wasteland, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

Frequently copying widely recognized images, there is a playfulness to Muniz’s work — the photographs, which are now all that remain, are copies of a transitory piece, which is itself a copy of a mass-produced image, taken from a centuries-old original.

Vik takes photo of Tiao as Marat (as seen top). Screengrab from Wasteland, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

As well as working in junk, Muniz has worked in chocolate syrup, in caviar and in diamonds. He has gone as far as to make Leonardo’s “The Last Supper” in chocolate sauce and the “Mona Lisa” in peanut butter and jelly. Indeed, garbage is only one of the many perishables that Muniz has worked in.

Fabio and Tiao point down at Marat portrait (as seen top). Screengrab from Wasteland, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

While Muniz has lived in New York for the last 27 years, his origins are rather closer to Rio — he was born in São Paulo in 1961, where his mother was a switchboard operator and his father was a bartender. He has previously donated the proceeds of charity auctions of his work to the Centro Espacial Rio de Janeiro, an arts organization for poor children and teenagers in the city.

Vik at Jardim Gramacho beside Magna (who posed for “The Gipsy Magna”). Photograph by Camila Girandelli, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

Muniz’s taste for temporary art began early in his career when he started photographing his pieces, before the photographs eventually replaced the three-dimensional originals.

Vik at Jardim Gramacho. Photograph by Fabio Ghivelder, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

Then came a breakthrough when, after a time spent traveling in Europe, Muniz returned to New York, almost penniless. What he did have was a camera and a piece of plasticine. But, only one piece. So, after making a sculpture, he photographed it and then destroyed it, before repeating the process 51 times. The result was his 1992 solo show, “Individuals,” in which he displayed the photographs he had taken next to pedestals, with each pedestal symbolizing the destroyed sculpture that it might have held.

Suelem looks down an alley. Screengrab from Wasteland, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

Isis and Valeria. Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

Writing in “Reflex: A Vik Muniz Primer,” Muniz said, “The images of the sculptures are idealized objects. Seen from the perfect vantage, they offer no clues as to scale, material or weight. Their flatness leaves room for myriad interpretations; their ambiguity renders them part of anyone’s experience. They have become mental objects.” Whether he’s working with junk or rebuilding a da Vinci, Muniz’s work is all about recycling!

Sepia Jardim Gramacho landscape with vultures. Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio.

To see Vik Muniz’s site, click here.
To find out more about Wasteland, click here