4 Easy Fixes You Can Make Today: The Reductionist's Guide to Safer Household Products (Part 1)

Taking the plunge to become a Reductionist can be overwhelming.

I realize all this talk about toxic chemicals and intensive recycling can be a huge drag.

And it can make the shift toward conscientious consumerism really effing hard.

Meanwhile, some companies are enforcing hard-core, majorly drastic green policies, like outlawing meat at the office.

Restaurants are eliminating plastic straws outright, among other single use plastics.

And guess what? These radical measures are creating enormous backlash and resentment against the idea of going green. Lack of plastic straws has stirred anger in the disabled community. Atkins diet followers are having a cow!

Perhaps it's necessary for someone to push the dial ever farther, if only to pull back a little when there's an outcry, just to convince the masses to join those of us hanging in the middle. Or, perhaps this is just Industry actually listening to our pleas to lead the charge on establishing sustainable practices. If that's the case, then thank you, Industry.

But I worry all this radical eco-warrior stuff is turning off regular folks who maybe are just considering an introductory dabble into more earth-friendly practices. Please, regular folks, stick with us! I'm here for you!

In my 20-year journey to becoming a Reductionist, I've found it's best to bite off all this green business in small chunks. Like you do with a bar of 70 percent dark chocolate;)

Trying to do 100 new, green things all in one week will make you revert right back to where you started, which was probably when you were saying to yourself, "Why bother? We're screwed."

But we're not screwed. Yet.

​If each of us puts in a little effort, if each of us starts somewhere, together we can make a huge difference to clean up this planet. Are you with me?   

Great! Then allow me to introduce you to my new series. I call it 4 Easy Fixes.

Each installment contains a list of four household products--really common stuff we all have and use regularly. But it explains why each of these products is problematic, from a Reductionist health and environmental standpoint. And it gives you cleaner, safer, greener alternatives.

And for all of you eco-warriors out there, there's a hardcore option just for you! 

Check it out! Feel free to download it or share it with your friends. And please, for the love, if there's a product you're wondering about, give me a holler and let me know what it is. I'll look into it, maybe feature it on the next 4 Easy Fixes installment, and hopefully find you a cleaner, safer solution!