Choosing & Using Green Cleaners at Home & Work

Household cleaners cause more than twice the problems posed by pesticides! In 2007, household cleaning products were among the top three most frequent causes of toxic exposure reported to one of the Poison Control Centers in the United States. More than 50% of these exposures were to children five years or younger. About 6% of professional janitors are injured each year by the chemicals they use at their jobs.
 
Many common products used at home and work contain neurotoxins, solvents, and nasal/ocular irritants that can be carcinogenic, lead to liver, lung, and nerve damage, cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders, and bring about or exacerbate breathing problems, low blood pressure, low levels of hemoglobin, acidic blood, and blood in the urine. People, plants, and animals can be poisoned at the source through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption … not to mention downstream.

According to green company Seventh Generation, the domestic market for natural household cleaning products has grown to $100 million annually. Although that represents only one percent of the total household cleaners market, it's been growing by 18-25 percent each year for the last five years! Join us for a presentation and interactive discussion about how to clean your office and home using environmentally-preferable products and practices. Please bring any products from home as well as any questions you may have.
 
Speaker Leila Khatapoush is a Bay Area Green Certified sustainability consultant and professional organizer. She currently works with local government agencies to help them reach their environmental goals. Recently, she has assisted the City of San Francisco with their toxics reduction goals by conducting trainings for City custodial staff in the proper use of environmentally-preferable cleaning products. Additionally, she works with the City of Berkeley as a commercial food waste and recycling specialist and with the Alameda County Green Business Certification Program assisting businesses with their greening efforts and verifying practices for Green Business Certification.
 
Date:                         Tuesday, August 11
Time:                         5:30-7:30 pm
Location:                   East Bay Cohousing Clubhouse
                                2105 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley
 
Co-sponsored by Alameda County Green Business Program, Daily Californian, Downtown Berkeley Association, East Bay Express, Planning for Sustainable Communities