According to Co-op America, there are Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again because of their non-sustainability and impact on clean air and water. Co-op America runs the National Green Pages directory of retailers that follow environmental and social responsible practices.
Here are the first five items:
1. Styrofoam cups because they last forever.
2. Paper towels because they take up landfill space and waste trees.
3. Bleached coffee filters because of the harmful dioxins produced during bleaching.
4. Overpackaged foods and other products because they waste resources.
5. Teak and mahogany because harvesting them destroys tropical rainforests.
The Co-op America article got me thinking about other “worst” lists because sometimes the best way to help is by not doing something. In all the following cases, I’ve taken the top five contenders from each list.
In that spirit, don’t buy these Meanest Vehicles for the Environment in 2007. Taken from www.greenercars.org.
1. Volkswagon Touareg
2. Mercedez-Benz GL320 CDI
3. Lamborghini Murcielago
4. Jeep Grand Cherokee
5. Bentley Arnage RL
Also consider avoiding these highly contaminated fruits unless you can find them organically grown. This list has made the rounds everywhere, but it’s worth repeating.
1. Peaches
2. Strawberries
3. Raspberries
4. Apples
5. Grapes
You might want to reconsider moving to any of these cities featured in BusinessWeek’s Most Toxic Cities in the U.S:
1. Baltimore, MD
2. Milwaukee, WI
3. Portland, OR
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. Minneapolis, MN
Got any lists of your own?
