The requested URL /index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=285 was not found on this server.The requested URL /index.php?main_page=news_manager&pages_id=1 was not found on this server.What you can do What you can do Eat for healthy oceans Reduce your carbon footprint Food and our planet Connecting youth with nature Be a citizen scientist Canada's 30x30 Nature Challenge What's the eco-friendliest shower curtain? Avoid PVC shower curtains. (Credit: subsetsum via Flickr) I'll tell you what's not: PVC or plastic number 3. If you have a shower curtain made from polyvinyl chloride(PVC), you should recycle it. Polyvinyl chloride is known to off-gas hormone disrupting phthalates. Phthalates are used to soften plastics. You'll know PVC from other popular plastic products like food wrap, teething rings, pet toys and blister packaging. Remember that smell when you first opened the package? It's not unlike that "new car smell". What you smell is the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and metals.

In fact, a study by the Centre for Health, Environment and Justice found that these chemicals are released into the air inside our homes, contributing to indoor air pollution. PVC shower curtains can release as many as 108 volatile organic chemicals. Some of these chemicals are associated with developmental damage as well as damage to the liver and central nervous, respiratory, and reproductive systems. Weight Loss 30 Bananas A Day Sign up for Queen of Green tips by emailSecond Hand Furniture Jersey City Also, these chemicals are persistent. Movie Theater Curtains OpeningThey were found in the air 28 days after a PVC shower curtain was unwrapped and hung! To prevent these chemicals from being released from PVC and ending up in our bodies and the environment it's best to choose an alternative.

Today, you can find shower curtains labelled PVC-free at most home-design or department stores. These are made from a plastic called PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) — made without the chlorine molecules. But it's still plastic. A newer option on the market is a hemp shower curtain. But before you fork out the 90-plus dollars for this natural, biodegradable option, make sure your bathroom is well ventilated. While hemp shower curtains are naturally mildew — and mould — resistant, they need to be left open and aired out to dry and launder them regularly.Alternatives to Vinyl Shower Curtain Liners (and a Water-Repelling Tip) Bed & Bath Accessories (Image credit: Emily Elling Wood on Etsy) When you hang a new shower curtain and its plastic-y odor almost knocks you over, that can give you pause. It's a not-so-subtle reminder of PVC and other toxic ingredients that are in the liner, offgassing into your home. The good news is, there are alternatives out there that repel water just fine, and last much longer than vinyl:

1. Polyester Fabric While polyester is not perfect (it is a plastic itself), polyester fabric liners are are great alternative to vinyl: they contain no PVCs, perform well, are easily washable, and are inexpensive. My favorite is easy to find at Bed Bath & Beyond. 2. Hemp Hemp is naturally resistant to mildew and bacteria, making it a great candidate for a material for shower curtain liners. Machine washable and unbleached, these liners will biodegrade if disposed of (which can't be said of any plastic liner). The hemp liners I have seen are heavy in weight, which helps them to block water from escaping from the shower and onto your bathroom floor. The shower curtain pictured above is made of hemp and comes from Emily Yellingwood on Etsy. Here is another one available through Overstock. 3. Linen Linen is another option similar to hemp: it's a natural material that is durable and earth-friendly when its usable life is up. There's a much-loved version from Gaiam that's not the most expensive liner we've ever seen at $58.

4. Cotton Believe it or not, there are also cotton shower curtain liners that do help keep shower water in the shower. (They're heavyweight, made of cotton duck.) Easily washable, cotton is another great option for avoiding plastics. This one at Amazon is fairly priced. 5. Beeswax Of course, you can't hang a shower curtain made only of beeswax. But this is an ingenious tip we heard recently for making fabric shower liners more water-repellent: coat the fabric with beeswax by rubbing the wax over the surface of the fabric, and occasionally recoat as needed. This would allow for using lighter-weight natural fabrics for liners (even repurposed bed sheets!).This page checks to make sure a real person is using the site (not a robot). Thanks for helping keep us safe from spam!Rippled Stripe Shower Curtain Woven scallops and stripes traverse organic cotton, bringing unexpected verve to the bath. Our shower curtain is unlined, and can be used with an additional liner or without—just squeeze the water out of the lower edge after use and let it dry.

Hangs from rustproof metal grommets across the top. Cotton is 100% organic, and sourced and woven in India. For standard shipping, most in-stock items ship within 3 business days of ordering.  All packages ship from Hayward, CA*, so please account for transit time to your address. Expedited orders of in-stock items ship within 24 hours. Shipping within United States:  We offer FedEx Ground Home Delivery, FedEx 2-day, and FedEx Standard Overnight. Our shipping rates are based on weight and distance. For overnight shipping: Please select FedEx Standard Overnight and order by 10am PST to ensure next day delivery. Orders shipping to AK and HI destinations can ship USPS or FedEx. : Orders shipping to P.O. Box and APO destinations will ship via USPS. * Please note that mattresses, bed frames and headboards ship separately.Going green is good for you. Eco-friendly products are often better quality, and they leave the Earth in better shape for future generations.

If you’re worried about harmful chemicals and carcinogens (ingredients that cause cancer), sustainable items are a great choice. One of the worst offenders is plastic, both environmentally and health-wise. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is in everything from plastic shower curtains to tupperware to children’s toys. You should avoid PVC shower curtains because “hot steamy conditions promote the release of phthalates,” according to Mother Nature Network. And why are phthalates bad? The Breast Cancer Fund explains the problem with these plastic-softeners: A 2012 study found that women working in the automotive and food-canning industries have nearly a fivefold increase in risk for premenopausal breast cancer, likely because of their exposure to phthalates, BPA and flame-retardants. Phthalates have also been linked to birth defects, asthma, neurodevelopmental problems in newborns, fertility issues and obesity [emphasis mine]. Dr. Oz (yes, Oprah’s pal) even says phthalates “may lower testosterone and metabolism levels, causing you to gain weight and lose muscle mass.”

Who knew your shower curtain could make you pack on the pounds? Bottom line: Your stinky plastic shower curtain smells because it contains more than 100 potentially hazardous chemicals. Hot showers in a confined, stuffy space like the bathroom only make it worse. So how can you choose an eco-friendly, non-toxic shower curtain? PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) is a vinyl made without chloride, so it doesn’t offgass. But like PVC, it’s waterproof and affordable. “I throw mine in the wash a few times a year with towels (for scrubbing) and a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Spotless and effortless,” notes one reader on Apartment Therapy. PEVA and EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) aren’t perfect. Their manufacture uses petrochemicals. But they’re better for you than PVC shower curtains, because they have fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs). If the rest of the non-toxic shower curtains below don’t seem realistic, try PEVA or EVA. Go with a hemp, linen, or organic cotton shower curtain.

You can wring hemp out and put it in the washing machine. Plus, it’s breathable and resists mold. Hemp shower curtains aren’t cheap, though. They often cost $80 to $100. Cotton, linen, and hemp also all absorb water to some degree, unless you use a liner. Cotton and linen will attract mold more than hemp and other materials. But unlike PVC, these options are biodegradable or recyclable to some extent. (Burning PVC gives off dioxins, which can also cause cancer.) Like cotton, linen, and hemp, polyester is porous (unlike plastic). But at least it’s lightweight and can be popped in the washing machine. As one Apartment Therapy commenter raves, “I recently converted to a 100% polyester liner and I love it. It can be thrown in the wash with non-chlorine bleach and comes out fresh as a daisy.” You can even find mildew-free, water-resistant polyester shower curtains. Water-resistant, washable nylon can be a great choice for a non-toxic shower curtain. Supposedly it dries quickly, too.

Ripstop nylon shower curtains in particular are strong, thin, and long-lasting. Not only is our Serenity shower curtain 100% recyclable, but it won’t rust or mold. And depending on the type of shower (walk in, curbless etc.), the coiled wire fabric keeps almost all the water inside the shower. This odorless, non-toxic shower curtain is stylish and sexy as well — two things you can’t say about a vinyl shower curtain! We hope these non-toxic shower curtains gave you some ideas. Your other option, of course, is a glass shower door (although not even that is immune to mold). Or you can get really creative and buy a recycled boat sail as your non-toxic shower curtain. Whatever shower curtain you use, ventilate your bathroom by cracking a window or running the fan. That will help improve your indoor air quality. And when you’re done with your shower curtain, give it another life as a drop cloth. Now you’re one step closer to a healthy, environmentally friendly life.