Homegoods = good for the planet

Those who know me are aware that around the time I moved to the suburbs, I became a tad obsessed with discount shopping. The meccas I make regular pilgrimages to are TJ Maxx, Marshalls and of course Homegoods, all located within a few miles of my house and always sure to satisfy the bargain hunter in me. I recently stopped into Homegoods to pick up some things for a client but remembered I had my own list I keep ongoingly of needed housewares tucked into my bag (if I don't stick to lists in places like these, I fear I would go home with half the clearance isle and all the designer bedding marked under $19.99!!), so I whipped it out and hit the jackpot. The list was 1) dish towels, 2) new bathroom soap dispenser and 3) pillow protectors. It was a joy in itself to walk out with a receipt totaling just under $30 but I also managed to make somewhat eco-friendly purchases in each category, right there under the florescent lights of one of the big box retailers I hate to love.





My new 3-pack of dish towels by Eco Home (similar to photo) are 70% recycled cotton and 30% recycled polyester so they are soft, yet absorbent and quick-drying. Mine say "Recycling Heals the Planet" in soft, monochromatic beige text, but I like the bright green eco messages too.

I had my last bamboo soap dispenser for years and it matches a set of other bamboo bath accessories, so it didn't take me too long to opt for form over function again. I supposed a ceramic model might last longer, but wouldn't have the same appeal to me or the same sustainability quotient. A similar dispenser is available (for twice as much!!!) at allmodern.com -- or feel free to ride along with me on my next Homegoods outting!

The pillow protectors were made of organic cotton from Calvin Klein; when I opened the package at home, I stuck my nose right in them and inhaled the sweet sent of....cotton! Conventional bedding, and especially products in the protective category, usually carry the stench of toxic additives that takes days to fade, but these had nothing of the sort.