Let's talk about the Precautionary Principle. At research 13, we focus on helping people to understand their market with information about Demand, Demographics so they can make great Decisions. In terms of sustainability decisions, some decisions should be made without knowledge. This is when you know something is potentially dangerous, you avoid it, and choose an option that is less dangerous.
This is called the Precautionary Principal.
This can be done with toxic chemicals in business or in your home.
For example, buy a gallon of vinegar (cheap its under $3) and a spray bottle from "the dollar store" put half vinegar and half water in the bottle and use it for cleaning. It is so safe you could spray your salad with it, right? Other cleaners "you may not know" what they could do and probably should not use them around your kitchen, at least every time. Some cleaners people use around the kitchen are actually labeled in California as potentially causing cancer. Others, are reactive chemicals that you don't know from the label what they do because they are part of the "inactive ingredients" and chemical sellers only have to report on the "active ingredients." Choosing vinegar is a way to avoid this conundrum - the precautionary principle!
Some great sports companies are also using the Precautionary Principal by eliminating toxic chemicals from their supply chain. Hooray for Nike, Puma & Adidas. And perhaps some credit should go to those sustainability zealots in PDX who have pressured for this kind of thinking. Nike and Adidas US offices are in Portland :)
Nike, Puma, Adidas ban toxic chemicals in the their supply chain http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/09/01/adidas-becomes-third-sports-brand-to-ban-hazardous-chemicals/