Erin Ely runs Ely Organics which sells certified organic personal care products. She lets us know about insisting on products with ingredients good enough to eat, buying your food locally and why “body burden” wears us all down.

How do you eco?

I’m passionate about everything organic. I started as an online business selling Miessence Certified Organic products. I became interested in these products as I was learning about chemicals in personal care products. Miessence products have third party organic certification (USDA & ACO) which verifies the products organic claim. This is the highest level of organic product verification. I run my business from home. I purchase carbon off-sets through Native Energy for all my operations, in addition to the everyday things like recycling, using recycled paper, low energy light bulbs, and using green cleaning products.

Why did you go eco?

I’ve been eating organic and local food for over 15 years. Having children really pushed me even farther into the eco world. I have a big concern about chemicals in the environment and the effects of cumulative exposure to chemicals, something known as “Body Burden”. This made me more aware of not only what we eat but also what we put on our skin every day and then wash down the drain. I believe chemical pollution is one of the major threats to healthy living today.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

Buy local food. Source your food locally as much as possible. Minimize buying packaged and prepared foods. Even if the food is not organic it is better to support your local farming economy. Buying local food and supporting small farmers is critical to maintaining a safe and reliable food system.

EcoLinks

• Ely Organics