Do not use aerosol air fresheners

Acacia tree, Mali
Photograph by Philippe Bourseiller

The CFC's (cholofluorocarbons) in aerosols are now illegal in the European Union, but artificial air fresheners are still an energy-intensive and toxic way to produce a 'nice' smell. Each year the United Kingdom uses around 600 million aerosol cans, yet aerosol propellants contain flammable and nerve-damaging ingredients as well as tiny particles that can lodge in your lungs. Fragrances of all kinds can provoke allergic and asthmatic reactions.

Replace artificial air fresheners with potpourris, essential oil diffusers, candles, incense, fragrant plants (for example, citronella and honeysuckle), citrus fruit peels, or oranges studded with cloves. And remember that aerosol cans can now be safely recycled, so include them in your metals for collection.

- from the book '365 Ways to Save the Earth', by Philippe Bourseiller