Plastics-what is all the buzz?

Plastic, it’s great isn’t it? We all eat out of it, drink out of it, let our kids play with it, chew on it. It is everywhere. Well,…all plastics are Not created equal.

Plastic provides us with an affordable convenience. Only recently have we discovered that the hidden cost may be our health. Plastics, which are used a lot for our food storage, cooking, baby bottles, and sport water bottles, have the potential to negatively affect health in certain applications.

Some petroleum-based plastics leach harmful chemical (BPA) into foods and drinks, especially when plastic comes in contact with oily or fatty foods, during heating and microwaving, as a result of harsh cleaners, and when exposed to excessive moisture. For instance heating up a baby bottle or your bottled water sitting in the sun. But we can all make safe choices by purchasing BPA free products.

What?? What is BPA ?

“Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is a difunctional building block of several important polymers and polymer additives. With an annual production of 2–3 million tonnes, it is an important monomer in the production of polycarbonate. Suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, concerns about the use of Bisphenol A in consumer products grabbed headlines in 2008 when several governments issued reports questioning its safety, and some retailers pulled products made from it off their shelves.

BPA is used to manufacture polycarbonate. This is a rigid plastic used to make infant feeding bottles, plates, mugs, jugs, microwave ovenware and storage containers. BPA can migrate in small amounts into foods and beverages stored in materials containing the substance.”
Source: Wikipedia

How to decide what plastic to use?

There are good and bad plastics. There are recyclable and non recyclable plastics. Look on the bottom of your plastic containers. There should be a number with the chasing arrow sign around it. The higher the number the less recyclable. Most garbage recycle centers only take 1 & 2’s! So call your garbage company and ask what they recycle.When you recycle plastics they do not accept your are just bogging down the system and causing problems, wasting time, and money.Now that you know your garbage company recycles you should be conscious and buy thing that are recyclable. I changed orange juice brands because it was in a number 6 plastic. Not only does my garbage not recycle #6 but it is an unsafe plastic as well. By unsafe I mean you should stay away from 3,6,7 plastics.

Plastics 3, 6, & 7: There is certainly good plastic and bad plastic. Plastic is widely used, but is associated with health risks and environmental harms.
Its association with health risks is because most plastics contain chemicals that are known as hormone-disruptor and they can leach into food and beverages. Plastics are made from petroleum – a non-renewable material, and it takes large volume of landfill space. Here is a small summery of the three plastics according to A Bunch of Greens Blogspot

#3 PVC or V or DEHA: Polyvinyl chloride or di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate used for cling wrap, some plastic squeeze bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter jars, detergent and window cleaner bottles. PVC is well known to be associated with liver cancer. DEHA is linked to negative effects on the liver, kidney, spleen, bone formation and body weight. It is the least recyclable.

#6 PS:Polystyrene, used in Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carry-out containers and opaque plastic cutlery. Styrene can leach from polystyrene and is toxic to the brain and nervous system. It also has been found to affect red blood cells, liver, kid­neys and stomach in animal studies. It is hard to recycle.

#7 Other: Usually polycarbonate, used in most plastic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, “sport” water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic “sippy” cups and some clear plastic cutlery. New bio-based plastics may also be labeled #7. Polycarbonate can leach Bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics the action of the human hormone estrogen. It was found to stimulate prostate cancer, produce ovarian dysfunction, genetic damage, etc.

Deciding and Decoding Plastics

Deciding what plastics to use and what not to use can be overwhelming. Start by checking the bottom of the brands you regularly buy. Also check your kids sippy cups, bowls, and storage contains. Do not use numbers 3, 6 or 7’s when using them for food or drink. Then take a step further and check to make sure your drinking bottles are BPA free, and or stainless steel. A few water bottle type brands are Think Sport Water Bottle (for adults), The Safe Sippy for toddlers, Think Baby bottles (which also has a little conversion kit to convert into a sippy for little ones learning to drink), and Green To Grow Baby Bottles. Also Boonmakes some BPA free bowls and spoons for little ones learning to eat.

Also check your own water bottles. You shouldn’t drink from the store bought “bottled water” . Not because it’s an unsafe plastic or not because it is not recyclable but because the amount of plastic water bottles already in the landfill. Be a conscious buyer. Cut down on the single serving size items like bottled water. But when buying the Large 5 gallon water bottles beware they are usually in #7 plastics. We canceled our water service and had our water tested. Luckily we are on our own well and have perfectly fine water. We, being the American consumer, used bottled water because we thought our well was not good enough and it would be bad for our children. HA!!! If only I did some research 3 years ago. So now we drink tap water. Oh no! Not tap! I fell like people think that is a bad thing. That it is some statues thing or like we can’t afford bottled water. Or oh no, its not cold and I’d have to put it in a glass and maybe add some ice. How inconvenient! That is so ridiculous on a large scale and we as Americans need to get over it! Stop making excuses and find out what is in your water, have it tested, it easy and not at all expensive! Besides bottled water is not all it is cracked up to be. Environmental Working Group, or EWG, has revealed an array of chemical contaminants in every bottled water brand. Including disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue and pain medication! For the full report go to ewg.org

Microwave and Dishwashers are No,No’s!

Never microwave or dish wash your plastics used for food and drink! The heat is what breaks down the plastics. All plastics have some chemicals in them obviously, so by heating them at high temperatures you are potentially increasing the amount of leaching in your food. Not even the microwave safe products. Microwave safe means that they can withstand the microwave, but not be less harmful or not leach chemicals! Throw out any old scratched or discolored plastics. National Geographic has an awesome “Green Guide” you have to check out. You can even order it as a magazine subscription, but beware that’s not so green! Reading online would be greener and cheaper too!

The Right Choice

Use only glass or ceramic in the microwave. I bought some glass corning ware in all different sizes with number 5 plastic lids (Obviously don’t microwave the lids). They are great, you can store them, microwave them and dish wash them! I believe they are the Martha Stewart brand and they have them at K-mart. I’m sure you could fins them anywhere and they even have the really small ones I use for the baby! Why are we afraid to use glass? They are not as fragile as you think. They are not a wine glass thin they are thick sturdy containers and they keep forever! I cook in them, microwave in them and even freeze things in them. I freeze everything from casseroles to baby food to leftovers, all in glassware. Then you can pop them right in the microwave if you have to.

sources: For more detailed and mind boggling information on Plastics go to Mindfully Green web site. Also some good green reading for you new moms, or soon to be moms is Green Babies Sage Moms, by Lynda Fassa