You may have heard that some plastics are bad, that the ones with the triangles on the bottom are ok. And plastics that are labeled BPA-Free are safe to use. So which plastics are safe to use? And why are they harmful? This isn’t a scare tactic or a new trend that’s happening here. It’s just one of those things we’ve incorporated in our lives then years and years later have started to question whether it is in fact safe to use. Just like cigarettes, when Doctors used to be the face of their advertising campaigns. What a joke! Usage of plastics really is a danger to humans and the environment and I’ll tell you why!
ALL PLASTICS ARE BAD FOR YOU
The plastics that have the triangles with arrows on the bottom have been advertised to be safer, BPA-Free and Phthlate-Free, the two most toxic chemicals normally found in plastics. These chemicals are hormone disruptors that are known to interfere with the way we produce and handle estrogen. Without these chemicals, you would think these plastics are safer to use right? Not quite! In fact, it’s just the opposite because the chemicals they used to replace it are even more toxic. For example, baby bottles, which were once commonly made with BPA-based polycarbonate plastics. After parents started to demand BPA-free bottles, the industry switched to two primary alternatives, PETG and PES—hard, clear plastics that do not contain BPA. However, the PlastiPure CEO (a company that works with plastic manufacturers to produce estrogenic-chemical-free plastics) says, “we’ve done quite a few tests, and the level of estrogenic activity that we have found under certain conditions, especially under UV light, has been higher than with polycarbonate (BPA)”.
A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives concludes that there really are no “safe” plastics, thanks to all the chemicals, additives, and processing aids that go into making plastic products. In a test of nearly 500 chemical containers, the authors discovered that nearly all exhibited some kind of estrogenic activity. There really aren’t any “safer” plastics, and it’s hard to predict which ones will leach estrogenic chemicals into your food. As this study shows, different plastics containing different types of foods will leach chemicals at different levels.
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POSSIBLE HEALTH PROBLEMS
I don’t want to try to scare you, but I think it’s better to know so we can gradually adjust our lifestyle. One step at a time and we can continue on this journey of good health. So here it is:
- Weight Gain
- Hormone Imbalance
- Cancer
- Birth defects
- Skin Diseases
- Deafness
- Vision Failure
- Indigestion
- Liver Dysfunction
- Infertility
- Low Sperm Count
- Early onset of puberty
- Diabetes
And more……….
You wouldn’t think you would be affected by this, but think on all the plastic you use in your daily life, multiplied by your age : )
TRY TO AVOID
- Use of plastic baby bottles and sippy cups
- Storing food in plastic containers
- Heating food in plastic containers/Styrofoam
- Using plasticware such as bowls, utensils, plates etc
- Use of plastic water bottles (Do not reuse!!)
- DO NOT pour boiled water into plastic bottles
- Using plastic wrap on food
- Buying food in plastic containers
- Using plastic bags to carry groceries
I think you get the point. It sounds pretty hard to do all at once, but we can take small steps to slowly decrease our use of plastic for our health and our environment. If you only got a couple of things out of this, I would hope at the very least that you understand that heat and plastic do not mix. Like EVER!
TIPS TO BE PLASTIC-FREE
- Use glassware for storage such as Glasslock from Shop Naturally: Plastic-Free Shopping. Glass containers come in all sizes and is oven, freezer and dishwasher safe. I’ve used the smaller containers to store small portions of baby food, and the bigger ones to store meats and meals.
Cocotomo:
Life Factory: 
Kid Kanteen: 
- Use medical silicone grade Comotomo Baby Bottles from Mini Monarch. These bottles are soft with a skin-like texture. In the US, this can be purchased at Target. Or you can use glass Life Factory baby bottles or Stainless Steel Kid Kanteen baby bottles from Biome.
- Use food grade silicone bowls, plates and cups for kids. They’re microwavable and heat resistant. I love love Kinderville products but is quite hard to buy in Australia. They have cups, snack jars, icy pop holders and sandwich pouches. They’re durable, won’t break and grips onto the table. Great for kids that likes to throw things! They may sell it on Ebay or Fishpond.
Lunchbots:
4 My Earth: 
- Use stainless steel Lunchbot or Thermos lunchboxes or jars. If you eat sandwiches, you can use 4My Earth Sandwich Wraps or Beeswax food wraps as your sandwich bag. You can buy them at Shop Naturally. You can also find Lunchbot containers as well as PlanetBox at Biome. PlanetBox comes in 3 different bento styles with lots of different magnets to choose from.
Bee Green Beeswax Foodwrap:
Life Basics Food Wraps: 
- Use Bee Green Beeswax reusable food wraps to cover your food, wrap your sandwiches and wraps. Bee Green Wraps are made from colourful 100% cotton and infused with a blend of Australian beeswax, tree resin and certified organic jojoba oil. These raw ingredients are naturally antibacterial and they not only reduce the need for single use plastic in your home, but they keep food wrapped in them fresher for longer. Or Life Basics Eco Friendly Beeswax Food Wraps from Nourished Life.
Thermos:
Beautiful Beaches:
Klean Kanteen: 
S’well:
Life Factory:
KeepCup:
- Use stainless steel bottles such as Thermos (insulated) or Klean Kanteen. Or try glass water bottles such as Beautiful Beaches. These bottles are great for use with Essential Oils and can be found at Shop Naturally. For more options, you can also find Thermos, Klean Kanteen, S’well (insulated stainless steel) and the Lifefactory Glass bottles (pink) can be found at Biome. KeepCup would be great for tea and coffee at work because the disposable paper cups are actually lined with plastic and are not recyclable.
- Store your fruits and veggies in The Swag to keep them fresher, longer. Made of a unique 3-layer patented* design this set of cotton bags protect your fruit and veggies from drying out or wilting before you have the time to prepare them. Creating a breathable environment which is moist, not too cold or too hot allows them to thrive in your fridge and last 2-4 times longer than in the crisper. You can find this at Nourished Life.
- Use reusable bags when shopping for groceries.
STAY SAFE
It is so important to remember to reduce the use of plastic when it comes to food and drink, because this is how it commonly enters our system. So take care of yourself and your loved ones! Wishing you a happy journey to good health!
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Get Your Products from Shop Naturally
Get Your Products from Biome Eco Store
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