Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter a chance to win an Eco Women reusable shopping bag! Head on over there to leave a comment and take a chance.
A “greener” take-out July 30, 2009
The other night, we ordered take-out. Yes, I know. Not very healthy and all those plastic containers. But wait! Look what came along with our meal:
Our food came in cardboard containers, not plastic, and we were given corn based cups and straws, bamboo chopsticks and biodegradable plates (we really didn’t need the plates at the time so they’ve been saved for when we do). It won’t save the planet but it did make me feel a little better about our evening’s choice.
So have you been seeing anything similar at local coffee shops, restaurants, or places for take-out?
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Giveaway – Eco Women: Protectors of the Planet! July 27, 2009
Giveaway below!
Unable to leap small buildings in a single bound? Super cape at the dry cleaners? No worries because the Eco Women are protecting the planet!
Head on over to Eco Women where my alter-ego is “The Green Mommy”. We’ve just added a “Shop” page to our site where you can buy organic cotton t-shirts and a tote bag with our new logo!
Leave a comment there and you will enter a chance to win a tote bag. A winner will be chosen on Saturday and be contacted by email. Good luck everyone!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
I’ll have a tuna on rye, hold the BPA July 21, 2009
BPA, or Bisphenol-A, is mentioned quite a lot on this blog. BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. It’s been shown to cause impaired brain and neurological functions, testicular and breast cancer, chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, early puberty, adult-onset diabetes, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy.
BPA can be found in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are clear, hard plastics and epoxy resins coat the inside of almost all canned beverages and foods. It also can be found in type 3 and type 7 plastics. BPA leaches into food and liquid faster when the plastic is heated.
In one of my posts where I talked about how to avoid it, I mentioned that Eden Food’s canned beans do not contain BPA (all of their other canned products do, however). I’m pleased to report that last week I learned about companies that sell canned fish and don’t use BPA in some of their products.
Ecofish doesn’t use BPA in their canned tuna and Vital Choice doesn’t use it in any of their canned fish products.
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- Ecofish
It’s great hearing about these companies using safer alternatives but consumers should have even more options. Safer States is group of environmental health coalitions and organizations that works to protect citizens from toxic threats, such as lead, PBDEs, phthalates, and Bisphenol A, at a state level. They believe a national chemical policy reform is urgently needed; however, they aren’t standing by waiting for it. Their site will keep you up to date with studies, new locations, and places where these toxic chemicals are being banned. Their site also has a link for you to easily contact members of congress and ask them to ban BPA from food and beverage containers.
In addition, you can follow Safer States on Twitter or Safer Cans, another organization working to ban BPA, to keep yourself informed.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
I can’t believe it’s been a year! July 15, 2009
Well, today is my one year Blogoversary! It’s hard to believe it was one year ago today that I wrote my first post on dioxin in liquid dish detergent. I’ll be honest with you, I was nervous pressing the “publish” button then. Me?!!! A blogger?!!!!!
I’m so glad I dove in head first because I’ve learned so much more along the way and have met so many other wonderful and interesting bloggers. People I would have never known had I not.
So please, leave some comments occasionally if you don’t usually so I can get to know you more too and thank you so much for making this such a rewarding experience!
Have a great week everyone!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Great parent web sources July 10, 2009
Head on over to Eco Women today where I’ve written about some great sites for parents.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Product Review – The Safe Sippy 2 July 7, 2009
Discount code below!
Like most mothers, I’ve been through quite a few sippy cups. My daughter has tried BPA-free plastic ones, the stainless steel Klean Kanteen (which has always been a favorite), and recently, the Thermos Foogo Stainless Steel Straw Bottle. I chose the Foogo because I wanted a stainless option where my daughter didn’t need to tilt her head back to drink. I’ve always felt that’s a bit of a safety issue when a child is walking. I really like the Foogo, and so does my daughter, but the problem with it is that she always wants to press the button to release the top and although it says it can be used at 18 months, she’s just not strong enough to do it herself.
Well, I wish I had waited about 2 weeks because now there’s an old sippy available with a new twist – the Safe Sippy 2.
The Safe Sippy 2
The Safe Sippy 2 is the Safe Sippy original, but with the added option of a straw so it doesn’t need to be tilted to drink from. The Safe Sippy:
- is made of non-leaching stainless steel.
- has an 11 ounce capacity.
- has an easy grip insulating sleeve.
- has removable handles.
- is BPA, PVC, and phthalate free.
- has a no-spill valve.
- has a cover dome for the spout when you’re traveling, along with a travel plug to put directly on the spout so you won’t have an accidental leak.
- is dishwasher safe.
What I really love about this sippy, besides the list mentioned above, is that it fits in a typically sized travel mug compartment, the spout is slightly angled, and your fingers can easily fit into most of the mouth piece to clean it, although I do recommend using a pipe cleaner for the spout and straw. I’ve been using ones made by Dr. Brown.
I purchased this sippy cup through The Soft Landing, which is a favorite site and blog of mine for up-to-date, reliable information on many BPA, PVC and phthalate-free feeding supplies for children and babies. The Safe Sippy 2 can also be purchased at other US online sites and retailers and Canadian sites and retailers.
If you have the original Safe Sippy and want to purchase the straw and valve attachment, The Soft Landing will have them in stock 6 – 8 weeks from now.
The Safe Landing is offering readers 15% off any order through July 15, 2009 with no minimum purchase. Just enter “beinggreener15″ at checkout.
I am not an employee of The Soft Landing or Kid Basix, the company that makes the Safe Sippy. The product mentioned in today’s post was purchased for my own personal use.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
