Go on over to Eco Women today where I’ve written about Bisphenol-A and more concerns of it in receipts.
Photo from flickr by Dan4th
Does your SIGG water bottle contain BPA? August 25, 2009
This past Wednesday, I joined the “#EcoWed” Twitter party that was hosted by The Three Green Angels. Safer back-to-school supplies were discussed and as we moved onto lunch box options, SIGG reusable water bottles came up. Many people were shocked to hear that models made before August 2008 contained BPA. This is something SIGG announced this just this month, but many, many people who felt they were making a safe and environmentally friendly choice by purchasing them over the years, had not heard about this news.
Does your SIGG contain BPA? The Soft Landing and The Safe Mama have photos and information so you can find out. If you’re interested in supporting and still using a SIGG bottle and want your older model replaced with their new BPA-free version, The Daily Green lists instructions on how to do so.
Photo from Flickr by Carbonstok
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Kinderville’s bowls, cups, and storage jars – I think I’m in love… August 12, 2009
About a month ago, I had had enough of worrying if my 20 month old was going to drop another breakable saucer from her highchair during feeding time. I don’t think she does it on purpose – it’s just her way of saying, “I’m done”, and I haven’t raced over to her chair fast enough to take it from her extended hand.
I started looking into plastic, BPA-free options but was then offered the opportunity to try out Kinderville’s high-grade silicone bowls, cups, and storage jars. The timing couldn’t have been better.
What I love the most about all three products is how they’re so stable on a table. The silicone makes them almost seem like they “hug” the surface they’re sitting on. The bowls are versatile enough to be used as a small plate or shallow bowl and the cups are a perfect size that molds well in small hands. The storage jars have a great seal and I’ve found them to be really handy for both dry and wet snacks. The four basic colors have also helped with a routine, meal-time favorite of “which color would you like?”
All three of Kinderville’s products are:
- BPA-free, Phthalate-free, Lead-free, and bacteria resistant
- Microwaveable, dishwasher safe, and can be used in the freezer
What I also really love about these products is that they’re used throughout the day, everyday, and they’re worthy enough to be passed along to someone else who will appreciate them when I no longer need them.
I am not an employee of Kinderville. The products mentioned in today’s post were given to me by Kinderville to try out and review.
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.
-
- 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.
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.
Stay informed and help ban BPA June 16, 2009
Last week, over on Eco Women, I wrote about how Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, Del Monte and other manufacturers of canned foods and beverages, met to come up with a public relations and lobbying strategy to stop the government from banning the use of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, from being used in the linings of metal lids and cans. The level they’re willing to stoop will shock you.
BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. It has been shown to cause impaired brain and neurological functions, testicular and breast cancer, chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, early puberty, adult-onset diabetes, and obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. Take a look at my earlier post for examples of where you can find BPA.
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 youself informed.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
You’re kidding, Coca-Cola, right?! June 12, 2009
Go on over to Eco Women today where I’ve written about how Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, Del Monte, and other manufacturers of canned foods and drinks, met to come up with a public relations and lobbying strategy to stop the government from banning the use of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, from being used in the linings of metal lids and cans.
You really need to see what they came up with and what you can do about it.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Food just seems tastier when you make a mess. March 13, 2009
As of a few months ago, my husband and I started taking Eco Girl out to dinner occasionally. But believe me, it’s still a stressful situation of trying to keep her happy with food in front of her and hoping she lasts long enough in the high chair for me to at least get some of my food down before she wants to get up.
I’ve tried putting food on a napkin in front of her – of course that doesn’t last long. Off it goes onto the floor. But then a friend told me about these plastic sheets you can tape down to the table that act like a placemat that won’t move. The idea of it is great but I just don’t like using one more “disposable”. I tried to come up with a reusable option myself but then learned that The Soft Landing, one of my favorite sites for safer feeding choices, carries just what I’m looking for!
BPA and PVC Free Kiddopotamus Tiny Dinner Placemat
The BPA and PVC Free Kiddopotamus Tiny Dinner Placemat:
- is made of durable material.
- is eco-friendly and reusable.
- stays in place with seven strong suction cups.
- contains the mess with rimmed edges.
- scoop catches spills before they land on your child’s lap.
When it’s not in use, it rolls up into itself and fits perfectly in a diaper bag so it’s always available when you need it. Not only is it great for restaurants but it’s also really helpful when you’re visiting places where there is no highchair and your child is sitting on your lap and eating at a table.
Problem solved. Now there’s just the whole “table manners” to tackle!
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Hip, hip, hooray! March 6, 2009
Have your heard the news?! Six baby bottle manufacturers have agreed to stop making bottles that contain Bisphenol-A. They are Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow.
Also, lawmakers in Suffolk County, N.Y., became the first in the nation to vote on a ban on baby bottles and toddler sippy cups manufactured with BPA. I love New York!
Advent Bottle
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
