Help the environment and your health all on your lunch break February 23, 2009

Free shipping code listed below!

Bringing your lunch to work or school is an easy way to eat a healthier diet, reduce the amount of waste you produce, and a great way to be aware of your portion control. Plastic containers are lightweight and convenient to use but not the safest choice since they can leach toxins into your food and could possibly contain BPA.

I recently found out about Lunchbots, which would be a better choice both for health and environmental reasons. They are made from high quality stainless steel, don’t leach chemicals into your food, are easy to clean and come in two varieties, one with a single container and one with a divider. They were created by a mother who wanted to eliminate plastic from her children’s daily lunch.

Lunchbots

Both Lunchbots:

• are 6.25″ x 4.5″ x 1.75″
• and have a 100% Stainless Steel container and lid

Each of the Lunchbots available are $14.99 and can get to you with free shipping in the United States by using the code “FREESHIP09″ at checkout. This code doesn’t have an expiration date.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Giveaway – Stainless Steal Lunch Box January 5, 2009

This giveaway is now over.

From Random.org

Here is your sequence:

• 43

Timestamp: 2009-01-13 19:04:58 UTC

The winner is Michele P. – Congratulations!

Bringing your lunch to work or school has many advantages, including saving money, eating healthier, and being more aware of your portion control. It’s important to pack it in something safe that won’t leach toxins into your food, though. Plastic containers are lightweight and convenient to use but not exactly the safest. There’s also the added concerns over whether or not your plastic containers contain BPA.

If you want eliminate your plastic worries, consider the Stainless Lunch Carrier with Sauce Container from Healthy Kitchenware.

This stainless steel rectangular container with stainless steel lid comes with a small container with a plastic lid made of polypropylene, one of the “safer” plastics. The stainless steel lid is held tight by metal clasps.

The smaller container can hold your salad dressing or dipping sauce. It’s a perfect way to keep your food from getting soggy from either one of these.

The Stainless Lunch Carrier with Sauce Container:

• Fits inside most lunch boxes.
• Dishwasher safe.
• 6.4″ (length); 4.92″ (width); 2.32″ (height)
• Costs $15.99

Take a look at Healthy Kitchenware other great plastic-free alternatives to use in your kitchen.

Lucky you: One reader will win a Stainless Steal Lunch Carrier with Sauce Container from Healthy Kithchenware! You can enter a total of 5 times (leave a separate comment for each entry).

• Comment on this post for your first entry. Only one comment per personwill count as an entry.
• Subscribe to Trying To Be Greener or let me know if you’re already a subscriber.
• Spread the word on Twitter with a link to this post.
• Give this post a Stumble.
• Blog about this contest on your own site.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents and will end on January 12, 2009 at 12 midnight, EST. The lucky winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be notified by email. If the winner does not respond within 3 days, a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Turn your #5 plastics into toothbrushes, kitchen products, and more. October 17, 2008

I came across a really interesting site today that gives new meaning to the word “recycling”. Recycline is a company that uses scrap plastic and cups from Stonyfield’s manufacturing facility in New Hampshire where they’re located and turns them into Preserve Toothbrushes, Tongue Cleaners and Razors. They’ll even let you print a postage-paid label so you can return these purchased items back to them so they can be recycled again into plastic lumber for park benches and decks.

If your community doesn’t recycle #5 plastics, Recycline offers the Gimme 5 Program where you can send these plastics to them so they can be recycled into new Preserve products, such as mixing bowls, cutting boards and more. 

Since only #5 plastic is used for Recycline’s products, all of the items are BPA-free.To find out where you can purchase these great products, click here.

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Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

The FDA says BPA in plastic is safe – but you be the judge August 16, 2008

CNN reported yesterday that the FDA is saying BPA, or Bisphenol A, found in some reusable water bottles, baby bottles and most canned food is not dangerous. Environmental groups are not happy about the report because they say the FDA’s conclusion relied on industry-funded studies.

CNN reported that the FDA “previously declared the chemical safe but agreed to revisit that opinion after a report by the federal National Toxicology Program said there was “some concern” about its risks in infants.” This group said animal studies showed that BPA “can cause changes in behavior and the brain, and that it may reduce survival and birth weight in fetuses.”

In September, outside advisers will debate the chemical’s safety. Many states, though, are choosing not to wait for the final report and are acting on their own by banning the chemical in baby bottles. Legislation has even been introduced to ban BPA in children’s products. Canada will be banning the use of BPA in baby bottles and California, New Jersey and at least 10 other states also are evaluating bills to restrict use of BPA.

So who are you to believe? Do we know enough about the chemical to make final decisions? I’m not going to tell you what to do but as long as there seems to be questions, I’m going to play it safe and continue to avoid it.

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Where can I take my ______ to be recycled? August 14, 2008

Today as I was walking in my neighborhood and running errands, I noticed a sign in a Duane Reade Pharmacy that said they recycle plastic bags and rechargeable batteries. It made me think of how I’ve seen boxes in supermarkets where you can bring plastic bags to them to be recycled as well.

It got me thinking about where I could bring other things to be recycled. I remembered a great web site I came across not too long ago called Earth911. At the top of their home page, you can enter what you’d like to recycle and your zip code. A list then shows up on where you can go. Take a look and choose the “more” option under the “what” category so you can see items that can be recycled that you may normally not think of.

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The Smart Shopper’s Plastic Picks Cheat Sheet August 12, 2008

The other day I wrote a post about making better choices when using plastics. The Green Guide has a great wallet card that you can use when you’re out shopping to remind you of which types of plastics (by their recycling number) are safer than others. You can also put it up on your refrigerator to help you memorize the information as I have done.

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The BPA Debate August 11, 2008

Green and Clean Mom just did a great post on the BPA debate – some say it’s harmful and some say it isn’t. Take and look and while you’re there, go to her forum where you can get help from others about “green” concerns or questions.

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Make better choices when using plastics August 5, 2008

I just received the premiere issue of Positively Green Magazine. They have a really great article about making safer choices when it comes to using plastics in the kitchen. Here are some of the highlights:

• Only use plastics with the type 1,2,4, and 5 recycling codes. Think of your hand with your middle finger down – the fingers that are up are safer ones to use.
• Avoid plastics with the type 3,6, and 7 recycling codes. Type 3 (PVC) can be in commercial plastic wrap, like the what your meat is wrapped in at the grocery store. Type 6 (polystyrene) is in styrofoam cups, meat trays and clam-shell type containers. Type 7 is a combination of any plastics from type 1-6. It can contain BPA, or Bisphenol-A (see an earlier post of mine about keeping you and your baby safe from BPA). This type of plastic is used sometimes in baby bottles, water bottles and most of the linings of canned goods.
• When using the microwave, only use ceramic or glass containers. When you heat polycarbonate plastics, it causes BPA to leach into your food more.
• Try not to use plastic wrap in the microwave but if you do, don’t let it touch your food. Be sure your plastic wrap is BPA-free, like Ziploc, Glad and Saran Wrap.
• Choose BPA-free baby bottles. Visit Z Recommends to see a great list of BPA-free plastic baby bottles or take a look at an earlier post of mine about using glass baby bottles.

We live in a world where we’re surrounded by plastic – they’re in food containers, toys, and baby products, just to name a few. By being aware of the items you choose to use, you can reduce your exposure to many of the toxic chemicals that are found in them.

Update: See my post on The Smart Shopper’s Plastic Picks Cheat Sheet

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Keeping You and Your Baby Safe from BPA July 17, 2008

By now you may have heard in the news about BPA or Bisphenol A, which is 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 can be found in type 3 and type 7 plastics. BPA leaches into food and liquid faster when the plastic is heated.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. SafeMama explains that in animal tests it “has shown to cause an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” It’s getting a lot of attention at the moment due to the fact that it’s in many baby bottles but it doesn’t end there.

Let’s start with things related to babies. Z Recommends offers the most comprehensive information I’ve ever come across on specific baby items that do not contain BPA. Their list has specific BPA-free choices for baby bottles, teethers, tableware, pacifiers, utensils, feeding aids, sippy cups and pumping supplies. They also offer a text messaging service where you can get “on the go” information sent to your phone when you’re out shopping for any of these items.

BPA is also found in the epoxy resin that seals the metal lids on ALL baby food in glass jars. Yes, even Earth’s Best organic baby food. There are a few BPA-free options. These would include prepared frozen baby food, such as Happy Baby or Yummy Spoonfuls, Gerber’s baby food in the plastic containers (type 7 plastic which has been confirmed by Green and Clean Mom to be a combination of type 1 and 2 plastics in this instance), or make your own.

Infant formula also comes in contact with BPA. Liquid formula in cans has the highest levels but it can also be found in the epoxy resin on the peel back protective coverings on powder formula. Some liquid formula in plastic containers does not contain BPA. The Environmental Working Group has very useful information on their site about this.

Other non-baby related items where BPA can be found are canned goods. Acidic food, such as tomatoes, cause the BPA in cans to be even higher. Eden’s Organic beans are the only canned goods that do not contain BPA. It needs to be noted that any of their other canned goods do contain it. To avoid BPA, try to buy fresh or frozen foods or food in glass jars. Yes, the glass jars would contain BPA in the lids, as mentioned above, but it would be less than what is found in canned goods.

Reusable water bottles and reusable plastic food containers can also contain BPA. RubberMaid has put together a list of their BPA-free products and The Green Guide has made a very useful list on BPA-free safe containers.

When purchasing plastic items for your home, safer choices would be looking for those made from type 1,2,4 or 5 plastics. An easy way to remember this would be when holding up your hand, never use your middle finger (finger 1,2, 4 and 5 will remain up!).

UPDATE: An additional option for frozen baby food is Maddy’s Organic Meals.

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