Thirty eight chemicals found in 10 brands of bottled water October 15, 2008

Msnbc is reporting today of a study done on bottled water. The study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, “an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation.” You can see the Environmental Working Group’s full report here. Water used in the study was purchased in California, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Here are the details:

 

• All brands met federal health standards for drinking water and most of the detected contaminants are common in tap water, too.
• 38 chemicals were found in 10 brands
• coliform bacteria, caffeine, acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium were all found
• Sam’s Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets had “troubling levels of contaminants” which ended up being chlorine byproducts above California’s standard.
• 8 brands studied did not have troubling levels of contaminants, but carried legal levels of many contaminants such as arsenic and the solvent toluene, which have been tied to health risks.

Photo from Flickr by Fhemerick

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

Poland Spring’s gone “green”? October 10, 2008

First let me start by saying that I am a big supporter of carrying a reusable water bottle and filling it with plain tap water. But occasionally I forget it and get thirsty. Like yesterday. So, I stopped in a corner shop to get something to drink when I noticed “eco” on the side of a Poland Spring water bottle. The green girl inside of me never misses an opportunity to see when something ecological is going on, or not, in the case of greenwashing.

So I picked it up and here’s what it said:

Eco-Shape Bottle

This bottle is lighter than most half-liter beverage bottles because it contains an average  of 30% less plastic. It’s another way we’re reducing our impact on the environment. Be Green.

I called them up to find out more and it turns out that it’s the same plastic they’ve always used, just thinner. I went to their web site and saw that the label is approximately one-third smaller and because the bottle is now thinner, it’s easier to crush for recycling.

Of course, these changes are probably helping the company save money. We know there’s many people still drinking bottled water on a regular basis, though, so I guess you can say every little bit helps until we can convince the rest of the population to carry reusable water bottles.

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

Eco Innovations – The Totes “Eco ‘brella” August 18, 2008

Yesterday I was in a Barnes and Noble bookstore when umbrella caught my eye. It’s made by Totes and called the Eco’brella. This umbrella has a canapy made from 100% PET plastic bottles, a frame made from 70% recycled materials, and a handle made of bamboo. Both the canapy and the tie closure display the recycling symbol so you can spread the word on rainy days. At $24.95, it’s not cheap, but with a lifetime warranty, think of all the other umbrellas you won’t have to buy!

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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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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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