Bad Plastics?

Hi B.,
I took a class put on by the American Cancer Society, thru the Community Ed program. Not sure if this will help you, but they say the higher the recycle # on the bottom of containers, the worst it is for your health. I don't completely understand it, cuz milk, most cleaning containers and even motor oil are all "2" which means they are very safe, and are supposed to all be recycled (we do everything possible) but on the other hand yogurt containers have a much higher # so they aren't safe???? Why don't the company's use a 2 for those too, not only for health reasons but also then they could be recycled too. We go thru about 20 containers a week, so it makes me wonder too about the the safety. Also I don't buy ANYTHING like that from China. But that's another issue with me.
We went to Germany two years ago, they seem to me so much more advanced than we are here. They recycle everthing!!! Very little waste. Even the restraunts do it. Mcdonalds has the individual containers to put all your different containers in. I agree with you completely, it's not a bunch of hype.

Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org is a very reputable place to look for information on anything like this. I did a quick search for SIGGS and came up with this: http://www.ewg.org/node/21491.

B.-
I was also feeling bombarded by all of the contradictory information, so for pure peace of mind, I went and bought old fashioned, no frills, Evenflo glass bottles. They are SO cheap (like two dollars for two bottles, or something, at Babies R' Us) and I can put them in the dish washer without worrying about the high heat of sterilization. They obviously aren't as leak free or air reducing as others, but it looks like you don't have infants, so that may not be an issue. The rings are plastic, but not the really scary kind, and I wash the nipples and rings by hand in lukewarm water, (since they are silicone and plastic) and have been quite worry free! You have to be a bit more careful with glass bottles, obviously, but we've dropped them and have yet to shatter one. Just an idea, because I doubt you're going to get a straight answer from anyone. Most of the websites that are pro plastic are funded by fairly biased backers (i.e. The American Society of Plastics Chemists, or something), and the ones against the plastics probably have an agenda/bias as well. Good luck!

Kleen Kanteen is lead free. They have been tested with an XRF analyzer that can look at the chemical composition of projucts. They are safe. Sigg states they positively are not using BPA in the epoxy resin that lines their bottles. They say it is totally non-leaching, contains no BPA or phthalates, etc. There is a letter from SIGG's president within this link that shows that any association with BPA is bad news.
http://www.reusablebags.com/help.php?id=2#help36

You might also check out the Healthy Legacy (a coalition focused on reducing exposures to daily toxic exposures) which has great resources including the "Smart Plastics Guide" to discover what chemicals are in plastics and safer alternatives for your family.

www.healthylegacy.org

D.

Hi-

There's a lot of research out there to prove that plastics in our bodies are contributing to a host of issues. One of them is how they affect estrogen level etc. in both boys and girls. The more knowledgeable we all are, the better choices we can make without "feeding into the hype."

At any rate, check out this website for future toy purchases:
http://www.healthytoys.org

Take care!