Ask Liz First » BPA

Have I Been Living In a Bobble?

Liz — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:25:34 +0000

No, I have not!. But, apparently I may have been living in a bubble or a cave. Today, I just discovered via a Green group post on Linked In, that there is this VERY cool, eco-friendly water bottle called the bobble.

The bobble contains a built-in filter, that filters contaminants out of tap water. The actual plastic bottle is made from FDA approved recycled PET that is free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC & is 100% recyclable.

Each bobble filter is intended to filter at least 300 bottles, about 40 gallons or 150 liters. The company estimates that each filter should last approximately two months.

The bobble is going to solve a HUGE personal dilemma that I currently have, pertaining to drinking water away from home. Because at home, I have the option to use a built in reverse-osmosis system at my sink and/or filter the water with my Shaklee Get Clean® Water Dispenser.

I am always leaving the house with a full stainless steel, reusable bottle full of filtered water, but after I’ve drank it all, that’s where the problem starts. Knowing that I don’t like to drink unfiltered tap water due to taste and potential chemical content, I sometimes must concede to buying a bottle of water from a local store, to get me through my day.

Once I purchase that single-use plastic bottle filled with water, I’ve defeated the purpose of bringing pre-filtered water in my own bottle to start with. Then, I’m just adding to my energy carbon footprint, which is a bad thing.

The folks over at Ethical Ocean have a great infographic of the Energy Footprint of Bottled Water. The graphic shows how much energy is used, just for the creation of one plastic water bottle. It is estimated that bottled water uses 1400 times more energy than tap water.

Where do you get your bobble from? Well, it’s available from their company website and there are also several retailers carrying the bobble. I’ll be purchasing mine this week, so I’ll be able to carry it with me as a back up for routine activity, as well as when traveling.

Be sure to check out the bobble website and also watch the below video about this fantastic environmentally friendly product. I symbolically raise my ‘booble’ to toast this environmentally conscious company. Kudos to bobble’s!

Act Now to Save the ‘Baby Bottle Bill’ in Oregon

Liz — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:03:43 +0000

The Oregon BPA-Free Baby Bill (SB 695) is currently going through the Oregon House and is experiencing some serious roadblocks. If, the issue is not resolved by end of day today, Wednesday, June 1, 2011, it may never make it out of committee.

Oregon’s bill proposes removal of BPA from baby bottles, sippy cups and reusable water bottles. Toxic BPA has been linked to several increasing children’s developmental problems.

Representative Ben Cannon, a state legislative sponsor of the Oregon BPA-Free Baby Bill (SB 695) filed a “discharge petition” that will allow this important kids’ health bill to come to a vote of the full House, instead of staying stuck in committee for who knows how long. 24 Oregon representatives have signed on already, but for the discharge petition to work, 31 members of the Oregon House of Representatives must sign it by today, June 1, 2011.

Oregon residents need to take immediate action and contact their representatives about this issue. They can use the online link to find them and send an email, but a phone call would definitely be helpful, also.

New Study Concludes Health Dangers From All Plastics

Liz — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 07:34:18 +0000

A recent study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives concludes that there really are no “safe” plastics, due to all the chemicals, additives, and processing aids that go into making plastic products. In a test of over 450 plastic containers, they discovered that nearly all exhibited some kind of estrogenic activity.

A large majority of plastic products contain bisphenol A or phthalates that have been proven to be an estrogen disruptor in our bodies. These chemicals are released when the plastics are heated and/or stressed. Numerous studies have shown links between BPA and cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and numerous other illnesses.

The study put even BPA-free plastics through three different types of stress tests. The plastics were filled with food mimicking elements and subjected to microwave heating, UV (Ultra-Violet) lighting and moist heat. The UV lighting was used to recreate the elements of exposure that a plastic container would have while in a hot car or a baby bottle would get from UV sterilization methods. The moist heat was a substitute for dishwasher exposure.

The results were not good at all! They were able to measure some type of estrogenic chemical leaching from approximately 95 percent of all the plastics tested, including 100 percent of the food wraps and 98 percent of plastic bags.

What does that mean to you and me? At this point in time, there are no safe plastics. It is far safer to stick with glass, stainless steel and other organic products. Going plastic-free is the best alternative for now. Not to say that there won’t be advancements in producing safe plastic products in the future, but until that time. plastic-free is the only option.

I shared last month about going plastic-free when the folks over at Rodale were having a Plastic Free February campaign. Please take the time to consider the options that you have and make use of them….every single day!

Plastic-Free Storage & Wrap

Liz — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:12:32 +0000

Last week I shared about the folks over at Rodale going plastic free in February, here on my website. Since then, I’ve been reading what changes others are doing this month for Plastic-Free February.

In doing so, I’ve thought a lot about the existing plastic that I have in my home for storage and cooking use. Actually, I have acquired quite a lot of Tupperware over the years and can’t see not continuing to use it for cold food storage. It would certainly be wasteful to replace it overnight, when it’s all still in excellent condition.

As far as cooking or reheating in plastic containers or wraps, I’ve known for years that can be unsafe. More than 20 years ago, when it was just a rumor, I stopped microwaving with plastic wrap or plastic containers. The plastics can contain BPA and Phthalates which when heated up, may pass dangerous carcinogens into our foods.

I have however, been using Tupperware’s Vent ‘N Serve containers, that are designed for reheating foods in the microwave. And, when trying to research this particular product on Tupperware’s website and general internet searches, I’m unable to find any data on these products. So, at this point, I am at a loss for an answer and must do more research on the safety of them.

But, in my qwest for finding alternative, plastic-free products to use for heating and storage of food, I just learned today about products made by a company in Canada, called Abeego. They describe their products on their website as “natural, reusable, eco-conscious food storage created with hemp/cotton fabric infused with a blend of beeswax and plant extracts. The fluid-resistant coating keeps food fresh and is easy to clean.”

I immediately “Liked” them on their Facebook Fan Page and went onto their website and ordered two products to try. One that I ordered is called the Abeego Wrap.

One of it’s recommened uses is for wrapping sandwiches, and that’s probably one of the first things I try with it.

The other Abeego item that I ordered is the Abeego Flats.

I’m excited to try this for covering left-overs and such.

Cleaning instructions on Abeego’s website recommends handwashing in cold water and using a gentle, biodegradable soap. The soap is a no-brainer for me, because I only use natural and biodegradable cleaning products anyways.

I’m looking forward to receiving my Abeego order and using their products. Once, I’ve had the opportunity to use them a few times, I will be sharing my thoughts here.

In the meantime, what other alternative products are you using to make your life more plastic-free?

Going Plastic-Free With Rodale in February

Liz — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:10:54 +0000

The folks over at Rodale.com are going plastic-free for the month of February. I’m planning on following along, because this isn’t going to be an easy journey and I need all the encouragement that I can get.

Here’s what they’re saying over at Rodale.com:

Why go plastic free? There are plenty of reasons to cut down. It’s made from either petroleum or natural gas, two nonrenewable resources extracted in ways that pollute our air and water. Plastic manufacturers add chemicals to certain types of plastics that can be highly toxic, like bisphenol A and phthalates. And very few types of plastic are widely recycled.

Rodale’s plastic-free ground rules:

1. No buying or acquiring new plastic.

2. No cooking with plastic or storing food in plastic.

3. Minimize all other plastic use.

Overall, I feel that I make a very conscious effort to avoid buying or improperly disposing of plastics. But, I know that there’s so much more that I can do, so I’m here for challenge & growth. I hope you’ll join me!

Plastic-Free February….bring it!

Putting An End To Paper Receipts

Liz — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:01:15 +0000

My colleagues over at SoftwareAdvice.com have recently posted a very interesting article and poll on their website. It addresses the impact that printed receipts have on society’s paper consumption.

I have to be honest. I regularly use printed receipts for posting bank debit transactions to my check register and documenting purchases for tax purposes. And, for me personally, it would be a BIG sacrifice to go paperless! But, I truly feel it all boils down to learning a new behavior and knowing that the end result is worth it.

As stated in the Software Advice article, there are several environmental drawbacks to receipt/paper manufacturing. Deforestation, Co2 Emissions, Water & Oil consumption, and Trash are all factored into the manufacturing of the finished paper products. Additionally, there can be BPA exposure via some thermal paper receipts and credit card receipt products.

The folks over at allEtronic are a progressive company that are paving the way to providing digital receipts for everyone. You can set up a free online account to have your generated transactions sent to.

I realize this is all pretty new and will take quite sometime to be accepted by businesses and consumers. But, as mentioned in Software Advice’s article, paper manufacturing and usage is a huge environmental concern, and alternatives must be sought out.

Please jump over to the article at SoftwareAdvice.com and be sure to take their poll.

Petition To Campbell’s Soup To Remove BPA

Liz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Change.org has put together an online petition, asking Campbell’s Soups to remove BPA (Bisphenol A), from their products. I’ve signed the petition, after just learning about the recent Consumers Reports investigation.

As mentioned on Change.org’s site, the food processing world is in a tailspin after a shocking new series of tests. Released just this week, Consumer Reports revealed that many leading brands of canned foods contain Bisphenol A (BPA)—a toxic chemical linked to health risks including reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.

Consumer Reports found that major canned food companies including Campbell’s Soup are using cans that leach Bisphenol A (BPA) into food. This petition to Campbell’s Soup, may be a way for them to set the example for other food processing companies.

Please click on the “Take Action” widget in the right column, to let your voice be heard.

Consumer Reports Tests For BPA

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:30:00 +0000

In Consumer Reports upcoming December publication, they have released results of some independent studies that they completed on BPA in food products. They found that there are still some food products that contain significant trace amounts of BPA in them.

There is ongoing debate about what are safe amounts of ingested BPA. The Federal guidelines state that a “safe upper limit” of daily exposure is at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. This information is based on studies done back in the 1980s. But, there have been numerous more recent students done, that lead to more detrimental findings for living beings.

The Consumer Reports results are posted for their subscribers review. Being a long-time Consumer Reports advocate and subscriber, I am sharing a snapshot to a portion of their findings. For a complete report, please check out their site for more information at http://www.consumerreports.org/.

Here’s a portion of the Consumer Reports finding on the products that they tested for BPA:

“We found that the average amounts of BPA in tested products varied widely; most items showed levels from trace amounts to about 32 parts per billion. Products in that range included canned corn, chili, tomato sauce, and corned beef.
The highest levels of BPA in our tests were found in the canned green beans and canned soup. In Progresso Vegetable Soup, the levels of BPA ranged from 67 to 134 ppb. In Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup, the levels of BPA ranged from 54.5 to 102 ppb. Canned Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans Blue Lake had BPA levels ranging from 35.9 ppb to 191 ppb, the highest amount for a single sample in our test. Since we didn’t test other canned green beans or soups, we don’t know if this is typical of those products.
A 165-pound adult eating one serving of canned green beans from our sample, which averaged 123.5 ppb, could ingest about 0.2 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day, about 80 times higher than our experts’ recommended daily upper limit. And children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones we found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA approaching levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies.
Given the significance of BPA exposure for infants and young children, we tested samples of Similac Advance Infant Formula and Nestlé Juicy Juice All Natural 100% Apple Juice. Samples of the Similac liquid concentrate in a can averaged 9 ppb of BPA, but there was no measurable level in the powdered version. Samples of the Nestlé Juicy Juice in a can averaged 9.7 ppb BPA, but there were no measurable levels in the samples of the same product packaged in juice boxes.”

Bottled Water, Filtered Water, Tap Water…Oh me Oh my!

Liz — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:25:00 +0000

There has been a plethora of discussion over the use of bottled water, tap and/or filtered tap water. I’ve read and pondered this for my family’s own personal water consumption, and have actually changed from my original thoughts and usage, in this matter.

Originally, I knew that our rural residential water was not too safe to drink, so we started using bottled water, exclusively. We did try to purchase larger quantities and use less plastic containers. Then, I read a lot about the lack of regulations for bottled water, and had a real issue with throwing all those plastic bottles away. Also, the reports about BPA (Bisphenol A) exposure in the plastic bottles, definitely turned me off to the bottled water.

Ultimately, my husband and I have decided that our best option at this point, is to filter our rural tap water. And, even if we end up moving into a municipality with water service, we will continue to filter our tap water.

Shaklee offers some great options to filter tap water in your home. Currently, we use a BestWater Perfect Pitcher in our home, because we are in a home that we don’t own. But, upon the purchase of a home, we will be upgrading to one of their MTS 2000 units.

The BestWater MTS 2000 units come in an above counter and below counter unit. Both units are NSF Certified and come with a money-back guarantee and warranties. The cost per day is only pennies, and means a lot of piece of mind and overall, is a economical investment in every family’s health.

Conflict of Interest – The FDA?

Liz — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted an article about a potential conflict of interest involving the recent report published by the FDA on the supposed safety of BPA (Bisphenol A), to humans. Apparently, the group responsible for completing the FDA’s report, had members who’s personal interests may have been seriously influenced by the “plastics industry”.

As previously mentioned on this blog, the FDA came out recently with a report that there were no known hazards to humans, caused by BPA. Yet, Canada and numerous other independent groups have done studies that prove otherwise.

The FDA (Food & Drug Administration), has also previously asserted that Aspartame is safe, but stevia is dangerous to use in foods; Vioxx is safe, but cherries are dangerous to use in the treatment of arthritis pain; and the list goes on.

I don’t know about anyone reading this, but I’m getting almost “weirded out”, by the abuses that are taking place amongst the agencies that are supposed to be looking out for my well-being, health and safety.

Just another reason why I am so proud to be associated with Shaklee. They are a company that is very open about their products and maintains standards far in excess of the natural nutrition industry. Shaklee’s products undergo over 80,000 tests annually, to guarantee their safety and efficacy.

Shaklee is a leader in environmental integrity. After all, Dr. Shaklee created a “green” cleaning product, (Basic H2®), back in 1960, when “green” was just a color! And, the line-up of respected scientists and doctors on Shaklee’s Scientific Advisory Board, is more evidence of the standards that Shaklee keeps and continues to improve upon.

Yes, there are a lot of “things” out there that can harm you, but let us at least, lower our exposure to those things, that we’re aware of….or even, leary of.