Eco-Friendly Tips for the Holidays

Eco-chic is in! In addition to buying the latest recycled or eco-chic gift for your loved ones for the holidays, practicing some of these tips can help to further reduce your impact on the environment. Enjoy these tips on how to be more eco-friendly during the up coming holiday season:

- Don’t order gifts online if you can help it. Driving your car across town to buy a gift emits much less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the amount that is emitted by having each gift shipped directly to your doorstep. Also, it’s cheaper and there is less packaging – no extra boxes and shipping labels needed! If you still desire the convenience of mail-order, use sites like this one (http://www.turninglife.com/) which offset their shipping emissions.

- Alter your holiday meals to include more regional and seasonal foods. Commercial grocery store chains ship in many types of fruits and veggies from far away during the winter so that we can have the foods we love year round. This high amount of food transportation causes tons of CO2 to be emitted – just because we can’t grow tomatoes in the US year round, we should be able to sacrifice them for a few months and eat other winter season fruits and veggies that can be grown locally. The types of local produce will vary by region, so visit this site to figure out what is local to you in the winter: http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/

- Use post-consumer recycled wrapping paper, and reuse tissue paper, gift bags, and anything else you can. It’s senseless to use a plastic coated paper bag once to give your gift to a family member and then throw it away. This is not only an environmental tip which saves paper and reduces waste; it is also a money saver too! In addition, you can prepare for next year by saving the comics of every Sunday’s newspaper to use as wrapping paper this coming year, if you still receive the daily or weekly newspaper. It provides color and fun to a gift while being eco-friendly!

- As the weather gets colder and snow may begin to fall, it can be quite comforting to turn the house heat up so that you will have a toasty house. But curbing your heat use by turning it off when you leave the house and allowing your room temperature to be a little colder in the winter months can save mountains of electricity and money in bills. So, instead of turning up the heat more next time, put on a sweater first to warm up.

- Set your holiday lights on timers so that they don’t stay on all night. It’s not really necessary to have the Christmas tree lights on into the wee hours of night- no one is awake to enjoy them anyways! Also, maybe it is time to replace your old lights with new more efficient LED lights (for example, http://www.holidayleds.com/).

- At holiday parties, try to avoid disposable silverware and dishes. It might be more of a hassle to wash more dishes, but it will drastically cut down on the disposable one-time-use cups and plates.

- Christmas tree: real or fake? There remains a lot of debate on this issue. It takes up to 10 years to grow one tree that is often used for about one month and then discarded. These trees are grown and sprayed with a multitude of chemicals which wash into the environment. Fake trees, however, are also made from plastic and require a lot of fossil fuel inputs. In addition, they are often shipped from other countries. TreeHugger (mentioned below) recommends an alternative would be to buy a potted tree that you can then plant outside after the holiday season.

Here are some other websites with good tips on how to be environmentally friendly during the season of consumerism!

http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/holiday_tips.html

http://www.treehugger.com/giftguide/holiday-tips.php

Just as a friendly reminder, I’m not endorsing any specific products I mention in my blog. These are just examples of what I have discovered in my research.

Reusable Water Bottles

Considering the somewhat recent scare over BPA (bisphenol A) and reusable water bottles, I thought I’d share some research I conducted during my time at CHEJ on where to find alternative, BPA-free and other toxic free, water bottles.

Firstly, I need to emphasize the importance of using a reusable bottle rather than a disposable plastic bottle. So here’s a trivia question: how long does it take your plastic soda bottle to decompose when thrown in a landfill?

The only answer most sources agree on is: a very, very long time. Some estimate a few hundred years, some estimate 1,000 years, some estimate even longer.

So, you recycle? Well recycling isn’t totally 100% efficient, and what if you recycle but that recycling bin actually is just emptied into the trash? I’m sure it’s been done before… You might have more piece of mind that you recycled the bottle, but regardless, it’s now going to be sitting in the landfill for longer than your lifetime.

In addition to the environmental aspect of the water bottles, what about the problems with plastic? Plastics are scary, man. It seems that every few years some scientist publishes news that another type of plastic we use every day is actually toxic. What if tomorrow they say the coke bottle plastic is toxic?

How about just getting a stylish, reusable bottle you can carry with you and refill at any tap, soda fountain, or water fountain? Here are some good options:

California Innovations bottle with insulated wrap (also PVC-free), $7, www.californiainnovations.com

Greenfeet stainless steel bottle, $11, www.greenfeet.com

iPlay Baby Wear aqua bottles, $16, www.iplaybabywear.com

Kleen Kanteen stainless steel bottles, $15-$26, www.kleenkanteen.com

Nalgene steel or plastic bottles (new bottles only), $7-$26, www.nalgene-outdoor.com

Sigg aluminum bottles, $18-$29, www.mysigg.com

TIP: If it does not say “BPA-free” anywhere, don’t buy it!

These examples of BPA free bottles are just some of the most common, but this list is not comprehensive! There are probably many types on the shelf at the store- just go look and find the “BPA-free” label, and you’re good to go! If you get a reusable bottle, congratulations, and know that this small deed is making a difference!

Yoga Mats: Toxics Among a Wholistic Practice

Many people (myself included) who are concerned with toxic-free products and living natural lifestyles really enjoy yoga. There’s just something about yoga – it strengthens both mind and body, and it leaves a sense of peace and wholistic balance after a practice.

So here’s an irony: most yoga mats are toxic.

If you've read some of my previous posts, you should've learned that PVC plastic (plastic #3) is toxic. It releases phthlates, which are endocrine disruptors linked to a number of health problems. Many yoga mats are made from PVC.

Yoga is supposed to be a cleansing, natural way to strengthen the body and connect with the mind. It is an all over wholistic ritual. But how can yoga be truly beneficial when you're practicing on a toxic mat? Every down dog or child's pose that puts your nose right to the mat may be forcing you to breathe in unhealthy chemicals! Chances are that your yoga mat (if you have one) is made of PVC. I realized mine was - so I did some research to find brands that are made without PVC, and I thought I should share the results of my research.

In the end, I settled on a Nike yoga mat. I had to give up my “extra thick” and extra comfy mat for the phthalate-free assurance, but it’s more than a fair trade.

In general, don’t trust that something is PVC free unless it explicitly says so. Not everything that actually is PVC free will disclose itself, but use it as a loose guideline.

Here are some links to some PVC free yoga mats:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=yoga+mat+pvc+free&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=1726221041&ref=pd_sl_422wrr5kf1_b

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-girls-pvc-free-yoga-mat.html#

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00618703000P?vName=Fitness%20&%20Sports&cName=Yoga&Pilates&sName=Exercise%20Mats%20&%20Bags&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2930556&CAWELAID=164555269

http://www.barefootyoga.com/Detail.bok?no=512

http://www.gaiam.com/product/yoga-studio/yoga-props/eco-yoga-tools/earth+lovers+yoga+mat.do

There are many options out there of PVC-free yoga mats; you just have to find them! The list above is nowhere near a comprehensive list; these are just the first few I found in a quick internet search. That said- I’m not endorsing any of the specific products, just the PVC-free ones!

We can't just throw away our old yoga mats though, despite wanting to get as far away from the phthlates as possible. PVC is toxic to not just your health, but the environment too! My recommendation is to recycle your PVC yoga mat; many groups and yoga centers collect old mats to be used in community service sessions, and I even considered passing mine off to a homeless person to have a more comfy place to sleep.

I know.. it's bad to be giving toxic mats to these people- but in the case of the homeless, they might not care about the phthlate issue because of larger, more pertinent concerns. In their case it becomes a cost-benefit where accepting the yoga mat might help them more than harm.

Of course, it's up to you about what you do with your yoga mat and if you even care enough to purchase a new toxic free one. But, I hope you will put all of these factors into consideration and decide what is best for you!

Composting or Garbage Disposal?

The topic for this blog post arose out of a dinner table conversation I had with my family a few nights ago. I mentioned that I hope to one day (when I have a house and yard) have my own compost system.

As my family began to ask questions about it, I really didn’t have too much knowledge to share and the most pressing question that haunted me that I didn’t have the answer to was: “Does it make much of a difference if I put it (any organic matter) in the garbage disposal versus a compost pile?” And for that matter – versus putting it in the garbage can?

My initial answer was that compost is better simply based on the fact that when you put waste down the garbage disposal, it creates more work for the water treatment plants. I had just taken a course where we did a case study on polluted water and learned about the amounts of water that must be cleaned and purified at treatment plants, so to me, the thought of adding anything to that amount seemed not optimal. And compared to putting organic matter in the garbage can, the matter would be eventually transferred to a landfill where it would sit in a plastic bag and be piled under mounds of plastic and garbage where it would break down without oxygen – creating methane gas. After that dinner conversation, I wanted to find concrete facts to either confirm or deny my initial response. So here is what I found:

Composting is by far the best option to dispose of food waste. It involves no extra energy to transport the waste (except perhaps the few steps to the compost bin) unlike garbage trucks that lug your trash all the way to the landfill or all the electricity used in transporting and treating dirty water. Composting also allows the food waste to be broken down aerobically (exposed to oxygen) so that the byproduct gas is carbon dioxide, which is less harmful than the byproduct of anaerobic breakdown: methane. In fact, an article by Science Daily states that “methane is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas.”

However, there are some times you just can’t compost. Something accidentally falls down the drain, your compost bin is full, or you won’t put meat and dairy in the compost because it is what creates the most noxious odors.

When the waste does go down the drain, it goes into the water supply and eventually ends up at your town’s wastewater treatment center. There, the center strains out particles of food and waste, and typically this stuff that is strained out of the water is then transported to the landfill. Some plants may have other ways of disposing of the waste, but typically it goes to a landfill. So, if you don’t compost and opt for either the trash can or the garbage disposal, the waste will end up in a landfill, where it will decompose under anaerobic conditions and release methane into the atmosphere.

If you take composting out of the equation and are trying to decide between garbage disposal versus trashcan- I can’t really tell you which one is best. Either way, the waste you produce will probably be decomposed anaerobically. However, some water treatment plants have their own landfill where they capture the methane that is produced, therefore preventing its release into the atmosphere. There are too many ambiguous facts about which method is better based on the amount of energy input required to adequately deal with the waste.

Composting, however, is the ultimate way to go: it is minimally energy intensive, creates less harmful greenhouse gasses, and provides you with a great, natural fertilizer to use in your garden. There are many websites that give you the how-to’s of composting, so starting your own compost pile should be easy and rewarding!

References:
http://vegweb.com/composting/ (great site for the how-to’s and FAQs of composting)
http://www.slate.com/id/2201176/
http://www.wickedtastyharvest.com/wicked_tasty_harvest/2009/05/runoff-compost-vs-garbage-disposal-vs-trash.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423181652.htm

Toxic vs Toxin?

Since I’ve become interested in toxics and researching common household items which contain toxics, people have tried to correct me: “Don’t you mean toxin instead of toxic?”

No. I mean toxic. For a while, however, I didn’t have a good reason why I meant “toxic” instead of “toxin,” I’d just been told before that the former was the correct word for what I was talking about, but I had no real justification for that answer. So it occurred to me that I needed to figure out the real reason why I kept saying “toxic” and I should put up a post why. In order to get clarification on the differences of the words, I went to the Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, which sits in our den at home and looked up the two words.

Toxic: --adj. 1. of, pertaining to, affected with, or caused by a toxin or poison 2. acting as or having the effect of a poison; poisonous --n. 3. a toxic chemical or other substance

Toxin: --n. any poison produced by an organism, characterized by antigenicity in certain animals and high molecular weight, and including the bacterial toxins that are the causative agents of tetanus, diphtheria, etc., and such plant and animal toxins as ricin and snake venim.

The key difference in these two words is “organism.” A toxin is a naturally occurring poison, produced by an organism while a toxic is not necessarily so. My understanding therefore is that a toxin is a toxic, but a toxic is not a toxin.

References:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxin
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic
• http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34052/title/Toxic_yes_Toxins%3F_No

Types of Recycled Items

“Made from x% recycled material.”

This phrase is showing up more and more frequently with the rise of the cultural phenomenon of “going green.” As consumers become more caught up in the “green” mindset, they’re probably more likely to choose a product – all else being equal – over another product that doesn’t boast the phrase.

But what does this phrase mean exactly?

There are two phrases commonly found: “pre-consumer recycled content,” “post-consumer recycled content” and “recycled content.” I wasn’t actually aware of the difference until my mom told me about it.

Pre-consumer content: This is material that comes as a waste of the production process and otherwise would be sent to the landfill. It is not the typical type of “recycled” most people think they are buying.

Post-consumer content: This is the type of recycled material that most people think they are buying. It is material that has already been used once, sent to the recycling center, and been transformed into a new product.

Recycled content: Generally comprises a mix of both pre and post consumer content. Because this type of content is made of both pre and post-consumer materials, the total percentage is often much higher than the “post-consumer content” percentage. Therefore, this higher number is advertised more to encourage buyers to choose their product.

While it is good that companies are using their production wastes and transforming parts of them into new products, this lingo – the difference between “(pre-consumer) recycled content” and “post-consumer recycled content” – is often confused. To me, it seems more like a marketing scheme than a true benefit to the environment. Thus, the real number that you want to look for is the post-consumer percentage – the real amount that has been reused.

References:

http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/rrr/buyrecycled.htm

http://green-behavior.com/buzzword-patrol/post-consumer-pre-consumer-recycled-content.htm

http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=3369
http://www.greenerdesign.com/blog/2009/01/12/staples-eco-friendly-packaging-thats-not-easy

Is this recyclable?

I started writing this blog post in order to do some research and find a site to where I could direct readers to plug in their city and state and find their own local recycling guidelines. Unfortunately, no such site (that I could find) exists. So, since I can’t possibly give you the links for every different recycling program and its guidelines in the country, I urge you to go to your city’s homepage and look up the local recycling guidelines. You may even find that your community doesn’t have a recycling program at all!

It's important to note that not all members of plastics are recyclable. In addition, each type of plastic is recycled separately, so the potential for cross contamination is high. This is a concern because one dirty or wrong type of plastic can ruin an entire batch of recyclables.here are three different types of recycling programs that are typically offered. They are: Dual Stream Recycling, Single Stream Recycling, and Pay-As-You-Throw programs.

Dual Stream Recycling - This is the most common type of recycling program offered. Recyclers separate aluminum and plastics into one bin and paper items into another container. There is still the potential for contamination by mixing of non-recyclables into the mix and by dirty food waste left in containers.

Single Stream Recycling - aka commingled recycling. All recycling items are thrown into the same bin. The recycling collectors take the commingled items back to the recycling center to sort.

The EPA recognizes that this system of recycling is highly inefficient because a large chunk of post-consumer recycled items end up being thrown out by cross contamination into the wrong product stream. The EPA also states that the biggest concern with losing recycled items is that it reduces the amount of material to be used for making new products, thereby increasing the need for use of “virgin materials” in production. This concern is greater than the concern that the unused recycled items will be transported to the landfill. (http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/homepage.nsf/topics/ccrs)

Quoted from the EPA site on single stream recycling: " Portland Metro’s study found a loss rate of 6,230 tons of recyclables. By material type, there was a loss rate of 26% incoming cardboard, 14% metal, 24% plastic bottles, and 1% newspaper.”

Pay-As-You-Throw - This system is actually a waste collection system, but it is an incentive for recycling. With pay-as-you-throw, the consumer is charged for each bag of trash put on the curb for pick-up. As consumers are charged more for their waste, they put less trash out on the curb. As Chaz Miller of the Environmental Industry Association says in his article, this system of charging for trash doesn’t cause consumers to create less waste, but they find other ways to deal with their waste be it in the form of recycling, reusing, or composting for example. (http://wasteage.com/mag/waste_payasyouthrow/

Problems of Cross-Contamination in Recycling
I’ll admit that in the past I’ve been guilty of throwing an unwashed plastic container in the recycling bin on occasion by using the rationale that it is better to recycle it even if it’s dirty. I know that I’ve been told the containers need to be food-free before putting them in the recycling bin, but sometimes cleaning the plastic seems too inconvenient or undesirable. This rationale of recycling the container anyways, however, is not correct, and I figured that a lot of other people may be guilty of the same mistake I’ve made.

So, the next time you finish your yogurt and are left with a mostly empty but dirty plastic carton, remember why it’s worth the effort to rinse it out:

1) It’s more energy and time intensive for workers to sort and clean the recycled items. Often the energy and time required is too inefficient and the contaminated materials are just thrown out to go to the landfill. http://daviswiki.org/Recycling
2) A contaminated batch of recycling produces recycled items that are not as durable or as strong as they need to be to serve their intended purposes. If the integrity of the post-consumer recycled plastic container is compromised, then manufacturers who need the products for packaging will opt for new rather than recycled plastic containers. http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jul-aug/06-when-recycling-is-bad-for-the-environment

Other References:

http://www.nrc-recycle.org/ - This site gives a search box of what you want to recycle and a location (city and state, area code). Great place to look for local recycling locations for those items that your regular curb side pick-up won’t take.
http://www.recyclingcenters.org/
http://earth911.com/ Information on Dual Stream Recycling, Single Stream Recycling, and Pay-As-You-Throw

Release of CHEJ's PVC-Free Back to School Guide

The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ) is a nonprofit organization located in Falls Church, VA with the aim of helping low income communities organize and fight against environmental injustices they face. CHEJ offers networking, organizing, and encouragement to communities who call in for help. They advise clients on ways to gather community support, help clients develop their strategic plans to change policy, and they provide periodic training sessions for people around the country who subscribe to CHEJ’s network. In addition, CHEJ also has key campaigns they are running to bring about change. As an intern this summer, I was placed on the Childproofing our Communities campaign (CPOC), which deals with school siting issues, as many public schools are built on cheap land that is often highly polluted from prior use or is close to a polluter of the community, as well as the PVC: Poison Plastic campaign.

As part of the PVC campaign, I was in charge of compiling a lot of research to go into the organization's annual publication, the PVC-Free Back to School Guide. And, after many peoples' hard work all summer on this guide, it was released to the public today! Check it out!: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/852/t/2088/signUp.jsp?key=4410

The guide lists common supplies on back to school shopping lists that often contain PVC and different brands and products that we have determined to be free of the poison plastic. Even if you don't use it to go shopping for back to school supplies, take a look over the list to see what some of the major companies are that have many PVC free items. It's surprising to find out that more and more companies are beginning to phase out PVC in their products.



Pasted below is CHEJ's Press Release for the guide:


School Supplies Pose Toxic Threat to Children’s Health
CHEJ Offers New Guide to Help Parents Make Safer Choices for Back‐to‐School Shopping in Over 20Product Categories

Falls Church, VA – The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) is releasing a new Back to School Guide to PVC‐Free School Supplies for parents to choosing safer, PVC‐free school supplies in over 20 product categories. The guide is being released just in time for this coming weekend’s important retail season: tax‐free back‐to‐school shopping. Parents across the country are stocking up on binders and lunchboxes. But while it’s easy to know the healthiest foods to pack in those lunchboxes, many parents are not aware of the toxic plastic used to make them. In fact, the average child’s character‐themed backpack is filled with supplies and materials made from one of the most toxic plastics, polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl).

“Numerous studies have found that young children are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of chemicals released by PVC. Last year, the government banned phthalates commonly used in PVC from children’s toys. These known hazardous chemicals were banned from our children’s toys, but can still be found in school supplies marketed directly for young children,” said Mike Schade, CHEJ’s PVC Campaign Coordinator. “Parents can easily protect their children by shopping PVC‐free. There are many safer PVC‐free products available and even being sold alongside the toxic PVC items at your local retailer. Read the labels, and give your child a healthy start to the new school year.”

Although this toxic plastic is found in many name‐brand products, parents can find safer PVC‐free
products. CHEJ is releasing the expanded 2nd Annual Edition of their popular Back to School Guide to PVC‐Free School Supplies to help parents make informed shopping choices. Over twenty categories of school supplies, from backpacks to art supplies, are covered in the guide. As a companion piece to the full guide, a pocket guide with top‐tips and at‐a‐glance advice is also available. A few of the top tips for avoiding toxic PVC school supplies are:

1. Avoid backpacks with shiny plastic designs as they often contain PVC and may contain lead.
2. Use cloth lunchboxes or metal lunchboxes. Many lunchboxes are made of PVC, or coated with PVC on the inside.
3. Used cardboard, fabric‐covered, or polypropylene binders. Most 3‐ring binders are made of PVC.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is unique among plastics because it contains dangerous chemical additives used to soften or stabilize it. These harmful chemicals include phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins, which can be toxic to a child’s health. Over 90% of all phthalates are used in PVC products such as school supplies. Federal law has banned the use of phthalates in children’s toys, but not children’s school supplies and other PVC products found in schools. Lunchboxes, binders, vinyl backpacks, and even art supplies are frequently made out of PVC.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful health effects of toxic chemicals used in PVC. Recent studies have linked PVC flooring in the home to increased rates of autism and asthma in children. Chemicals that evaporate or leech out of PVC products may contribute to developmental disorders and damage to the liver, central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems.

For a copy of the PVC‐Free Back‐to‐School Guide, visit www.chej.org. To arrange an interview with a CHEJ expert on PVC and toxic threats to children’s health, contact Moira Bulloch at 703‐237‐2249 ext.19 or by email at mbulloch@chej.org

About CHEJ
The Center for Health, Environment & Justice exists to mentor the movement to build healthier communities by empowering people to prevent harm in as many ways, and for as many people, as possible. We believe this can happen when people and groups have the power to play an integral role in promoting human health and environmental integrity. CHEJ’s role is to provide the tools, the direction, and the encouragement to these people and groups, so that they can build strong, healthy communities where they live, work, learn, shop, play and pray. Following her successful effort to prevent further harm for the people living in contaminated Love Canal, Lois Gibbs founded CHEJ in 1981 in order to continue mentoring others seeking to prevent harm. CHEJ provides mentoring assistance to communities, homeowners, families and individuals throughout the country. To date, CHEJ has assisted over 10,000 groups nationwide. Currently, CHEJ is mentoring community groups in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Ohio. Details on CHEJ’s efforts to help people and communities prevent harm can be found at http://chej.org/ .

Plastics (part 2): Which Number Means What?

There are many types of plastics - each made a slightly different way to have different useful properties. For example, plastic #3, or Polyvinyl Chloride, is made to be a softer, flimsier plastic and is used in shower curtains and for waterproofing purposes. Plastic #2 (High density polyethylene), on the other hand, is made to be strong and sturdy for plastic containers.

Some types of plastic have shown evidence of leaching harmful chemicals into the air and the products they handle. So, it is important to know what type of plastic you are dealing with when using an item. The way to know is to look for the recycling triangle and the number that is listed with that symbol.


#1: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Toxic? Unsure. Scientific research is sparse but hints that there might be a chance of toxicity with this type of plastic (leaching antimony into water). The majority of evidence shows no toxicity with PET plastic, however.
Commonly found in: Ziploc products, soda bottles, most food containers

#2: High density polyethylene (HDPE)
Toxicity? Low. Not shown to leech any endocrine disrupting or cancer causing chemicals.
Commonly found in: storage containers

#3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or (V)
Toxicity? High. To soften into its flexible form, manufacturers add “plasticizers” during production. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when in contact with foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly found in PVC, is a suspected human carcinogen. Vinyl is PVC.
Commonly found in: shower curtains, plastic food wraps, shoes, binders, colored paper clips, construction siding, pipes, electronics, lunchboxes, credit cards, flooring, rain gear, and much more

#4: Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
Toxicity? Low. Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones, but not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.
Commonly found in: films, wraps, bottles, disposable gloves and garbage bags

#5: Polypropylene (PP)
Toxicity? Low. Hazardous during production, but not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones. Not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.
Commonly found in: car trim, battery cases, bottles, tubes, filaments and bags, Tupperware

#6: Polystyrene (PS)
Toxicity? High. Benzene (material used in production) is a known human carcinogen. Butadiene and styrene (the basic building block of the plastic) are suspected carcinogens. Energy intensive and poor recycling. When this type of plastic is heated and air is blown through it, it forms Styrofoam.
Commonly found in: Styrofoam, disposable cutlery, packing peanuts

#7: Other (often PC, polycarbonate)
Toxicity? High. PC is made with bisphenyl-A, a chemical invented in the 1930s in search for synthetic estrogens. It is a hormone disruptor; encourages and stimulates estrogen production when tested in human breast cancer studies. Can leach into food as product ages.
Commonly found in: reusable plastic water bottles


Here’s the deal. Some plastics that have not yet been proven to be harmful to our health, still might be in the future. What is known now, is that all plastics pollute the Earth, especially if they don’t make it to a recycling center to be reused. So, it is important to reduce our purchasing and use of all plastics so that they don’t end up sitting in a landfill - or in the ecosystem - waiting for centuries to break down.


References:

• http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/plastic4.htm

• http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/recycleplastics.htm

• http://www.savemobile.org/blog/plastic_types_jan07.pdf (very comprehensive list)

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/allybeag/2068645306/ (picture of mountain of bottles)

Plastics (part 1)

Plastic. To live at the current standard of life of the average American today, it wouldn’t be possible to continue without plastics. Let’s rephrase that. It wouldn’t be possible to continue without making changes and different choices.

Recently, plastics are getting a bad rap in the news and popular culture. But, all of this is with good reason. Plastics are polluting the earth and harming ecosystems. Ever heard of the Pacific Garbage Patch? It’s a swirling gyre of plastic in the Pacific Ocean that spans more than twice the size of Texas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLrVCI4N67M

Any guesses as to how long it takes for plastic to break down in a landfill? The truth is, there are many different numbers out there with estimates, but the general consensus is that the bottle of water that you drink and then throw away will never break down in your lifetime, or many lifetimes after you. All that happens to the plastic is that sun exposure breaks it into smaller pieces, but it never truly decomposes. So, as with the Pacific Garbage Patch, the plastic pieces get smaller and smaller so that they only get into the systems of smaller and smaller organisms.

“But wait- you said that we couldn’t live without plastics. So why are you telling me all this bad news about how plastics are harming the environment?” Well we do need some plastics to keep us safe. Plastic helmets for riding your bike, plastic IV bags in the hospital, plastic coating on electrical wires so that they aren’t exposed. But there are also places in our life where plastics may not be necessary- and those are the plastics we can reduce.

So what are some ways to reduce plastic? Use glass. Invest in a good, non-plastic water bottle to re-use instead of buying already bottled water. Take your own reusable bag to the grocery store. Don’t use disposable silverware but use real metal, reusable utensils. There are so many ways to reduce plastic in your life, and I hope that through this blog I can help show you alternatives to common plastic items as well as alternatives to other household items that are considered toxic. Because plastic has been on my mind lately and in the news, I’ll start the first few posts with plastics information.

References

• http://www.professorshouse.com/your-home/environmentally-friendly/why-recycle-plastic.aspx
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnUjTHB1lvM
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLrVCI4N67M
• http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/dangers-of-plastic