On plastic and kids

On plastic and kids

02 Apr 2007

Got questions about the environment? Ask Umbra.

Hi Umbra,

What about "sippy" cups for little kids, not to mention bottles? They're all plastic, and we all know that kids are more vulnerable to environmental toxins. What's a mom to do?

Janet Byron
Berkeley, Calif.

Dearest Janet,

A mom is to check the research and purchase only bottles and sippy cups that are not considered health hazards. Umbra is to help the mom do so right now in this very column.

Sip sip ... harrumph.

Photo: iStockphoto

There are alternatives to bad plastics, don't fret. Some of the alternatives are glass, others are less harmful plastics, and aluminum may even be a good choice in some situations.

First, a review: Plastic is a lightweight, reusable material that gained dominance in the kids' consumer-goods market due to its low cost and durability. Today's plastics are manufactured using chemical compounds found in petroleum and natural gas, with other chemicals added to achieve desired properties such as flexibility, color, and solidity. Although plastics are undeniably handy and here to stay as part of modern life, they do have environmental drawbacks. Immediate threats to human health from plastic food containers include phthalate softeners and the resin bisphenol A. Dioxins, which result from the manufacture and disposal of polyvinyl plastic, have been identified as a major long-term threat to the environment and mammal health. Children, as you say, are small and grow rapidly, chewing everything in sight for part of their life, and are hence at a higher risk from plastic food containers than we ginormous adults.

Both phthalates and bisphenol A are considered hormone disruptors. Bisphenol A may be acting as an estrogen substitute within our bodies and those of our children, causing abnormal development of various organs including the brain and reproductive system. Bisphenol A has been in the news recently as regards baby bottles because of a study released by Environment California that found BPA in the five most popular polycarbonate baby bottles. (Reading that report is probably the best way to absorb all the various impacts potentially attributed to bisphenol A in plastics.) Then the National Institutes of Health picked the whole thing up to examine what's happening, and that seems to be ongoing. Phthalates I've discussed before on numerous occasions; they are also chemicals that are added to and leach out of plastics and can then perhaps disrupt our reproductive systems. Bad, the whole thing is bad.

Ask Umbra continues below

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We as consumers can act now, however, and just throw out all our polycarbonate and vinyl bottles (the ones with the numbers three and seven within the recycling symbol) and replace them with better things. What better things? Wouldn't a shopping list be handy? Why look! Here are two: Environment California has a shopping guide with good general tips for how to avoid these plastics. And the second, a "Smart Plastics Guide" from the Minnesota-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, lists the actual bottles and sippy cups to avoid and those that are OK to buy. Both documents outline the basic trouble with toxics leaching out of plastics, and would be good reading for parents and others who have more interest. I find them quite motivating, almost terrifying, definitely depressing; we have poisoned our entire world, and I am unable to summon a closing quip.

Sullenly,
Umbra

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Please send Umbra any nagging question pertaining to the environment -- but first check out her FAQs!

The claims made in this column may not reflect the views of this magazine. Neither the magazine nor the author guarantees that any advice contained in this column is wise or safe. Please use this column at your own risk.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Comments: (13 comments)

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other options

No rugrats in my life yet, but if/when it happens they will be drinking out of these:

http://www.triballife.net/store/index.php?main_page=produ ...

by knitrat at 10:50 AM on 02 Apr 2007

Toxins in Canned Baby Foods

"Canned foods found to contain dangerously high level of toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA)"
http://www.newstarget.com/021761.html

These alive nutrients taken into cells help the body & brain release the fat which holds toxins. A great money maker.

by maryrushing at 1:24 PM on 02 Apr 2007

toxins in plastics

I'm no expert, but I believe that all of these toxins are fat-soluble (thus their persistency in tissues). And guess when the ONLY time you excrete fat is? Yup, you guessed it: breastfeeding.

by sarahbei at 2:05 PM on 02 Apr 2007

Bisphenol A as "obesegen"

Another emergent thread of research involves Bisphenol A's role as an "obesegen" -- an endocrine disruptor that may be contributing to (dare I say "feeding") America's obesity epidemic. A few links here:
http://del.icio.us/kylecopas/obesegens

Nothing like getting the kids started off on the right foot...

by kcopas at 4:27 PM on 02 Apr 2007

Getting involved

I am a student and recently have taken a transformation from jock athlete to Mr. Sustainability. I have a job training professional athletes but it just is not as satisfying to me as helping to make the world a better place.
I am looking to get involved this summer by doing research or working in the field doing an internship. I love science. I am a very active guy and can't be bogged down in an office all day. I am a hard worker and never complain.
Any ideas of organizations to look into? Job listings? Any guidence as to a good start in the field would be would be much appreciated.
Thanks

by edouble12 at 5:35 PM on 02 Apr 2007

Remake a Living

Hey edouble12. Check out our Remake a Living series.

www.grist.org

by Grist at 5:42 PM on 02 Apr 2007

Melamine?

I have a melamine sippy cup that I bought as an alternative to the polycarbonate sippy cups, but can't find any info on where melamine falls on the safety spectrum. There just doesn't seem to be any info out there on this type of plastic, and it is widely used in kid-friendly dinnerware.

Any resources people have would be most welcome!

by holmbere at 5:10 AM on 03 Apr 2007

Melamine

Considering that it is killing 4-legged children, right and left, I would look for a better alternative.

NoPunProductions.com ~ AmericaTheGreen.org

by Greta at 8:38 AM on 03 Apr 2007

BPA/not-so-organic tomatoes

Was sad but not surprised to call Muir Glen re: their organic tomato products and find, yep, their cans are lined with BPA...(and their consumer affairs person can read quite a lengthy and prestigious list of endorsements and assurances of safety)http://www.muirglen.com/about.aspx

by donnat at 8:57 AM on 03 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

Melamine

Can you explain?

by 7wattbulb at 10:19 AM on 04 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

You forgot something...

Good sleuthing, Umbra, but there's a glaring omission from this post and the one on sippy cups: GLASS!

People could just use glass containers that they've bought drinks in that have the screw-on cap. I don't know how harmful the cap is, but the glass obviously doesn't leach.

I've used Fuze and Bionaturae bottles for my water, before my roommates accidentally recycled them.

Give glass a try and that way you're not only NOT getting bisphenol-A, but you're also doing one of the 3 Rs: reusing!

by radrerun at 11:34 AM on 04 Apr 2007

Glass usage - the terrible trade-offs

In Europe they did a study on the use of glass drinking bottles vs. the use of plastic (of course I cannot find the study now) using life cycle analysis (LCA). At issue was the German beverage industry not allowing French companies use of plastic water bottles. A report was done on the 'overall' eco-efficiency of plastic bottles vs. glass and plastic. The driver of this is the increased weight and fuel usage for glass bottles.

This analysis was done for Coke when they switched from glass to plastic too. Glass can be rewashed, reused and does not leach chemicals but the water usage and increased fuel usage make it worse in that analysis.

Of course LCA is an art in trade-offs of all materials used, not just energy or petroleum products. Here is a blog with some thoughtful comments.

http://blog.turningtheship.com/?p=33

Sean & Kerstin Jones

by Sean Jones at 7:19 AM on 07 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

Melamine

The other writer is referring to the melamine contamination in pet food that led to many cats (and possibly some dogs) dying of renal failure (and to a massive pet food recall).

And I can see what they mean, except that presumably the melamine contamination of the wheat gluten was at a far greater dose than what would leach out of plates and cups etc. But perhaps that is naive of me... I will continue the search for a safe sippy cup!

by holmbere at 4:28 AM on 10 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

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Mrs. Sippy