Plastics
This year I am adding one more thing to the pile (but I can't decided if I toss it, or give it to Goodwill...can you help with the decision??) Plastics. I showed Andrew the findings from the President's Cancer Panel, and he finally agreed that we could get rid of all our plastics. We are starting in the kitchen.
Here are some of the findings, you can read the full report here.
Approximately 41 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, and about 21 percent of us will die from cancer. The Presidential Panel noted cancers are becoming more common, particularly in children, and the proliferation of chemicals in water, foods, air and household products is widely suspected as a factor according to the Panel.
What I found most interesting was their list of preventive actions, most of which I have always preached. Here are a few:
- Filtering home tap or well water... Unless the home water source is known to be contaminated, it is preferable to use filtered tap water instead of commercially bottled water.
- Storing and carrying water in stainless steel, glass, or BPA- and phthalate-free containers.
- Microwaving food and beverages in ceramic or glass instead of plastic containers.
- Choosing, to the extent possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers and washing conventionally grown produce to remove residues.
- Exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feed lots can be minimized by eating free-range meat raised without these medications if it is available. Avoiding or minimizing consumption of processed, charred, and well-done meats.
- Choose products made with non-toxic substances or environmentally safe chemicals.
- Reducing or ceasing landscaping pesticide and fertilizer use will help keep these chemicals from contaminating drinking water supplies.
- Turning off lights and electrical devices when not in use reduces exposure to petroleum combustion by-products because doing so reduces the need for electricity, much of which is generated using fossil fuels.
- Reduce or eliminate exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke in the home, auto, and public places.
While I have been slowly trying to ease away from plastics I always seem to fall back into them. The cute melamine plates for the patio, the fun Transformer set for my son, the cute Cinderella cup for my daughter, you know the drill. It is all going in the box and whether or not that box goes to Goodwill, I haven't decided yet. I did find a site Life Without Plastic which has great options including Stainless Steel cups so I don't have to watch the kids every second when they are drinking! (I'm a little scared of broken glass!) I think this cup from their site is adorable and might be a good replacement for those character cups my kids love so much!
So, do you think you could give up plastics? And what is better, Goodwill (to contaminate other families home, or the dump, to contaminate the soil and where it will end up regardless?)
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