I wonder if it's possible to live in a house without plastic? Although we have been trying for a while now to eliminate most plastics, they always seem to be lurking somewhere. Toys, games, kitchen items, bathroom items, etc. Plastic is everywhere. And it freaks me out when I see my 1 year old sucking on something that I know should be nowhere near her precious little mouth. Or when I see my 6 year old play with 'pretend' makeup that is probably loaded with pthalates among other hazardous ingredients. And must I say for the record, my husband and I don't purchase these things for them - yet they still seem to make their way into our house! And I have a hard time remembering which plastics are safe and which are not. So, what I do is try to remember the ones we really should be avoiding. SO, here's a rundown on the plastics that I know should be avoided as much as possible:
#3 Whenever you see the number 3 on a plastic item, it should be avoided. These are what are known as PVCs and I've learned to stay away. PVC is most commonly referred to as vinyl. You know those gross-smelling shower curtain liners? Yup, PVCs. Pthalates, dioxins, and mercury are some of the chemicals that are released from PVCs and all are known to be hazardous to our health. Some plastic wrap is made with PVCs. Actually, the list goes on and on.
#3 Whenever you see the number 3 on a plastic item, it should be avoided. These are what are known as PVCs and I've learned to stay away. PVC is most commonly referred to as vinyl. You know those gross-smelling shower curtain liners? Yup, PVCs. Pthalates, dioxins, and mercury are some of the chemicals that are released from PVCs and all are known to be hazardous to our health. Some plastic wrap is made with PVCs. Actually, the list goes on and on.
#6 Plastics that hold the #6 are also known as Polystyrene. Styrofoam, meat trays, takeout containers, some plastic cups - these all contain Polystyrene which is considered to be a possible human carcinogen. Hard to avoid, but you can take measures to protect yourself such as NEVER heating food in any of the items mentioned above.
#7 Plastics categorized as 'Other' but is usually recognized as Polycarbonate. Jugs of water, some baby bottles (imagine?!), food can linings, and dental sealants are made with Polycarbonate. The biggest offender in polycarbonate is Bisphenol-A which is considered a hormone disruptor. And to think, baby bottles....
So there they are. The plastics to avoid. We've tried using glass wherever possible. My 14 month old just got off the bottle last month. We never used a plastic bottle with her and believe it or not, we NEVER broke a glass one!
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