Eco Green Tips

There has been a lot of talk about avoiding plastic containing BPA (bisphenol-A), especially in baby bottles, however not much has been said about all the other types of plastic that are also harmful to your health.

Here is a quick summary of the three most harmful types pf plastic to avoid:

# 3 plastic (Vinyl or PVC)-found in products such as clear food packaging, oil bottles, plastic toys and bags, etc. This type of plastic may leech toxic phthalates into food and drink, especially when plastic containers start to wear out or when they’re heated up in a dishwasher or a microwave. Moreover, PVC production releases highly toxic dioxin into the air.

# 6 plastic (PS, polystyrene or Styrofoam)-found in disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers. This type of plastic requires petroleum to make, takes the most amount of time to break down and is not recyclable. In addition, it may release toxic chemicals, e.g. styrene, especially when heated (so think twice before you pick up your favorite coffee in the disposable cup. Use your own mug instead.)

# 7 plastic-found mainly in baby bottles, three- and five-gallon water bottles, some food containers, some reusable mugs and other drinking containers. This type of plastic contains a toxic chemical BPA (bisphenol-A), a known hormone disruptor and a possible human carcinogen that may seep into your food or drink.

photo credit: tiffanywashko

Cloth or disposable? That’s a question on everybody’s lips since the whole debate started. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer since both types have serious environmental consequences. Using disposable diapers means that huge amounts of plastic and human waste end up in landfills, while using the cloth ones equals enormous energy and water consumption.

Taking everything into consideration, cloth diapers that are washed at home (not in the laundering service) and line-dried are the most eco-friendly, not to mention the most economical. However, there are higher initial costs since you have to invest in diapers and the diaper covers, but this investment quickly pays off (especially if you plan on having more than one child) since it is normally a one-time purchase.

Here are a few tips about what to look for when shopping for  eco-friendly diapers:

Opt for organic cotton diapers if you can afford them, since they reduce the pesticide use. If the price is to steep, buy used diapers instead.

If you prefer disposables, there are some eco-friendly options available on the market, e.g. Seventh Generation Diapers and Training Pants, Tender Care, Nature Boy and Girl or Tushies. These brands use less water, responsibly harvested wood pulp and recycled or compostable plastic.

If you use disposable diapers, flush any fecal matter before throwing them away to reduce the possibility of contaminating the water systems.

If you use cloth diapers, wash them at home and avoid diaper laundering services, since they use enormous amounts of resources such as water and energy as well as chemical detergents and add to fossil fuel emissions.

Whichever diapers you choose to use, change them often (preferable as soon as the baby is wet, especially with the cloth ones) to avoid diaper rash and help in the potty training in the long run.

Diapers seem to be the one product that ‘eco-friendly’ just does not come to mind when thinking about it. On average, Americans use about 3.5 millions ton of disposable diapers per year! That is an enormous number that has an even bigger environmental impact since about 250 thousand trees are cut each year to accommodate the need for the diaper production, not to mention all the toxins released during manufacturing process and after they have been disposed of, ending up in the landfills. The most dangerous of the toxic chemicals released into the air is dioxin, a byproduct of bleaching paper and pulp.

photo credit: miguelb

Moreover, alongside the disposable diapers millions of untreated sewage ends up in landfills, which in turn may cause groundwater contamination. Additionally, if the fecal matter gathered in landfills were to escape through leaks, insects or pests, it would spread various parasites, viruses and bacteria-a reality to possible for comfort…

And then there is the baby’s health to be concerned as well. Not many people realize that diapers contain polyacrylate crystals (also called “super absorbent polymer” or “SAP,”), which are designed to keep the baby dry by turning to gel and absorbing up to eight hundred times their weight. Should the diaper break, however, (which may happen when the diaper is very wet), the chemical may get on the baby’s skin or even in their mouth, causing skin and gastrointestinal irritations.

Furthermore, studies have shown that the emissions from plastics and fragrances used in disposable diapers cause various respiratory problems, e.g. asthma. What is even more frightening, is the fact that despite detecting the biocide tributyltin (can be absorbed through skin and cause immune system damage as well as hormone disruptions) in a number of diaper brands in 2000, disposable diapers are not tested for the presence of the chemical.

The debate whether disposable or cloth diapers are more eco-friendly has been a long one and it is ultimately a parent’s choice, however studies have shown that babies with cloth diapers have been potty-trained a lot faster than the ones with the disposable ones. One reason for it maybe that the disposable diapers have been designed to keep the babies dry, therefore not allowing them to know the feeling of having a wet diaper, which in turn leads to later need for potty training.

If you’re interested in finding out more about eco-friendly diapers, stay tuned to our next article, which will be devoted to the subject.

With all the talk surrounding plastic bottles (especially baby bottles) containing bisphenol-A (BPA)—a know hormone disruptor, which, studies show, seeps into the food and liquids held inside the containers, it is easy to understand the need to find safer replacements. Luckily, there are alternatives, such as glass, ceramic or even polypropylene (PP or #5) plastics widely available on the market.

If you are concerned with the safety of some of the commonly available baby bottles, here are some companies that make the safer alternatives:

Adiri—makes a cylindrical bottle with a breast shaped top, which they named Adiri Natural Nurser and which won the Medical Design Excellence Award for 2008. Even though these bottles are made of plastic it is #5 variety and is BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free.

Evenflo—produces glass baby bottles as well as #5 PP (polypropylene) BPA-free plastic containers for storing breast milk.

Born Free—manufactures glass and BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free plastic bottles.

Dr. Brown’s—this company makes glass and #5 (polypropylene) plastic bottles, which are BPA free. However, they also produce #7 (polycarbonate) plastic bottles so be sure to check the number.

Green to Grow—produces baby bottles made of PES (polyethersulfone), a BPA-free resin and is environmentally conscious in other ways as well, e.g. using 100% recycled paper and soy ink and donating 1% of the profits to environmental causes.

Playtex—the nursing system this company makes consists of a #1 (polyethylene) plastic bottle and disposable inserts (both are BPA-free), however using disposable inserts poses another environmental problem, since not all plastic is readily recycled at any local recycle program.

Nurture Pure—manufactures mainly glass baby bottles, a safer alternative tom plastic.

Lansinoh and Medela—both produce breast milk storage bottles made of #5 plastic, which does not contain BPA.

Although these companies make safer alternatives to #7 and other BPA-containing plastics, they still mainly use plastic as their final product, which in turn has many environmental concerns. Thus, if you’re eco-conscious, opt for glass, stainless steel or other safer alternatives.

photo credit: 23am.com
The recent Australian study of underwater marine life in Antarctica has revealed that is a home to over 7,500 species of sea creatures. This discovery led to WWF-Australia’s urging for an expansion of marine protected areas in the Antarctic region.

The study—2009 Census of Marine Life— also discovered that 235 animals were found in both Arctic and Antarctic oceans, which indicates that “the polar oceans are effective safe havens for species that arrive by chance.”—said Rob Nicoll, WWF-Australia, Antarctica and Southern Ocean Initiative Manager.

Moreover, the Antarctic current creates a sort of isolation from warmer waters and forces the species to develop defensive mechanisms against glacial temperatures, for instance antifreeze blood of a few types of deep sea fish. Previously thought to be marine deserts, the polar seas are now considered an effective tool of evolution, combining an element of isolation with a wide range of habitat where cold ocean species can thrive.

These isolated habitats around the Arctic and Antarctic oceans are threatened by warming of the climate, which forces the animals to move closer to the poles. Scientists are urging the governments to commit to drastic cuts in CO2 emissions because otherwise future expeditions will “simply create a list of species in our oceans that will perish due to climate change.”—Nicoll says.

Unfortunately, climate change is only one of the many threats to biodiversity in areas such as Antarctic oceans. Others include invasive species, oils spills, pollution form shipping activities and unregulated illegal fishing. These issues are a serious concern for scientists trying to preserve the homes to thousands of species that may soon become extinct.