Sustainable Plastics: Are we getting closer? There’s hope!
I can hardly imagine a world without plastic. It has been one of our most important technological advances and we use plastic for EVERYTHING.
Our lifestyle today as a technologically advanced society would not be possible without plastics.
Yet the actual chemical makeup of almost all plastics we use today dates as far back as the 1920s, without focus or understanding of how the chemicals might interact with the human endocrine system.
Recent peer-reviewed research indicates that almost all plastics in the marketplace today leach endocrine disruptors, chemicals that display estrogenic activity (EA) and which, once taken into the human body, have been linked to a wide range of serious health problems.
We’ve all heard about the concerns from BPA, Bisphenol A, which is a dangerous concern found in plastic and metal cans which carries potential side effects “on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.”
Ways to Reduce your Exposure to BPA
Though completely eliminating exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may not be possible, there are steps you can take to reduce your family's exposure to this chemical by avoiding common sources and limiting exposure for the highest risk groups.
- Avoid polycarbonate plastic bottles and containers. These are usually hard, clear, and marked with number 7 or the letters "PC." Use unlined glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers, instead. If using plastic, look for soft, cloudy plastic and the numbers 1, 2, and 4, which do not contain BPA.
- Don't mix heat and plastic. BPA may be released at high temperatures, so do not microwave or put hot foods or liquids in BPA containers.
- Discard scratched plastic bottles and containers. BPA can leak from the scratches.
- Avoid (or eat fewer) canned foods and drinks. BPA is used in the linings of canned foods, and highly acidic foods like tomatoes may leach more BPA. Choose foods that are fresh, frozen, or packaged in glass or cardboard containers, instead. Some home canning lids also contain BPA, but you should be able to avoid contamination if there's enough head space between the contents and the lid.
According to the Environmental Working Group, a recent study linking BPA exposures in adults to heart disease and diabetes raises concerns about the safety of current exposures. Adult exposure comes primarily from canned foods and polycarbonate food containers, but BPA-containing medical devices could also be a source. Pregnant women and older children should avoid BPA. Eat a varied diet, avoid canned foods, and don't use polycarbonate plastics for warm food or drinks.
BPA-Free Plastics are Still Unhealthy
Many chemicals found in plastics have Estrogenic Activity (EA) which both sound scary and ARE scary! A recent study conducted in Environmental Health Perspectives and spoken about on NPR said that “Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled, independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source, leached chemicals having reliably-detectable Estrogenic Activity, including those advertised as BPA-free.
In some cases, BPA-free products released chemicals having more EA than BPA-containing products.” The testing showed that more than 70 percent of the products released chemicals that acted like estrogen. And that was BEFORE these plastics were exposed to heat and other real-world conditions: simulated sunlight, dishwashing and microwaving.
But what about all those products marketed as BPA-free? That's a claim being made for everything from dog bowls to bento boxes these days.
The team concentrated on BPA-free baby bottles and water bottles, and all of them released chemicals having estrogenic activity." Sometimes the BPA-free products had even more activity than products known to contain BPA.
Sustainable Plastics: Are we getting closer? There’s hope!
According to a recent NPR story, Plastic’s New Frontier: No Scary Chemicals, Mike Usey, the CEO of PlastiPure is a businessman and scientist in Austin,Texas, is trying to change the way consumers think about plastic.
PlastiPure is the first and only company developing plastic materials, processes, and products that are safer both for humans and the environment. PlastiPure-Safe™ certified EA-Free products and materials directly address the molecular mechanism causing EA. At PlastiPure, they’re creating plastics and other packaging materials go far beyond BPA-free to be certified EA-Free, so they’re safer for you. And recyclable, so they’re safer for the Earth.
PlastiPure technology provides the most comprehensive solution to address the serious health concerns about endocrine disruptors. PlastiPure products – specially formulated to be EA-Free – go far beyond BPA- and phthalate-free, and contain no chemicals that display estrogenic activity (EA).
Next steps to Plastic Sustainability?
The next steps to actually CREATING healthier plastics, is to make sure the entire plastics MANUFACTURING process is environmentally sound -- which, it currently is not.
Thanks PlastiPure for getting the process started!
