All our kitchens are full of plastics. From plastic utensils, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic containers, plastic wrap and more, they have become an indispensible part of our life. Even our appliances have many plastic parts.
Every bit of these plastics are made with chemicals, and these chemicals are leaching out into our food and into our drinks. These chemicals are winding up in our bodies where they accumulated and are implicated in many of our modern health problems. These chemicals are also being detected in our unborn children.
Two of the worst offenders as far as chemicals found in plastics are PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The PVC pipes that carry your water are an example of this hard type plastic. Phthalates are chemicals that are added to the PVC to make it soft and pliable. These phthalates are the most common toxic substance found in the body.
Also commonly found lurking in our kitchens is a chemical called bisphenol A, which is found in hard plastics such as baby bottles, drinking water bottles, and our ever popular storage containers. bisphenol A or BPA is one of the top 50 chemicals produced today. It is found everywhere!
Here are some tips on how to reduce your exposure to the toxic chemicals found in plastics.
1. Foods should never be heated in plastic container. Even though they are labeled microwave safe .
2. Eliminate of severely reduce the amount of plastic wrap that you use. Most of these products contain phthalates.
3. Any container that has the 3 in the recycling triangle on the bottom should be eliminated from your kitchen.
4. Switch to glass or stainless steel drinking containers instead of plastic.
5. Avoid the use of paper plates, plastic silverware and plastic cups.
6. Avoid plastic cooking utensils. Use metal instead. You shouldn t be using Teflon coated cookware, so the scratching issue is non arguable!
7. Use glass containers to store food, especially acidic foods.
8. Never wash plastics in a dishwasher or use harsh detergents on the plastic. Hand wash only.
In 3005, the European Union put a ban on using chemicals such as phthalates and others, in children’s toys. One of the commissioners of this Union, was quoted as saying Toxic chemicals have no place in children s toys . So why in the world do we still allow these toxic plastics in our kitchens, food containers and drink containers?
In the United States, the City of San Francisco is attempting to ban bisphenol A and some phthalates. A lawsuit is delaying the implementation of this ban. Even if this ban is put into law, more than city wide bans are needed. It must be a global issue.
On the other hand, why do we need to wait until our governments wade through the red tape to get these toxic chemicals out of our lives? We can take measures ourselves to make our kitchens and homes plastic free.
It will only take a little effort on our part and a little thought to have a healthier, safer home.
Author Resource:
Beverly Saltonstall is an Internet writer and lecturer who cares deeply about the environment. Her websites give valuable information on sustainable development, pollution and recycling. Get a free pollution report at http://pollutionwebsite.com/freereport
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