Life Without Plastic Blog

My first post! Just wish it wasn't a sad one...more bad news about BPA

Yay, my first post on our new Life Without Plastic blog!  What fun!  I'm Chantal's partner, Jay, the other founder of Life Without Plastic.

Unfortunately, I have some bad news - not a rare thing in the world of plastics. Some recent articles in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) highlight new research indicating more problems with bisphenol A (BPA), the estrogen-mimicking synthetic chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic and the plastic linings of most food and beverage cans.  BPA has been linked to various health problems including cancers, obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and alteration of hormonal, developmental and reproductive functions -- often at extremely low levels of the chemical.

An article in the November 2008 issue of the journal indicates that BPA may build up to a level 11 times greater in newborns than adults because babies lack a key liver enzyme required to break the chemical down. For this reason, one of the researchers recommends parents try to avoid exposing their infants to BPA and that pregnant women miminize their BPA ingestion to protect the fetus. Read an overview of the article in today's Globe & Mail. And here is the actual article in EHP.

As well, the February 2009 issue of EHP features an article showing how BPA blocks the effects of certain breast cancer chemotherapy drugs. This research is especially relevant as it gives some idea of how BPA may affect established breast cancer and its treatment in humans - in much of the previous research, animal studies have shown how BPA increases susceptibility to certain cancers. The authors conclude that these data provide considerable support for the accumulating evidence that BPA is hazardous to human health. I think we can now take that as a given. Check out the EHP site for an overview of the article and the actual article.

I'll try to find some happier news for my next post.

- Jay

The War on Plastic

I just discovered this new product... It is a reusable plastic bag that comes with its neoprene plastic pouch (plastic again) with the large text "WAR ON PLASTIC" written on the front of the bag. So what does this product really stage war against? Certainly not on plastic as this bag just proved that it cannot exist without it. I guess the message is still useful but it is unfortunate it is not staged in a more clever way. It looks like it is all about making money through provoking a strong reaction in customers.

The fight for a plastic-free life is full of these contradictions... this love-hate relationship we have with plastic. I can't live with you, but I can't live without you.

- Chantal

 

Public Schools in Maryland to acquire Polycarbonate Compartmented Trays for Schools

I just discovered today a news piece about a school board in Elkridge Maryland agreeing to spend $45,924 to purchase 10,320 compartmented trays made of polycarbonate plastic (the kind that contains BPA) to be used by school children. I am disappointed that the science behind the dangers of this type of plastic is still not fully accepted, therefore putting thousands of children at risk. As I understand it, these trays will be used like a plate and will be in contact with food.

Just as a reminder, the Canadian Government declared this chemical toxic to human health last fall. BPA is a known hormone disruptor linked to the development of cancer cells in animals and to breast cancer in humans (http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE&b=2638145). It is also linked to damage in the development of the brain (Bisphenol A prevents the synaptogenic response to estradiol in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of ovariectomized nonhuman primates.).

I guess that money is behind this decision... This desire to save will result not only in children's health being exposed to this dangerous plastic, but also in tons more plastics littering the environment.

Full article, follow this link: BOE OKs new plastic trays.

 

- Chantal

Our Frog Dish Set and Stainless Steel Dish Set Featured on SafBaby

SafBaby is a California-based website that reviews products and recommends the best non-toxic alternatives. The website was created to offer parents one-stop information on raising children in a non-toxic environment. Sandra Blum contacted us a few months ago to review some of our products: our frog dish set and stainless steel dish set. They are both imported under our brand name Sanctus Mundo. She asked a lot of very pertinent questions about stainless steel and whether it is toxic or not. She posted a very complete review of the issue. You may see the review at: http://www.safbaby.com/stainless-steel-dish-set-a-safe-alternative-to-plastic

  

She recommends both sets. She posted some very cute pictures of her daughter who adores the frog set.

- Chantal

What is the link between our Business and the Canadian Trade Deficit?

Well... I was not too sure myself when we got the call from CTV news, but we thought, why not? TV publicity is always good! So a television crew came to our business place and interviewed me on the Canadian trade deficit (Jay bailed out because he was sick). It was fun. I wanted to convey the message that this is a wake-up call for Canadian businesses telling them to stop relying on the extraction industry to sustain the economy. It is our chance to start creating more sustainable businesses for the economy of the future. It was much fun. The crew was great! I hope it will look OK when it airs tonight at 11:00 pm -- CTV National News.

- Chantal

Does the Plastic Industry Really Care about your Health?

On January 19th, Life Without Plastic was invited to attend the Ottawa launch of the campaign "Unbottle It!" by the Council of Canadians ("C of C"). The campaign aims at encouraging individuals to drink less bottled water and more tap water for environmental and health reasons. There is now so much reliance on plastic water bottles everywhere that schools, malls, offices are phasing out water fountains and municipalities are spending less money on water purification technology. We were told we must change this trend which encourages the proliferation of plastic water bottles.

I listened with great interest to what Maude Barlow, the President of the C of C, had to say and I realized to what extent I had been brainwashed by the plastic industry for years and years. She said that the common belief that we require 2 litres (8 cups) of water a day in order to be healthy is completely unfounded and is promoted by the plastic industry to encourage people to buy more plastic water bottles. This reminded me of an article I had read in the Winnipeg Free Press last year (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32788919.html). In the article four physicans were asked questions about health myths people entertain on all kinds of subject. What struck me was the following question:

Do you drink eight glasses of water in a day?

Family: No. (Is it important?) No.

Oncologist: I drink about three. (Is it important?) No.

Surgeon: I'm drinking one right now... Probably six to seven.

General: No I don't! I drink when I'm thirsty.

I was surprised to read that three out of four doctors did not think it important to drink eight glasses a day. Quite the contrary. That started me thinking about my own drinking habits. Especially the fact that I always have to remind myself to drink because I am just not THAT thirsty during the day. I very rarely drink more than 5 glasses of water per day and I have always felt guilty for this. Not anymore. I just discovered that it is a myth that the plastic industry wants you to believe in and perpetrate. I am not saying water is not good for you. It is absolutely, you need it, but you do not have to over drink it if in the end your body will end up dumping most of it in the toilet. What convinced me of the plastic industry's hidden agenda was the following video which can be found on the Plastic/Chemical Industry's "Facts on Plastic" website:

How to Prevent Dehydration

In a way, I am relieved to discover I do not have to feel guilty anymore about not drinking water when I am not thirsty, but at the same time I am astonished and disappointed to learn I had been completely brainswashed by that message without ever questioning it.

Now I am wondering, what else do I do on a daily basis that is based on a false assumption propagated by some industry to make me consume more products?

-chantal