News of possible health threats associated with plastic bothered Jeanne Haegele of Chicago so much that she has quit using plastic. The 28-year-old marketing coordinator chronicles her efforts online at
www.lifelessplastic.blogspot.com. “Plastic is absolutely everywhere–our food is packaged in it, our clothes are often made out of it, and even baby toys are made of plastic,” Haegele says. “It was scary that something that was such a big part of my life might be dangerous.”
Scientists are mostly worried about bisphenol-A or BPA. “It’s an endocrine disruptor and in numerous animal studies it’s been linked to cancer, infertility, obesity and early puberty,” says Anila Jacob, M.D., M.P.H., a senior scientist at the Environmental Working
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As far as shopping bags go, the plastic versus paper dilemma is as puzzling as the one about the chicken or the egg. The truth is, the statistics on both types of bags are deeply disturbing. At first glance the alternatives seem less than convenient—-but after learning the facts and finding some easy solutions, we’re saying “neither thanks” to “paper or plastic?”
In South Africa plastic bags have been dubbed the “national flower” because so many are seen fluttering from fences and dangling in bushes—-some report that at times it looks like a snow storm. According to the National Geographic News, between 500 billion and one trillion plastic grocery bags are consumed worldwide each year. That 100,000 birds die annually from encounters
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Is it just me–or is it really maddening that we are pelted with industrial toxins and told by governmental regulating agencies that they are safe? I am generally a happy person, but I must confess that there are a number of chemicals and compounds that seriously put a bee in my bonnet–Bishphenol A (BPA) is one of them.
BPA is a heavily produced industrial compound that has been detected in more than 2,000 people worldwide, including more than 95 percent of 400 people tested in a study in the United States. More than 100 peer-reviewed studies have found BPA to be toxic at low dose. BPA is commonly used to strengthen plastic and line food cans–and the FDA thinks it isn’t all that bad, apparently ignoring the findings of numerous prominent and well-regarded
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By Melissa Breyer, Care2 Senior Editor
As far as shopping bags go, the plastic versus paper dilemma is as puzzling as the one about the chicken or the egg. The truth is, the statistics on both types of bags are deeply disturbing. At first glance the alternatives seem less than convenient--but after learning the facts and finding some easy solutions, we're saying "neither thanks" to "paper or plastic'"
In South Africa plastic bags have been dubbed the "national flower" because so many are seen fluttering from fences and dangling in bushes--some report that at times it looks like a snow storm. According to the National Geographic News, between 500 billion and one trillion plastic grocery bags are consumed worldwide each year. That 100,000 birds die annually from encounters with plastic
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