Okay, I had to start out with the one that everyone (or nearly everyone) has heard of already. BPA.
What is BPA, and Why is it so “Bad”?
A number of years ago, a study was done that told the world that BPA was bad for our health. According to healthline.com “BPA has a similar structure as the hormone estrogen. It may bind to estrogen receptors and affect the function of your body.”
What about BPA-free plastic?
So all of a sudden our stores were lined with all sorts of things marked “BPA-Free” … what on earth does that mean though?
Unfortunately, it means we didn’t just stop using plastic… it means these plastics were simply made with something else. That “something else” is called bisphenol S (BPS).
~Sidenote here~ All of this talk of chemicals always makes me think of The Powerpuff Girls. You know, at the beginning of each episode where the dad accidentally drops “Chemical X” into the mixture? Sadly, BPA & BPS don’t give us superpowers though.
In fact, studies are showing that BPS may actually be as harmful than BPA is, if not more so.
Products are tested for consumers though, right?
Yes and no. According to an article from Scientific American,
“Currently, no federal agency tests the toxicity of new materials before they are allowed on the market.”
Say what? That means BPS may very well have been added to our products without anyone stepping back and asking, “Is this stuff safe?”
So what does BPS do to our health?
In numerous studies, the effects of BPS seemed to mirror the effects of BPA in rats and fish, and nothing really shows that it’s any safer for us to use.
The safer option
It’s simple… STOP EATING PLASTIC.
Yes, I know you don’t chomp down on your plastic dinnerware and fill your stomach with it, but look around your kitchen… bread is wrapped in plastic, cereal is held in plastic, we often eat with plastic forks. We even store our leftovers in plastic containers and then heat them up in the microwave.
Our lives are filled with plastic, and it’s impossible to avoid entirely.
Here are 5 Ways I’m Ditching Plastic
Nevertheless, here are some steps I’m taking to rid a good bit of the plastic from my life:
Food Storage
-
- I love my Pyrex glass storage containers. The lids are plastic, but I just don’t put the lids on when I microwave the food. There are other glass storage containers on the market, but I got a really good deal on this set.
- I’m making the transition to storing dry foods in mason jars (like nuts, noodles, rice, etc)
- Stasher bags have my heart. They come in all different sizes, and they’ve completely replaced disposable plastic sandwich bags in our house. Money saved, less waste, and healthier for our bodies. Win-Win-Win.
Cups & Dishware
-
- I have two little girls, and I found these awesome silicone cups for my toddler that we use at home and these Pura Kiki stainless steel bottles for when we’re out & about. For the baby, I’ve started using glass bottles (FYI Pura Kiki also has baby bottle attachments). Check out my babies + kids section for a more in-depth look at what I’m doing to detox their stuff.
- I started using this glass water bottle for myself instead of a plastic one. The lid still has some plastic, but I like having a straw on my water bottles, and I couldn’t find one with a straw that didn’t have a plastic lid. (If you know of one, tell me in the comments!)
Added for awareness sake – In February of this year (2018), a government study concluded that BPA may not be quite as bad as other studies have made it out to be. However, it is my solid belief that we still should not be putting these chemicals into our body. If we can avoid them, why take the risk?
