Holistic Moms Making Change Again

I was honored to speak to another great group of moms on Monday night. They very much impressed me with how much they already choose products and methods with chemical toxicity in mind.

Part of what made it a great night was being able to provide these moms with some products and information to help them take their safer lifestyle to another level. Many of us feel comfortable with our cleaners, our laundry detergent, our food and clothing - to move away from what is known and predictable to something that might be healthier for us, isn't always as easy as it seems. Part of my talk is about trying new things and seeing just how great safer products can be, not only from a peace-of-mind perspective, but also product performance!

Thank you to these companies for their contributions to our talk for Holistic Moms Network.
Olive Organics, Mequon
Lillie’s, Cedarburg
Bella & Boo, web local
Children's Orchard, Milwaukee
Badger Balm
Motherlove
Glad Rags
BornFree
Water Geeks
LeadCheck
HoneyBee Gardens
Zosimos Cosmetics
Healthy Communities Project
Environmental Working Group

Toxic Info Explosion

Wow. Amazing what a powerful media outlet like CNN can do. We'll see if the program lives up to the hype. But I'm thrilled that even before airing, the media is FULL of articles, interviews and more on the topic. The program couldn't be more timely given the public's heightened awareness of chemical exposure due to the BP incident in the Gulf. Here's the short list:
CNN Toxic America
Brian Lehrer on WNYC (last segment listed "Toxic America")
The Plastic Panic  The New Yorker
There's No Place Like Home...  USA Today
Domestic Detox  NY Times
CNN Reveals Toxic America  Huffington Post

I will post my thoughts after viewing. I can only hope this will prompt more people to become more aware.

All Stainless Steel Bottles NOT Alike

Just when you thought you had your bases covered, new information comes to light. It has been reported that SIGG water bottles until recently were coated with plastic. Really? When you know that your customers are paying a premium to buy your product in large part because you are trusted to make safe, reliable products and you decide its worth it to undermine that? What a big disappointment. Of course, it also reminds us that knock-off products may be the same.

EWG comes through again with information and action. Check out their letter to SIGG and request for a bottle exchange program posted on Huffington Post. Tree Hugger.com has an excellent article with information on other types of aluminum bottles and what were found with testing. SIGG reports that their bottles tested safe, meaning no BPA was found to leach. But what if the bottle is dented causing the plastic coating to open up? How long does it take for this coating to degrade? What if one uses this bottle for other types of liquids that react negatively with the coating causing it to break down?

Bottom line is that if I'm going to bother hauling around an aluminum bottle, it's to avoid having to drink out of a plastic one. Though SIGG stopped lining their bottles in 2008, for me it's damaged the brand name perhaps irreparably.

Other options for bottles that I understand are not coated with plastic:

Klean Kanteen

Green Bottle

Camelbak

The Water Geeks

Plastic, plastic, plastic!

Bisphenol-A is a hot topic these days. Recently, Connecticut and Minnesota passed legislation that bans the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups made with BPA. Chicago and Suffolk County (NY) have also made similar efforts. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has done exceptional work reporting on this very issue. I was initially made aware of BPA by the outstanding work (that I believe has prompted the vast majority of publicity on the subject) of Environmental Working Group which offers a quick-tip sheet on avoiding BPA.

While this legislation is a good first step, it begs to be expanded. Everyone knows that kids put everything in their mouths and babies, when teething, chew on everything. So it would make sense to get plastic out of the way of our children in everything from baby bottles to spoons, toothbrushes and toys. Perhaps with the reshaping of CPSIA we will finally get to a safer place for products our children use but I can only imagine that will take a long time to fully transpire.

Manufacturers (as usual ahead of lawmakers) won't miss an opportunity to profit and are now offering new non-plastic options for baby bottles, sippy cups and tableware. I particularly like BornFree's stainless steel bottle and Sanctus Mundo's stainless steel meal set. It is the best not to have to worry about the chemicals that might be leaching off plastic into my babe's food. If she flings it off her tray, it won't break. And if her sippy cup is in the sun while we're in the park, I don't have to worry about the plastic heating up and off-gassing into her water. The biggest drawback to stainless steel is its weight, but so far that has not posed any challenge for us. (Though I'll admit I did take a hit to the toe during a particularly energized moment.) I like BornFree's bottle over others because the spout is made of BPA and phthlate free plastic. I can't wait for Klean Kanteen to come out with their new sippy cup. It was said to be schedule for release in June, but that hasn't happened yet.

We have a pacifier clip that we use to keep select items from flying out of my daughter's stroller. While it is primarily wood beads, there is one small plastic connector piece. Guess which piece she likes to chew on the most? Ironic, I know. So if given the option, I know she'd go for plastic to chew on. We have opted for regular table spoons, cool washcloths and wooden teething rings to help with her teeth pain.

So my question is, when are we just going to ban the use of these toxic chemicals completely instead of spending an enormous amount of time, energy and money picking individual products on which to apply new rules? Perhaps because a straight line has not been drawn between exposure to bisphenol-A and disease, this issue has not be considered a matter of public health. Why should chemical and product manufacturers profit while their products may be endangering the health of their customers?

Without legislation, where does that leave those who don't know about the dangers of BPA or who don't have the means to choose higher priced and safer products?