Father’s Day was great and I decided to give myself (and my family) a special Father’s Day gift – glass food containers that can go from the fridge to the microwave to the freezer and even the stove – unlike the plastic microwaveable stuff I use to use.
If your plastic food containers contain these numbered codes above, then there might be a problem…
Polyvinyl Chloride #3 is more commonly known as PVC. PVC contains phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals which are included because they help make the plastic pliable. That’s why garden hoses contain PVC, as do shower curtains, some cling wraps, teething rings, baby’s vinyl toys (oh Lordy) and some squeezable bottles (that Chef’s use to create our dinners.) The trouble is, phthalates are highly toxic and small doses migrate from the PVC to anything that touches it – whether that be food, drink, shampoo or a baby’s mouth. (Phthalates are endocrine disruptors. They mimic estrogen. Because phthalates resemble estrogen, they can mimic or block estrogenic effects in the body. Endocrine disruptors are associated with a number of health problems that are on the rise on the U.S. and worldwide, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, infertility and heart disease.) – uhm, yeah! Here’s something else for ya: Know that “new car smell” that we all so love? What we’re smelling (and inhaling into our lungs) are phthalates.
Polystyrene #6 is used in disposable coffee cups, take-out food containers, egg cartons and the packaging of meats, cheeses and other foods in our local supermarket. The problem with polystyrene is, it contains styrene, also known as vinyl benzene. The US Environmental Protection Agency, which is notoriously conservative when it comes to associating plastics with any ill-effects, has described styrene as “a suspected carcinogen” and “a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal, kidney, and respiratory systems, among others.” (Styrene is also listed by the World Health Organization as a possible carcinogen.) When you next drink coffee from a polystyrene cup, also keep in mind that the release of styrene is increased when polystyrene is heated. Some people are “fooled” because they think Styro-foam is the culprit and they know what styro-foam looks and feels like. However, polystyrene isn’t always used in its foamed form. Polystyrene is also used in a solid form, as a clear or colored plastic. Solid polystyrene is used, for example, in disposable cutlery, some yogurt cups and clear containers for cakes and other baked items.
Polycarbonates #7 (the number 7 designation actually includes pretty much every plastic that isn’t included in 1-6.) However, most plastics marked with the number 7 are polycarbonates. Polycarbonates contain BPA, also referred to as bisphenol-A. BPA is highly toxic and has been banned from use in most plastic products by both the European Union and Canada. But not in the US. (The first state to legislate against the use of BPA in some products was Minnesota, in January 2010.) Where will you find BPA? If you live in the US, you will find it in many baby bottles, sports bottles, water cooler bottles and in food and drink containers. (You can often figure out plastics which contain BPA because they are rigid, and almost unbreakable. That is why BPA is found so frequently in baby bottles and sports drink bottles. If you drop them, they don’t break.) A study by the CDC estimated that 92.6 percent of Americans age 6 and above had measurable BPA in their bodies, and the number one source of that BPA is the plastic coating on the inside of cans. If you eat canned food, you have been absorbing BPA – damn, damn, damn!! (As with phthalates, BPA is an endocrine disruptor, with all the same dangers described in the section on Plastic #3 above.) Even if you don’t live in the US, don’t be complacent. Polycarbonate plastic is also used in common kitchen appliances, like coffee makers and blenders.
I took a stand for my family, will you for yours? Below is a picture of the “gift” I gave myself and my family for Father’s Day…
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Good insight and thanks for the education. I knew very little about certain toxic plastics and their efects and uses in our everyday lives. I like the glass idea as well as the aluminum bottles that we have. P.S. the picture looks great and so detailed!! HAHAHA