Category Archives: eco baby

Baby’s first Thanksgiving – making it special

Posted on November 12, 2009 by | 1 Comment

Green MommyWith Thanksgiving around the corner, many of us are planning our menus. What will it be this year – traditional fare or something new? Whatever it may be, effort and care will often go into the preparation. After all, it’s a special day that centers around a special meal.

So why not also make it just as special for your little one? Which would you prefer on Thanksgiving Day – a meal processed months ahead of time or one that was made from fresh vegetables and produce? If you’ve never made your own baby food, please take a look at an earlier post I did on how easy it really is, not to mention a lot less expensive than what you buy in stores.

Did you know that so many fruits and vegetables can be made easily by just steaming them in a steamer basket and then pureeing them? Why not consider giving your baby any of these listed below on Thanksgiving Day? (Remember to always give your baby a new food for 3-4 days in a row to test for allergies – this will mean planning ahead if your child has not had any of these foods yet.)

Simple steamed vegetables:

  • sweet peas
  • sweet potato
  • broccoli
  • green beans
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • corn
  • parsnips
  • pumpkin

Or, make some combinations:

  • carrots and squash
  • apples and squash
  • carrots and parsnips
  • corn and sweet potatoes
  • cranberries and apple juice

To make turkey:

  • Saute 1/2 cup of chopped carrots and onions in olive oil.  Brown 6 ounces of boneless, skinless turkey breast in the same pot along with a little bit of low-sodium chicken broth. Simmer until the turkey is cooked. Puree to the consistency you want.

If your baby is a vegetarian, for protein sources, you can serve any of these:

  • tofu
  • egg yolk
  • quinoa
  • cheese
  • beans
  • yogurt

For dessert, how about some:

  • steamed apples and cranberries
  • steamed apples
  • rhubarb and apples
  • pumpkin and apples

So consider a home-made meal for your baby’s first Thanksgiving – you just may end up sticking with it long after the holiday is over.

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Posted in eco baby, eco holidays

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And now a new concern with Bisphenol-A…

Posted on October 13, 2009 by | 3 Comments

Green MommyLast year, the realization of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in our toilet paper was all over the blogosphere. BPA is an endocrine disruptor that can cause disorders with chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. BPA is not put in toilet paper intentionally, but rather due to post-consumer sources of recycled thermal printing paper such as credit card receipts.

Just this week, I read an article from U.S. News & World Report (thanks Vital Juice Moms for bringing it to our attention!) in which one scientist’s concerns over BPA exposure from receipts is reported. John C. Warner of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry feels this BPA exposure is more harmful than that from cans and baby bottles. BPA from receipts can be transferred from your hands, onto your food, or is absorbed through the skin.

Mr. Warner explains that:

“When people talk about polycarbonate bottles, they talk about nanogram quantities of BPA [leaching out]. The average cash register receipt that’s out there and uses the BPA technology will have 60 to 100 milligrams of free BPA.”

U.S. News & World Report explains that by free, “it’s not bound into a polymer, like the BPA in polycarbonates. It’s just the individual molecules loose and ready for uptake.”

Mr. Warner  suggests that pregnant women should wash their hands after touching any receipts since the ones containing BPA are indistinguishable from those that do not. Mr. Warner’s observations have not been published yet or peer-reviewed.

Photo from Flickr by Dan4th

Photo from Flickr by Dan4th

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Cloth Diapering 411

Posted on September 22, 2009 by | 3 Comments

Joining us today is Robin, who blogs at No One Thing and From Dorms to Diapers.  After the Green Mommy wrote her post on eco disposable diapers, several readers asked the Eco Women for a post on cloth diapers.  Robin will be addressing that issue today.  The Eco Women appreciate her helpful, detailed post!

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Hello!  I am honored to be a guest blogger and share with you our adventures in cloth diapering.

It has become a joke among my friends that if cloth diapering were a religion, I would be a missionary.  I often say that if I had retail knowledge and the time/money to start a business, I would open a cloth diaper store.  THAT is how good I feel about our decision to cloth diaper.  I am not going on a religious mission or opening a shop — but I am thrilled to share what I have learned so far with you!

My son Micah is 15 months old and has been in cloth diapers since he came home from the hospital.  We made the decision to cloth diaper for several reasons — baby’s health, the environment, and cost savings.  The benefits of cloth diapers for the health of your baby, the earth and your wallet are well documented; here is one of my favorite sites listing these benefits.

There are several different types of cloth diapers available nowadays.  Guess what?  There are no sharp pins, the diapers are very easy to use, and less icky than disposables (I swear!).  There are also several different cloth diapering accessories available as well.  It is great to have so many options, but it can also be a bit overwhelming… I hope I can help with that.  My three favorite shops for diapers, accessories and info are: Kelly’s Closet, Tree City Diapers, and Cotton Babies.  All the items we have used are available at one or more of these shops.

First, the diapers.  We use two different brands of pocket diapers: BumGenius and FuzziBunz.  (Don’t you love the names?!)

BumGenius offers a few different styles of diapers; we chose the best selling One Size Diaper.  One size means just that — your babe will wear the same diaper the first days of his life and right up until potty training.  Snaps on the outside of the diaper and on the stuffable insert adjust the size to fit babies from 7 to 35 pounds.

PROS: The fleece is very soft against baby’s skin, the insert is very absorbent and can be even more absorbent with additional inserts, they never leak, velcro closures are easy to use, and they come in cute colors.

CONS: I admit they were pretty bulky on our little guy when he was a newborn.  Also, our velcro is getting worn after 15 months of use, but I have friends who hang dry (we machine dry) and they don’t seem to have this issue, plus air drying increases the hug-the-earth score!

BOTTOM LINE: Very fun, economical, convenient way to cloth diaper — just think about hanging to dry to extend the life of the diaper. Also note: Cotton Babies will give you replacement velcro kits FREE, all you need is sewing skills or some $ to pay someone on Etsy to do it for you.

FuzziBunz are the original pocket diaper.  A friend of mine used to do their PR and I ran into her right after buying 30 BumGenius for my little one.  She sang the praises of FuzziBunz and I was bummed I did not give them a closer look initially.  We only bought these recently when our BumGenius velcro started failing.  I am so thrilled we added these diapers to our stash.  They come in different sizes, which means the fit is fantastic.  Also, the fleece is amazingly soft and they come in wonderful bright colors.

PROS: Great fit, the fleece is very soft against baby’s skin, the insert is very absorbent and can be even more absorbent with additional inserts, they never leak, snap closures won’t wear out like velcro, and come in cute colors.

CONS: Sizes means you have to buy multiple sets of these diapers (although you will still save money vs. disposables), snaps don’t wear out like velcro, but require a little more cooperation from your little one during changes.

BOTTOM LINE: Amazing pocket diaper!

So, now for the accessories…

Cloth wipes — We have tried these, these, these, and these. All of the wipes are great.  I use a dry one to wipe away solid mess, then spray baby with this and wipe again with another clean, dry wipe.  Lots of moms make their own wipe solution, but I was never able to make one that did not irritate my baby’s super sensitive skin.  I also use sensitive skin throwaway wipes as well.

Diaper Sprayer — Some people swear by this, but I thought it was icky — a little too hands-on for me.

I much prefer Flushable Liners.   They are super easy, low ick-factor, and still earth friendly because they are made from natural materials and biodegrade in under a month.  Bonus: you can’t use diaper cream with most cloth diapers because it can alter the absorbency but when you use these, you can – although most cloth diapered babies rarely need diaper cream.  Since breast milk poop is water soluble and can go right in the wash, you don’t need these till 6 months or so.

Wet bags — These are an absolute cloth diapering must.  We have these for his room (hung on a hook near the changing station) and these for the diaper bag.  They are also useful for carrying toiletries on vacation and swimsuits at the pool!  We wash diapers every day or two and the poop goes in the toilet so his room never smells, which is a big plus compared with typical disposable diaper pails.

Hemp Inserts — We use these in the pocket diapers overnight for additional absorbency.  Our little guy sleeps 11-12 hours (we are lucky!) and still wakes up dry.

Laundry — We wash with Allen’s Naturally, as recommended by many cloth diapering websites.  All our diapers look great, even after 15 months of daily use.  Can’t complain!  We dry with dryer balls because dryer sheets alter the absorbency of cloth diapers.

Overall, there are more amazing products than ever, more resources and support than ever, and therefore more reasons than ever to cloth diaper.  We have found it to have all the benefits we hoped for and more.  The cloth diapers available these days are far cuter than any disposable, in fact I love letting our little guy run around in just a diaper… so cute!  I hope I have been helpful (and not too preachy!) to anyone considering cloth diapering their little one.

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Diapers, diapers, and more diapers: What’s a Green Girl to do?

Posted on September 11, 2009 by | 4 Comments

Green MommyBefore Girl Wonder was born, I looked into different diaper options for her. I started at the top of the eco-friendly choices and considered cloth diapers. I live in an apartment, though, with a washer and dryer four flights down, so washing them would have really been time consuming. I also didn’t think my neighbors would appreciate using the machines after I did.

So what’s a Green Girl to do when cloth isn’t an option? Let’s take a look.

gdiapers

gdiapersGdiapers are probably your “greenest” option after cloth since they’re plastic free and biodegradable. They can be flushed down the toilet (after giving them a “swirl” with a stick that’s part of the gdiapers kit), composted, or tossed into the garbage if you don’t compost or trust your plumbing. I tried gdiapers but didn’t stick with them because I personally didn’t like how wet they got so quickly. It is recommended that you change gdiapers more often than other “disposable” diapers and this, along with the fact that they’re a bit more costly, led me to look for other options. Gdiapers can be found at Babies R Us, Diapers.com, and Amazon, to name a few.

Nature Babycare Diapers

natures babycareNature Babycare Diapers are what I would consider the next down on the “eco” scale. They have been awarded the Eco Label “Good Environmental Choice” of Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), have no oil-based plastics against baby’s skin, are chlorine-free with natural based material, their packaging is based on 100% natural renewable material which is 100 % compostable, and are latex, fragrance, or TBT (tributyl tin) free. Nature Babycare diapers are made from 60% renewable raw materials, however, they are not 100% bio-degradable at this time. Nature Babycare diapers can be found at Diapers.com and some Target stores.

Tushies Gel Free Diapers

Tushies_AllSizes_LargeTushies Gel Free Diapes are latex-free, perfume-free, dye-free, TBT-free, GMO-free, are made from Chlorine-Free woodpulp, and do not contain recycled materials. Because these Tushies diapers are gel-free, they will need to be changed more often. Tushies Gel Free diapers can be purchased at Diapers.com

Seventh Generation

seventh diapersSeventh Generation’s diapers are Chlorine free, fragrance free, latex free, and hypoallergenic. They are not biodegradable. My daughter uses these at night and I’ve been very happy with them. Seventh Generation diapers can be found at many locations including Babies R Us and Diapers.com. I get mine through Amazon’s “Subscribe and Save” where it works out to about $8.00 a pack.

Earth’s Best Diapers

earths bestEarth’s Best Diapers are Chlorine free, latex-free, dye-free, perfume-free, and contain natural absorbent material such as corn and wheat. These diapers also are not biodegradable. I personally feel they have a really nice fit. Earth’s Best diapers can be found at Babies R Us, Amazon, and Diapers.com.

Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers

huggiesHuggies Pure and Natural Diapers are made from organic cotton. That’s where the “eco friendliness” ends. I  feel Huggies is pushing a whole lot of greenwashing with these. Because there’s no law stating how much organic material has to be used to call an item “organic”, these diapers could be made of 100% organic cotton, or very little. These diapers are also bleached with Dioxane.

So tell us, dear readers, have you tried any of these? Do you have any cloth diaper experience? Do you live outside the United States and use “eco” diapers I haven’t listed? We want to know.

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A list no Eco Warrior should be without

Posted on July 10, 2009 by | 4 Comments

Green MommyThere’s almost nothing the Green Mommy loves more than great online resources — ones that she can go back to again and again to get consistent, reliable information. Here’s a list of some of her favorites:

Friends of the Earth: This group has tested car seats, strollers, infant carriers, walkers, and other baby related gear for their levels of halogenated fire retardants and rated them with high, medium and low levels.

Healthy Car: This site lists car seats for their levels of toxic chemicals, such as bromine, chlorine, and lead.

Healthy Toys: Healthy Toys has tested 1,500 toys and children’s products for bromine, chlorine, lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic and given them a rating of low, medium, or high.

What’s On My Food: This site has a searchable database that allows you to see residue data from pesticides on food and information about each of the chemicals. You can check a list of 89 foods or search by pesticide name.

Environmental Working Group: The Eco Women have mentioned this site many times, but it really should be repeated for how helpful it is. Do you need information on safe sunscreen, personal care products, or the top foods you should buy organic? The list goes on and on for helpful information at this site.

Environmental Defense Fund: Visit this site for a handy card to keep in your wallet showing which fish are safest to choose when you’re deciding on dinner at a restaurant or supermarket.

The Soft Landing: The Soft Landing’s site and blog are favorites of mine for up-to-date, reliable information on many BPA, PVC and phthalate-free feeding supplies for children and babies.

Do you have any favorites of your own that we should all visit? Let us know!

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Posted in eco baby, food, health, personal care, Uncategorized, websites & blogs

You’re kidding, Coca-Cola, right?!

Posted on June 12, 2009 by | 7 Comments

The Washington Post reported last week that Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, Del Monte, and other manufacturers of canned foods and beverages, met to come up with a public relations and lobbying strategy to stop the government from banning the use of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, from being used in the linings of metal lids and cans.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. It has been shown to cause impaired brain and neurological functions, testicular and breast cancer, chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, early puberty, adult-onset diabetes, and obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. It can be found in some plastics with recycling code “7″, the lining of canned drinks and foods except for Eden Organic’s canned beans, canned baby formula, the lining of baby food jars, some plastic reusable water bottles, and some baby bottles (for a list of BPA-free baby bottles and other plastic baby items, click here). Canada and Suffolk County in New York have banned BPA in baby bottles and other states plan to follow suit.

The Washington Post obtained internal notes from the meeting which reported executives’ strategies on how to halt public concerns over BPA. Here are some of their ideas:

  • Use fear tactics: “Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?”
  • Highlighting costs of food with and without BPA: choosing the more expensive product that is frozen or fresh or foods packaged in cans
  • Using a public relations campaign: “Their ‘holy grail’ spokesperson would be a ‘pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA.’”

The Environmental Working Group, a group that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective policies, is asking us to speak up to Coca-Cola and Del Monte about this issue. Here’s what we can do:

  • Call these toll free numbers to protest: Coca-Cola 1-800-GET-COKE, ext. 2 and Del Monte 1-800-543-3090
  • Use this sample script if you’d like: “Hello, My name is ______________. I’m shocked and disappointed in your unethical approach to business when it comes to BPA – placing profits ahead of my family’s health and using fear tactics to placate consumers about a clearly dangerous chemical. BPA needs to go – NOW. Thank you.”
  • Send EWG an email describing the conversation to:     ewg@ewg.org
  • Get your friends to call.

There’s power in numbers. Let these big companies know that their customers have a voice that they should actually hear.

Photo from Flickr by Lepti

Photo from Flickr by Lepti

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Product Review – Bummas

Posted on February 25, 2009 by | 6 Comments

Right before Girl Wonder was born, I made sure to visit Skin Deep to find a diaper cream that had a “safe score” rating for it’s ingredients, just to have it handy in case it was needed. Not surprisingly, many “popular” brands didn’t have a rating I was comfortable with. Talc and powder were both items I didn’t purchase due to current findings that it can get in the air and therefore into little lungs.

Thankfully, Girl Wonder has never had a really bad diaper rash, but she does suffer from minor irritation, so I’ve used diaper cream on occasion.

Over the past few weeks, though, I’ve had to opportunity to try out a product that has to be the “safest” and “eco-friendly” way to take care of diaper issues. Bummas were developed by parents who’s own son suffered greatly from diaper rashes.

Bummas

Bummas

Bummas cloths can simply be used with water to wipe little bums and just as they are to dry them. This eliminates the need to go through hundreds (if not thousands!) of commercial wipes, and therefore never puts delicate skin in contact with synthetic chemicals and keeps non-biodegradable wipes out of landfills. Bummas can also be used with little boys to block “surprise squirts”!

Bummas are:

  • 100% cotton
  • soft cloths made of naturally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial terry cloth
  • 5″ x 7″ in size.
  • won’t pill, shrink, or fade.
  • come in colorful themed combinations with 10 in a pack.
  • will not shrink or fade.
  • are made in California, USA.

After two weeks of using Bummas, I saw a noticeable difference in Girl Wonder’s irritations. Who knew that something so simple could make such a huge difference.

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Do you really know what’s in your baby’s soap and shampoo?

Posted on September 25, 2008 by | 2 Comments

The Environmental Working Group has a website called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are.

“Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

At Skin Deep, you can find hundreds of specific items for hair, skin, eyes, nails, baby, oral care, fragrance, and makeup rated from 0-10, zero being the safest. Each item’s score is explained in detail and safer options are given.

The Green Mommy’s goal in this post was to give you some safe, inexpensive choices for baby shampoo and soap. Unfortunately, she’s unable to do this. She’ll list common items with their score and hazardous ingredients only to bring it to your attention, especially if you use these items. However, please bear with her and continue through this post to the end for her recommendation.

It needs to be noted that although Skin Deep gives products a “moderate hazard” score, some of them contain:

  • parabens – may cause breast cancer due to hormone mimicking properties
  • fragrance – often means Diethyl Phthalate or DEP, which is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to reproductive and genital abnormalities
  • propylene glycol (Disodium PEG-12 Dimethicone sulfosuccinate) – FDA says is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction
  • sodium laureth sulfate – can cause skin and eye damage
  • PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine and PEG-150 Distearate - unless vacuum stripped, contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which has been identified as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  • Quaternium-15 – may release formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen and can cause contact dermatitis from preservatives.
  • Citric Acid – can cause burning in the eyes.

Shampoo with a score of 3 having a “moderate hazard”:

Huggies Baby Wash, Extra Sensitive, Fragrance Free - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium PEG-12 dimethicone sulfosuccinate, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Shampoo with a score of 4 having a “moderate hazard”:

Johnson & Johnson Johnson’s Baby Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, Original - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance,PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Citric Acid

Johnson & Johnson Johnson’s Buddies Instant-Foam Easy Rinse Shampoo - Fragrance, Quaternium-15,Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Huggies Natural Care Wash - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Johnson & Johnson Johnson’s Original Baby Shampoo - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo, Tear Free - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate,Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Shampoo with a score of 5 having a “moderate hazard”:

Huggies Baby Wash Extra Gentle - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Citric Acid

Gerber Grins and Giggles Baby Wash for hair & Body, (Lavender and Oatmeal) - PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate,Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid

Shampoo with a score of 6 having a “moderate hazard”:

Mustela Bebe Foam Shampoo for Newborns - Fragrance, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Ethyparaben

Mustela Bebe Baby Shampoo – Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Laureth Sulfate, Ethyparaben

If the item you use for your child is not listed here, take a look at the ingredients and see if any of the chemicals listed above are in it. Or, go to Skin Deep and see how it is rated.

As The Green Mommy stated, the goal of this post was to give you inexpensive baby shampoo and soap choices. She just feels that the above items are no bargain when you see what’s in them and who they’re for. Therefore, she recommends that you go to your local health food store and purchase something with a lower score from Skin Deep. In some cases, you’ll be getting a safer item that’s not as expensive as you may think. For example, The Green Mommy has been using California Baby Shampoo & Bodywash Tea Tree & Lavender (with a safer score of “1″) since her daughter, Girl Wonder, was born 9 months ago. She has only now almost made it through the whole bottle after giving her a bath just about everyday because it’s concentrated. It cost The Green Mommy about $10.00 which means she’ll have paid a little more than $1.00 per month to use it. Safer and inexpensive – priceless.

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Suggestions and resources for avoiding Bisphenol-A

Posted on September 18, 2008 by | 3 Comments

By now you may have heard in the news about BPA, or Bisphenol-A, which is found in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are clear, hard plastics and epoxy resins coat the inside of almost all canned beverages and foods. It can be found in type 3 and type 7 plastics. BPA leaches into food and liquid faster when the plastic is heated.

BPA, is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. According to the Environmental Working Group, BPA has been linked to prostate cancer, breast cancer, and neurobehavioral changes in children who were exposed to it in the womb. The results of a new study out yesterday suggest a possible link between BPA and heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities. The FDA has concluded that BPA is not dangerous; however, Environmental groups are not happy about the report because they say the FDA’s conclusion relied on industry-funded studies.

Yesterday, the FDA met again and stated that BPA is safe but in the same breath, gave suggestions for how to avoid it. Many states decided months ago to not wait for this report and are acting on their own by banning the chemical in baby bottles. Legislation has even been introduced to ban BPA in children’s products. Canada has banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and New Jersey and at least 10 other states are evaluating bills to restrict use of BPA.

BPA has been getting a lot of attention due to the fact that it can be found in baby bottles, teething toys, pacifiers, and reusable water bottles but it doesn’t end there. Let’s start with things related to babies. Z Recommends offers the most comprehensive information I’ve ever come across on specific baby items that do not contain BPA. Their list has specific BPA-free choices for baby bottles, teethers, tableware, pacifiers, utensils, feeding aids, sippy cups and pumping supplies. They also offer a text messaging service where you can get “on the go” information sent to your phone when you’re out shopping for any of these items.

BPA is also found in the epoxy resin that seals the metal lids on ALL baby food in glass jars. Yes, even Earth’s Best organic baby food. There are a few BPA-free options. These would include prepared frozen baby food, such as Happy Baby or Yummy Spoonfuls, Gerber’s baby food in the plastic containers (type 7 plastic which has been confirmed by Green and Clean Mom to be a combination of type 1 and 2 plastics in this instance), or make your own.

Infant formula also comes in contact with BPA. Liquid formula in cans has the highest levels but it can also be found in the epoxy resin on the peel-back protective coverings on powder formula. Some liquid formula in plastic containers does not contain BPA. The Environmental Working Group has very useful information on their site about this.

Other non-baby related items where BPA can be found are canned goods. Acidic food, such as tomatoes, cause the BPA in cans to be even higher. Eden’s Organic beans are the only canned goods that do not contain BPA. It needs to be noted that any of their other canned goods do contain it. To avoid BPA, try to buy fresh or frozen foods or food in glass jars. Yes, the glass jars would contain BPA in the lids, as mentioned above, but it would be less than what is found in canned goods.

Reusable water bottles and reusable plastic food containers can also contain BPA. RubberMaid has put together a list of their BPA-free products and The Green Guide has made a very useful list on BPA-free safe containers.

When purchasing plastic items for your home, safer choices would be looking for those made from type 1,2,4 or 5 plastics. An easy way to remember this would be when holding up your hand, never point your middle finger (fingers 1,2, 4 and 5 will remain up!).

The Green Mommy isn’t going to tell you what to do, but as long as questions continue to arise about BPA, she’s going to play it safe and continue to avoid it with the many other options that are available.

Photo from Flickr by E-Rocks

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