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Who out there composts? I am curious to hear about those of you in smaller spaces such as apartments.. I am composting agian for the first time in a long time now that we have the space, it is going well so far.. My sister-in-law and I did an experiment, she did an open outside compost pile and I did a container compost. So far her’s is driving her nuts with flies and mine is doing fine. Although i think hers is otherwise doing great, any of you out there no much about the subject? With the world the way it is it seems selfish to me not to reuse and recycle everything we can. If anyone out there has idieas on re-using your otherwise trash, please share it with us all 
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Awesome article on household dangers.. Nice that things are finally coming to light a little about how harmful so many things are to us. Maybe all the non-believers from before will finally start to realize the dangers that are being posed to us and our children and find alternative solutions.
10 Everyday Dangerous Things in Your Home
by Cristen Conger
Conger, Cristen. “10 Everyday Dangerous Things in Your Home.” 10 June 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/dangerous-home-products.htm> 25 July 2008.
Inside this Article
- Introduction to 10 Everyday Dangerous Things in Your Home
- Household Item 10: Mothballs
- Household Item 9: Pesticides
- Household Item 8: Pressed Wood Products
- Household Item 7: Carpet
- Household Item 6: Laser Printers
- See more »
- Household Item 5: Lead Paint
- Household Item 4: Air Fresheners and Cleaning Solutions
- Household Item 3: Baby Bottles
- Household Item 2: Flame Retardants
- Household Item 1: Cosmetics
- Lots More Information
- See all General Household Safety Tips articles
Either by accident or faulty manufacturing, household consumer products injure an estimated 33.1 million people in the United States every year [source: Consumer Product Safety Commission]. These incidents rack up an astonishing $800 billion in related expenses from death, injury or property damages [source: Consumer Product Safety Commission]. The Consumer Product Safety Commission that regulates and recalls products on the market emphasizes potential dangers to children in particular for hurting themselves with toys, furniture or other common items in the home. Read the rest of this entry »
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The ‘green’ way to dump electronic junk
Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:38 AM EDT
going-green, targetblank, recycling, technology, business, puckett, phones, recyclers, epa
 msnbc.com — Jennifer Alsever, MSNBC
David Best, president of Prism Software, unloads a truck full of old computer equipment Thursday Nov. 15, 2007 during an e-cycling event near the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Thousands of people lined up for blocks with carloads and truckloads of old consumer appliances needing to be recycled. The event sponsored by the Mall of America and the Materials Processing Corporation (MPC) will run through Saturday and is designed to help Minnesotans clean house and protect the environment against hazardous waste such as old monitors and televisions. “This saves us a ton of money,” exclaims Best, who owns the small software company which normally has to pay for electronics recycling. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella)
Erik Hodne’s Denver basement contains two computers, two printers, a stereo receiver, two VCRs, six cell phones, three cordless phones and two Palm Pilots.
Hodne is not a collector, and the machines carry no sentimental value. But like most Americans, Erik can’t figure out what to do with his old tech trash. The 36-year-old surgical tools salesman considered selling some of the items, but he hasn’t had time to figure out how much they’re worth or how to erase the machines of any personal information.
“I feel guilty throwing them in the trash,” said Hodne. “I have got this big 36-inch TV. It’s huge. What am I going to do with this thing? Chances are it will go the basement until one day I can figure out what to do with all this stuff.”
Millions of Americans are equally perplexed when it comes to disposing of old technology. Between 1980 and 2005, 180 million electronic products accumulated in storage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And in 2005, Americans tossed an estimated 1.5 million tons of computers, TVs, scanners, printers, faxing machines and cell phones into the trash.
The piles of e-waste will undoubtedly grow in coming months, as the switch to digital television looms. Starting in February 2009, broadcasters will no longer use analog signals, which means an analog TV that works fine today will be rendered useless without a digital converter box or a subscription to cable or satellite service.
The government has issued discount coupons for people to buy digital converter boxes from electronic retailers, and set up a Web site to answer questions about the digital TV switch, recycling and buying energy-efficient TVs.
So what do you do with your unwanted technology?
Avoid throwing old gadgets in the trash, because their inner workings can contain toxic materials including lead, beryllium, cadmium and flame retardants. If crushed or burned these materials can seep into the environment and harm human health. Many states prohibit dumping electronic equipment in the trash, although the EPA maintains that most U.S. landfills include proper liners and groundwater testing to prevent leaching.
The EPA has created a Web site to help you determine whether you should recycle or donate your e-waste. You can also find links and resources for recycling, donating or reselling your equipment at eBay’s Rethink Program. The eBay site also offers tools to erase data on computers and cell phone.
Reselling
If you’re considering reselling your equipment, you can go to Rethink to get started or research prices on eBay or on classified ad sites like craigslist. For $75 and up, you can look up market prices for digital cameras, car stereos, computers and televisions at Orion Blue Book.
CellForCash.com will buy certain models of cell phones, refurbish them and resell them as warrantee phones, pre-paid phones or emergency 911 phones provided to the elderly and victims of domestic abuse. If your phone isn’t one the business will buy, you can get a free shipping label, put your phone in box and mail it to CellForCash.com for recycling. Greenphone.com cuts checks and offers you points good toward gift certificates at retailers such as CircuitCity.com and Starbucks.
Donating
You can donate your technology to a number of organizations, including the National Cristina Foundation. You can go to its website, enter information about your old computer, laptop, fax machines, PDAs, digital cameras and other peripherals, and Cristina Foundation will search its database and connect you with local nonprofits and schools that need machines. Last year, the organization found homes for 50,000 pieces of old equipment. Through eBay Giving Works, you can sell an item on eBay and donate part or all of the final sale price to the nonprofit of your choice.
Before you sell or donate your equipment, you should clear the devices of any personal information. You can find tools online for erasing your cell phone or PDA’s memory and to clear your computer hard drive. A number of companies offer software to wipe computer memory, including Blannco Data Cleaner, , WipeDrive and CyberCide Data Destruction. People can find more on wiping their hard drive on the EPA’s website.
Recycling
Recycling can save energy and valuable resources, including the mining of precious metals and the manufacturing new plastics. Yet most people do not know where to take their equipment. There are more options than you might realize.
You can go to the EPA site for a list of manufacturers and technology companies that offer recycling and links to their programs.
Waste Management, the $13 billion garbage collection company, is planning to expand aggressively into recycling electronics. The company joined Sony last year to open 75 recycling drop-off sites, and the two companies ultimately plan to open 1,000 locations within 20 miles of 95 percent of the population.
“We see it as a huge opportunity in the next three to five years and beyond,” said Waste Management’s Richard Abramowitz. The drop-off centers will recycle Sony products at no cost to consumers. The sites will charge $5 to $50, depending on the market area and size of the equipment, to recycle other brands. To find the nearest drop-off center, you can call 877-439-2795.
Staples recycles laptops, printers, monitors, computers and fax machines at its 1,400 stores for $10 each. The retailer also accepts peripherals like computer mice, keyboards, cell phones, PDAs and rechargeable batteries for free.
Dell Inc. also offers free recycling of Dell branded products with no purchase required and will recycle other branded products with the purchase of a new Dell computer. You can check out their options at Dell’s recycling Web site.
You can drop off your old cell phones off at AT&T stores and cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink cartridges at Best Buy stores. Motorola’s recycling program lets you print prepaid shipping labels online and send in any brand cell phone to be recycled. Participating K-12 schools can earn money for each phone returned. The Collective Good will also collect and recycle your old cell phone.
Choose carefully
Be cautious when choosing a recycler, because many recyclers ship high-tech trash to Third-World countries to take advantage of lax regulations, according to the Basel Action Network, an environmental nonprofit organization. Best Buy, Motorola, Dell, Staples, Sony and Waste Management say equipment collected does not get shipped overseas.
Jim Puckett, director of the Basel Action Network, said many U.S. recyclers make money by collecting recycling fees and then selling the waste to brokers who ship it overseas. In China, Puckett and investigators watched workers paid $1 a day pull apart equipment by hand or hammer. They burned wires or cooked circuit boards to pull off resellable chips, then dipped those chips in acid and poured the leftover residues straight into the rivers, says Puckett.
Such methods expose workers to contaminants such as lead and cadmium, a known carcinogen. Recyclers also ship computers to Africa, where local entrepreneurs pay for second-hand machines. The vast majority of computers shipped cannot be recycled, repaired or sold and are dumped and burned, harming the environment and human health. When the plastics are burned it creates even more toxic substances such as dioxins and cancer-causing hydrocarbons, said Puckett.
“It’s a lot easier to shunt it off to Third-World countries,” Puckett said. “You really have to watch out when there is a free take-back event. Most are funneling everything offshore.”
The Basel Action Network provides a list of recyclers that have promised not to dump material overseas. These recyclers have agreed to let the group monitor their recycling practices and vendors.
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UNDISCLOSED CARCINOGENS IN COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS POSE AVOIDABLE RISKS OF CANCER WARNS SAMUEL EPSTEIN, M.D.
CHICAGO, 01/15/01/PRNewswire/ - - The following was released by Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition and emeritus Professor of Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago
Government scientists recently identified a group of toxic chemicals known as phthalates in urine of adults, with highest levels in premenopausal women, resulting from inhalation and skin exposure to volatile parent ingredients used extensively as solvents and plasticizers in personal care and cosmetic (PCC) products. These include perfumes, shampoos, hair sprays and nail polishes. These findings raise major concerns in view of documented evidence, dating back to 1985, that these phthalates induce birth defects, low sperm counts, and other reproductive toxicity in experimental animals. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), authorized by the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to ban unsafe PCC products, responded that it will now “consider” this longstanding information. While obviously important, the phthalate findings merely reflect the tip of an iceberg of more fundamental problems which have received minimal, if any, attention, from Congress, the media and the public.
The FDA’s relaxed response reflects reckless regulatory abdication matched by unresponsiveness of mainstream industries. A 1990 report by the U.S. General Accounting Office charging that the FDA commits no resources for assessing PCC safety had no impact on the agency’s policies. The agency’s sole requirement is restricted to ingredient labeling of PCC products, with the exception of fragrances and perfumes. With rare exceptions, such as children’s bubble baths, the FDA has never required industry to label PCC products with any warning of well-documented toxic or cancer risks, nor has it banned the sale of unsafe products to an unsuspecting public.
· Black and dark brown permanent hair dyes contain numerous ingredients, such as diaminoanisole and FD&C Red 33, recognized as carcinogens in experimental animals. This evidence is supported by studies establishing that regular use of these dyes poses major risks of relatively rare cancers–non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and multiple myeloma.
· Cosmetic grade talc is carcinogenic in experimental animals. Also, frequent genital dusting with talc, routinely practiced by some 17% of women, increases risks of ovarian cancer.
· A group of widely used preservatives, such as quaternium15 and bronopol, widely used in baby products, though not carcinogenic themselves, break down to release formaldehyde, a potent irritant and carcinogen.
· Lanolin, widely used on babies’ skin and nipples of nursing mothers, is commonly contaminated with DDT and other carcinogenic pesticides.
· Commonly used PCC detergents and foaming agents, such as polysorbates and PEG, are usually contaminated with the volatile carcinogen dioxane, although this could be easily removed by vacuum stripping during manufacture.
· DEA, another widely used chemical detergent, has been known since 1975 to combine with nitrite preservatives or contaminants in PCC products to form a highly carcinogenic nitrosamine. Furthermore, recent government studies showed that DEA itself is also carcinogenic following application to mouse skin.
Citizen petitions to the FDA by the Cancer Prevention Coalition in 1994 and 1996 detailing evidence on the cancer risks of talc and DEA-containing products, respectively, and “Seeking Carcinogenic Labeling “ on these products, met with no substantive response.
Concerns on cancer risks from PCC products are emphasized by: lifelong use of multiple products by the majority of the U.S. population; the ready skin absorption of carcinogenic ingredients, further increased by detergents, especially when left on the skin for prolonged periods; and by decades-long suppression of information by the FDA and industry, abetted by a roll-over media, in flagrant denial of consumers’ right-to-know. Mainstream industry products thus pose major risks of avoidable cancer. Their role in the escalating incidence of cancer, now striking one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes, remains largely unrecognized by our apparently health conscious society. Armed with such information, consumers should protect themselves by shopping for safe alternative products available from the growing non-mainstream industry.
NOTE: Information on carcinogenic PCC products and on safe alternatives is detailed in: Epstein, “The Politics of Cancer Revisited” (Appendix 14), 1998, East Ridge Press, Hankins, NY (800) 269-2921; Cancer Prevention Coalition’s website www.preventcancer.com; and Steinman & Epstein, “The Safe Shoppers’ Bible”, 1995, Macmillan/IDG, New York (800) 434-3422.
SOURCE CANCER PREVENTION COALITION
- 0 -
/CONTACT: Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition and emeritus Professor of Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, 312-996-2297, epstein@uic.edu
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Back in the day when washboards and clotheslines were the norm, a tub full of water and a bar of lye soap, sunlight, wind and a lot of elbow grease were the only things needed to clean, bleach and dry a load of clothes. But today’s modern conveniences—mega-sized washers designed to launder for an NFL team, dryers that bake your clothes, detergents with their own muddy footprints—have upped the eco demands of this unavoidable task.
Awash in Chemicals
Thanks to government trade-secret laws, manufacturers of cleaners aren’t required to disclose ingredients on product labels, making it difficult for consumers to choose an environmentally preferable and healthier alternative.
Although phosphates, still used in dishwashing detergents and known to promote algae growth that in turn suffocates aquatic life, have been phased out of laundry detergents, health risks remain with other laundry chemicals, most notably nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). NPEs are surfactants (chemicals that help other ingredients penetrate dirt and grime) that belong to a class of hormone-disrupting compounds called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs). Unfortunately, “It’s added to lots of cleaning agents,” says Jason Marshall, lab manager at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute.
Popular because they’re inexpensive, petroleum-derived NPEs break down in the environment into nonylphenol, which harms the reproductive abilities and survival of fish. They also aren’t easily removed by wastewater-treatment facilities; Sierra Club has detected NPEs in 61 percent of U.S. streams tested. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), a common surfactant used instead of or in conjunction with NPEs and often listed on ingredients as “anionic surfactants,” doesn’t fare much better environmentally. Like phosphates, LAS can deprive water of oxygen and kill aquatic life.
Fortunately, NPEs are slowly being phased out in the U.S., thanks to European Union efforts to remove them, says Marshall. “Companies don’t want to make four different products with four different formulations,” he says.
Environmental and health concerns aside, detergents containing NPEs are less effective than those without, according to Consumer Reports tests. Still, detergent manufacturers have yet to find a perfectly healthy replacement for LAS, NPEs and other APE surfactants. Alcohol ethoxylates derived from plant and vegetable oils have a lighter impact but are created using a process called “ethoxylation,” which produces the probable human carcinogen 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct. Present in very small amounts in the final product, dioxane poses a serious cancer risk when inhaled at high levels in occupational settings.
Besides surfactants, petroleum-based synthetic dyes, fragrances and other chemicals are often added to detergents for aesthetic appeal. Synthetic fragrances may contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, which prevent the scent from dissipating but also provoke asthma and other respiratory problems (see “Body Burdened” www.thegreenguide.com/doc/109/cdc). A study published online at Environmental Health Perspectives this March suggested that phthalates also may be responsible for increased obesity in men. Optical brighteners, fluorescent chemicals used to make clothing appear cleaner, can rub off fabrics onto skin and cause rashes.
Detergents aren’t the only beasts to contend with. In 2005, chlorine-based bleaches caused 19,581 poisonings in U.S. children under 6 years of age, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. After disappearing down drains, chlorine reacts with environmental organic matter, creating harmful organochlorines such as dioxin. In 2000, testing found high levels of dioxin in San Francisco Bay fed in part by bleach from residential laundry use.
Also, those seemingly innocuous floral fabric softeners emit, among other chemicals, neurotoxic toluene and trimethylbenzene, styrene (a possible carcinogen), the respiratory irritants phenol and xylene, and thymol, which can cause abdominal distress, according to a study in the May 2000 issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. But safer alternatives abound; see the checklist (right) for ideas.
When picking detergents or bleach, less is best. “People should choose the simplest product that works well for them,” says Philip Dickey, staff scientist at the Washington Toxics Coalition. “None of [the fragrances, dyes or brighteners] have any effect on how clean clothing is, in terms of removing soil and stains,” he adds.
Don’t be fooled either by undefined, non-verified labels such as “non-toxic,” “biodegradable” and “organic” (only meaningful on food and some personal care products). When possible, choose products that disclose all ingredients on labels, as many eco-friendly product manufacturers do, and look for words that indicate what’s not in the cleaner, i.e., “chlorine-free” and “no NPEs.”
Water, Water Everywhere
Alongside those chemicals swirling down the drain, the machines in your laundry room may be washing resources and money away. Washing machines can use as much as 40 gallons of water per load, whereas Energy Star-rated machines use around half that.
Water conservation is crucial—and no longer just in the West. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that cities nationwide are placing undue stress on groundwater supplies to support population and industrial growth, and that stress can lead to increased pumping that causes saltwater pools to infiltrate freshwater supplies. The World Wildlife Fund last March listed the Rio Grande as one of the world’s 10 top rivers at risk, largely due to excessive water extraction that led to saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico; increased salinity has already displaced 32 of the river’s 121 native marine species. “In any area of increased population, there’ll be an increased demand for water,” says Lynn Torak, USGS hydrologist, noting that most of the Atlantic seaboard, from Long Island, New York, into the Florida peninsula, faces this problem.
Switching from liquid detergents to powders is another easy way to reduce your water burden. “Laundry liquids contain a significant amount of water, presently 70 to 80 percent, soon to be reduced to 40 to 60 percent in double and triple compact concentrates,” says Martin Wolf, director of product and environmental technology at Seventh Generation. “It costs energy and packaging to bring this water to the consumer,” he says; that’s unnecessary when your machine will add water on its own.
Live Free AND Dry
What’s the most efficient, conservative—and free—tool in your laundry room? Sunlight. Not only is it a natural bleaching agent and disinfectant but line drying a single load of clothes saves approximately 2.6 kWh of electricity and prevents 3.35 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Even so, line drying laundry isn’t always practical. To tread lightly, and dryly, opt for a dryer with more efficient settings, such as a moisture sensor, which shuts the dryer off automatically when fabrics are dry, and an air-dry feature, which dries your clothes with cold air, cutting down on energy use and wrinkles. Also, set your washer on the fastest spin cycle—front-loading washers have the advantage of faster spin times—reducing the water in your clothes beforehand. Energy Star doesn’t yet rate dryers, but Consumer Reports has found that gas dryers are cheaper to run and have a lighter eco impact.
To protect your health, avoid dryer sheets, which may be treated with the same harmful chemicals as those in liquid fabric softeners. These sheets and similar reusable cloths are also made from synthetic, petroleum-based chemicals that don’t biodegrade in landfills. Some companies have introduced reusable products that will soften clothes and eliminate static cling; among the most advertised are dryer balls made from polyvinyl chloride, which releases carcinogenic dioxin during production and may release hormone-disrupting phthalates during use. Instead, reduce static cling by drying natural fibers and synthetics separately, or add one-fourth of a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle.
One Last Wrinkle
Irons can consume up to 1,800 watts of energy, and if used for two hours, one iron emits 4.8 pounds of carbon dioxide. Line drying clothes, air drying with cold air or removing them from the dryer immediately will keep wrinkles to a minimum.
Furthermore, irons and ironing-board covers may be treated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is used to prevent sticking and stains. Also used on clothes that claim to be stain- and wrinkle-repellent, PFOA is a persistent chemical that has been detected in the blood of virtually all Americans (see www.thegreenguide.com/blog/worrywart/386). It was found in 2004 to cause cancer in lab animals, and while DuPont, the only manufacturer of PFOA in the U.S., disputed those findings, the company agreed to eliminate the chemical by 2015.
To prevent your cleaning chores from getting too dirty, choose the alternative laundry products listed in our checklist (above). And if you’re inspired to return to simpler times, that bucket and washing board are still worthy options. Plus, spring’s warmer weather freshens up line-dried clothes better than any chemical.
Six Suggestions for a Lighter Load
1 - Greener Laundry Detergent
Seventh Generation (www.seventhgeneration.com), Ecover (www.ecover.com) and Bi-O-Kleen (www.bi-o-kleen.com) make both powder and liquid laundry detergents without problematic chemicals. They also disclose ingredients; opt for “fragrance free” alternatives where available, as even essential oil fragrances can irritate sensitive skin.
2 - DIY Detergent Concoctions
For a base, use Vermont Sunshine ($12.98/32 oz.; www.vermontsoap.com) or Dr. Bronner’s ($14.49/32 oz.; www.drbronner.com) liquid castile soaps or Dri-Pak Pure Soap Flakes ($9.95/1-lb. bag; www.msodistributing.com). Combine them with washing soda, which cuts grease (because it’s caustic, always wear gloves when handling); borax, which removes stains (this can cause vomiting if ingested, so keep away from pets and kids); baking soda, which reduces static and softens fabrics; or white vinegar, which softens fabrics, reduces static and bleaches clothes.
3 - Chlorine-free Bleach
Hydrogen peroxide-, percarbonate- and oxygen-based bleaches come in liquid and powder forms. Ecover Non-Chlorine Bleach Liquid ($5.59) and Powder ($4.09; www.kokogm.com); Bio-Pac Non-Chlorine Bleach Powder ($55.20/10-lb. bulk; www.bio-pac.com). Or choose plain hydrogen peroxide, available in the first-aid section of drugstores.
4 - Efficient Washer/Dryer
The Whirlpool front-loading LHW0050P is the most energy- and water-efficient washer currently rated by Energy Star ($799). The matching LEW0050P electric dryer has energy-saving features like moisture sensors and an air-dry option ($599; www.whirlpool.com). The single-unit LG WM3431HW All-in-One Washer Dryer consumes fewer resources during manufacture and is Energy Star-rated at 56 percent more efficient than federal standards ($1,497; www.lgwasherdryer.com).
5 - Outdoor “Dryers”
Abundant Earth’s drying racks are made with wood scraps and new wood from second-growth, not old-growth, forests ($23-$76; www.abundantearth.com). String Rawganique’s mildew-resistant 12 mm-diameter organic hemp rope between two sturdy objects for a clothesline ($40/about 72 feet; www.rawganique.com).
6 - Natural Fiber Baskets
Choose non-synthetic, petroleum-free laundry baskets and bags: Baska willow baskets ($6.99) and hampers ($16.99; www.ikea.com); Rectangular ($50) or Oval ($60) Palm Leaf Baskets with smooth interiors to prevent snags (www.containerstore.com); Acme Bags Organic Cotton Messenger bag ($14.95; www.reusablebags.com).
from ‘Green Guide”..
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Here’s the new low down on plastics. The ’safe’ and ‘avoid’ of food storage and usage..
If you look on the bottom of any plastic item, most of them are marked with a triangle that contains a number. Here’s the list according to the ‘Green Guide’ on what’s safe and what’s not.
A. Some types of plastics can leach traces of chemicals into foods and beverages. These chemicals include suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to reproductive system harm. Plastic used for containers can be identified by their recycling codes, as listed below. Most wraps on pre-packaged foods lack identifying symbols. As a precaution, you can unwrap these foods and store them in nontoxic glass, ceramic or steel bowls, or Ziploc bags (made of LDPE). Heat promotes leaching: To be safest, never microwave or heat foods in plastics.
#1 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET): No known hazards.
#2 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE): No known hazards.
#3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl): Plasticizers are added to many PVC products to make them flexible. These include phthalates — suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). DEHA, another possible endocrine disruptor, was found to leach from PVC cling wraps into cheese in 1998 tests by Consumer Reports. Grocery stores commonly use PVC to wrap deli meats and cheeses. Reynolds cling wrap is PVC. Appalachian Mountain spring water and some vegetable oils are bottled in PVC. And PVC’s manufacture and incineration produces highly toxic dioxins, as does the PVDC used in Saran Wrap, according to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports.
#4 Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE): No known hazards.
#5 Polypropylene (PP): No known hazards.
#6 Polystyrene (PS or Styrofoam): Made from styrene, a suspected carcinogen, PS also contains p-nonylphenol; both chemicals are suspected EDCs. Do not consume fatty foods or alcoholic beverages from Styrofoam containers; styrene can leach into these substances. Some opaque plastic cutlery is PS, as well.
#7 Other Resins, including Polycarbonate (PC): Most clear plastic baby bottles and 5-gallon water bottles are made of PC. Bisphenol-A, an EDC in PC, has been found in water and heated infant formulas bottled in PC, as well as food cans lined with a plastic film.
Resources:
The Green Guide #88/89: Shopper’s Guide to Plastics and Food
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I’m sure many of you are like me and tired of transferring all the junk mail to the trash daily. There are some links on the home page of my site that will help eliminate about half of the junk but not all of it. Many of the neighborhood store ad’s and flyer’s will still come daily. I was doing some calling around and found that if you look hard enough on each flyer or mailer you will find a phone number, usually it says it’s for advertising, but if you call and ask to be off the mailing list they have to take you off. Between those two methods I have managed to eliminate my mass pages of junk mail a day! Thankfully we are down to our actual mail at this point. HURRAY! I probably just saved part of a rain forest somewhere..lol
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