Updated 7/19.
Each night at dinnertime, a familiar ritual played out in Michael Green’s home: He’d slide a stainless steel sippy cup across the table to his two-year-old daughter, Juliette, and she’d howl for the pink plastic one.
Often, Green gave in. But he had a nagging feeling.
As an environmental-health advocate, he had fought to rid sippy cups and baby bottles of the common plastic additive bisphenol A (BPA), which mimics the hormone estrogen and has been linked to a long list of very serious health problems. Juliette’s sippy cup was made from a new generation of BPA-free plastics, but Green, who runs the Oakland, California-based Center for Environmental Health, had come across research suggesting some of these contained synthetic estrogens, too. (source)
We’ve known for decades that BPA and has estrogenic activity (EA).
But Now We Have BPA-free Options, Right?
Mother Jones, in a well-researched article, The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics … And the Big Tobacco-Style Campaign to Bury It compares plastics industry methods to those used by Big Tobacco, noting that the plastics and chemical industries rely on the same scientists and consultants who have spent decades defending Big Tobacco. To the plastics industry, this is a battle for public perception, not about public health and safety.
A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives showed results that, “Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled—independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source—leached chemicals having reliably detectable estrogenic activity (EA)………..including those advertised as BPA-free.
In some cases, BPA-free products released chemicals having more estrogenic activity than BPA-containing products. (source)
How Estrogenic Activity (EA) is Messin’ With Both Boys & Girls
Chris Kresser puts it this way, “The best way to think of chemicals with EA is as a counterfeit key fitting into a loose lock. When these chemicals activate the estrogen receptor, they produce an increase in circulating estrogen, which in turn can cause problems such as:
- very early puberty in girls (7 and 8 year olds) (in developing girls)
- reduced sperm counts
- altered function of the male reproductive organs (male infants, boys, and men)
- obesity
- increased rates of certain cancers (see this for connection between plastics and breast cancer)
- problems with infant and childhood development
(photo source: Jutta Klee/Corbis –Puberty In 2nd Grade Becoming Ever More Common)
“Vulnerable populations such as women, pregnant women, developing fetuses, infants and children are especially sensitive to even very low doses of chemicals with estrogenic activity.”
“A poison kills you,” says biology professor Frederick vom Saal. “A chemical like BPA reprograms your cells and ends up causing a disease in your grandchild that kills him.“
BPA-free Plastics Are Not Free of Estrogenic Activity!
In the Environmental Health Perspectives study (above), Yaniger et al. set out to determine the estrogenic activity (EA) of commonly used plastic consumer products.
They bought more than 500 plastic products at places like Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Target, and other major retailers. They selected from all categories of plastic, including Tupperware containers, bags, and wraps.
Then they cut the containers into pieces, put them into liquids that contain similar chemicals found in food and drinks, and subjected them to stresses that mimic normal use, like UV light (sunlight), microwaving, or moist heat (like boiling or dishwashing).
Their results showed that over 90 percent of the products leached estrogenic chemicals before they were even stressed, and after being stressed essentially all of the products showed estrogenic activity. (source)
According to Stuart Yaniger, one of the lead authors of the study:
“Baby bottles, plastic bags, plastic ware, plastic wrap, clamshell food containers, stand-up pouches: Just about anything you can think of that’s made of plastic that food or beverages are wrapped up in, we found this activity. It was shocking to us.”
Which Plastics Have Estrogenic Activity? It Is Impossible To Tell.
Perhaps the most troubling finding of this study is that it’s currently impossible to determine which consumer plastic products are likely to have chemicals with EA, and which are not. The exact chemical composition of most plastic products is proprietary and thus not known, and a single plastic item containing many parts (e.g. a baby bottle) may consist of >100 chemicals, all of which can leach from the product.
In light of the researchers’ finding that nearly all of the 500 plastic products they tested leached when stressed, and 90 percent of them leached even without stress, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that most plastic products you can buy in the store have chemicals with estrogenic activity.
Taking the ‘Ick’ Out of Toxic – What You Can Do
Here’s a list of things you can do to reduce your baby and children’s estrogenic exposure to chemicals with EA. (source)
- Do not microwave food in plastic containers.
- Use glass containers and canning jars at home for food storage. Be aware that the lids of Mason, Ball, and Kerr brand canning jars are now BPA-free lids, but they still may contain chemicals with EA. Weck makes 100% glass jars with safe rubber rings that are a good alternative. Crate and Barrel sells them here and Amazon here
.
- Where possible, use glass or stainless steel containers in the freezer instead of freezer bags.
- Use a stainless steel (unlined) water bottle (like the Kleen Kanteen
- Don’t drink bottled water from plastic bottles, especially when they’ve been exposed to sunlight.
- Parents: use glass baby bottles instead of plastic. Evenflo is a commonly available brand you can buy at Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, etc. and online at Amazon
Safe Drinking Alternatives to Plastics For Baby and Up
Mason Bottle is a company that makes adaptors for turning smaller glass mason jars (4 or 8 oz.) into baby bottles! Mason Bottle Silicone Nipples. For mamas who are freezing milk, you could even freeze in the jars instead of plastic bags to eliminate chemical leaching during storage and thawing/warming up. Use with JarJackets Silicone Mason Jar Protector Sleeves.
Another made by Eco Vessel that is made with two layers of vacuum sealed #304 food grade stainless steel – no BPA, no phthalates, no liner. Nuk sippy spout made from medical grade silicone. And Green Sprouts Sip & Straw Cup Made from Glass | Liquids only Touch Silicone & Glass
Also LIFEFACTORY GLASS BOTTLES and KLEEN KANTEEN STAINLESS BOTTLES have been tested lead-free!
A word of warning: it would be very expensive to solve this in your home overnight. If you can afford it, go ahead. Instead, if you are on a tight budget, you can begin replacing things – little by little – as so many others are doing. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
It is impossible to get away from all plastics, but to be informed is powerful. It is also true that we will not live forever and that we must trust God in all things through faith. Ask for wisdom (James 1:5), do the best you can, and then move on.
Please leave any helpful suggestions and alternatives in the comments.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” ~James 1:5
Photo via Creative Commons
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Thanks for reading!
Jill York says
I prefer glass for sure! It can get expensive sometimes to switch over, especially sippy cups that are easily misplaced. As you said, little by little is better than nothing. Great information!
Jacqueline says
Thanks, Jill 🙂 We’re almost there!
Charlotte Moore says
How scary!! My husband says that is why you need to say Grace at everything you eat because you do not know what you are putting in your body a lot of the time.
BLESSINGS!!!
Jacqueline says
Wow! I agree with him, Charlotte. Thanks in ALL things 😀
Toni says
Great post, Jacqueline! Thank you for such a thoughtful and helpful article.
I don’t trust anything plastic – yes, call me a plasti-phobe, but call me safe in the same breath. And, in my opinion, there is nothing uglier than old Tupperware. O.O My mom’s cabinets were full of it, and I spent my growing up years washing and loathing that stuff, horrid memories. Glass is so much better and may save us untold dollars in health costs later on.
Hope you’re having a great week!
Sarah Muela says
When you say the Ball jar lids still have EA, are you talking about the new plastic lids or the old metal ones?
Can you recommend any containers for freezing? That’s really the only place I use plastic! It’s so nice to be able to make a double batch of a meal and freeze for later.
JES says
Wow, one more thing to watch out for… Thank you for sharing this. It is hard to get away from the freezer plastic items because I have had so much glass breakage in there but I will get rid of my outside “plastic BPA” cups… and we shall see what else.
Jacqueline says
Way yo go, JES! I think anything we can do (a little at a time) is helpful. Our daughter just took an old plastic sports water bottle that I missed, so it’s going bye-bye, too. I also just got rid of tall plastic cups and will be switching from the occasional paper plates for a cookout (which are coated) to the old-style spatterware tin plates as a replacement. I have always had them, but just used paper plates. That should save some money in the long run!
I’ll come link up!
Lacey says
Thank you for this information. My husband asked about PEX tubing that is used in plumbing these days. We are in the middle of a large plumbing project that has included an upgrade from our old cast iron to this newer PEX tubing. Should we consider running copper to our drinking water? It is the only line we have not yet had done. The other lines that go to the bathing areas are already done with the PEX tubing. Also, we were just sitting here talking about all the food we buy that comes in plastic-even veggies and fruits! We buy fresh chickens from a local farm and they are packaged in plastic bags. Our beef also comes from the locker wrapped in plastic. What alternative would there be for storing chickens and roasts, etc in the freezer? Also, if you store food in glass jars or containers (like Pyrex), and they have plastic lids, is the food in danger of EA from the lids even if the food never touched the lid but was sitting in glass???? (also popular now are those plastic Ball type of lids-if I were to carry my water in a glass Mason jar with a plastic lid would it leach chemicals into my water eventhough the water never touched the lid-because I remove the lid to take a drink?) You can tell my mind is whirling…
Jacqueline says
Lacey, I am running and need to leave soon, but I found this link for you: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/qa-spotlight/how-safe-pex-tubing A VERY interesting point you brought up! I am praying for you as you make (we all must make) some difficult decisions. Thanks for your wonderful whirling mind, sweet friend! ((Hugs!))
Lacey says
Neat website, thank you! I will certainly pass it on to my husband and appreciate your prayers for us. I am not sure what kind of a difference it will make what we do inside the house with the plumbing because my husband says the pipes bringing the water into the house from the well are all plastic as well 🙁
Stephanie Anne says
I have been slowly getting rid of all our plastics in the kitchen. My mother, bless her, outfitted my entire kitchen as a wedding gift. Unfortunately, it was all Tupperware and we didn’t know the effects of plastics then. It’s been a long process. Thanks for sharing this!
Heike says
Hi, this is Heike from Germany.
I use jars from Weck, witch are all made from glass.
You can use them for freezing as well as for canning.
http://weckjars.com/
Greetings
Heike
Jacqueline says
Aw, thanks Heike!!! I appreciate that, and am looking into freezing many things in glass. Weck just may be my favorite so far.
Have a terrific day 🙂
Kelli says
Hi Jacqueline. May I get an email address to reach you? I have a question I would love to ask. Thank you!
Jacqueline says
Sure, Kelli,
I’ll email you now.
Anna Parks says
Years ago while researching infertility I came across your article and several others on plastics. And little by little I’ve changed over to glass and stainless steel. Today my 16 month old gets his raw milk in a glass mason jar every morning. And we use and love the Pura sippy- that was one of the best purchases we made! And what a conversation price it is too, I’ve had endless comments and inquiries about it. And we’ll be needing to buy another one by next year- The Lord is blessing with another precious baby. Thank you for speaking the truth.
Jacqueline says
Anna, that makes me so happy!! I am so thankful it is helping your family – that is my greatest desire – that and sharing the goodness and wisdom from the Lord. Congratulations on your new precious little life <3 God bless you all abundantly, friend! I just know you are a wonderful mama~ <3
Yoly says
Hi Jacqueline. I recently found your website and I’m thankful I did.
Q. Until I change over all of the plastic (mostly plastic bags for freezing) will wrapping the items in parchment paper first help?
Thank you in advance.
Jacqueline says
Hi, Voly! I’m not there yet all the way either with the freezer bags, and am not sure what I think about using parchment paper. It is also possibly got come residual processing chemicals to be used right up close to wet things. I do use it for lining cookie sheets, etc . I have gone to some glass for high acid things, but until I get more solid info, I don’t know how to guide you! I am sorry 🙁 Very good question in light of all the problems already in our food supply. <3 I am just trusting the Lord will cover us in ways we cannot know! J
Yoly says
Thank you Jacqueline!
Lydia says
I know this is an older post, but I wanted to add that there is a company you can buy adapters for turning smaller glass mason jars (4 or 8 oz.) into baby bottles! Mason Bottle. Check them out! For mamas who are freezing milk, you could even freeze in the jars instead of plastic bags to eliminate chemical leeching during storage and thawing/warming up. Check them out! Masonbottle.com
Jacqueline says
Lydia, I love this idea! I would like to add this to the post when I get a moment! Thank you!
Sarah says
What do you recommend for toddlers for water and milk cups? I din’t Even know where to start looking. And am I correct that glass and stainless steel can be used for food storage in the freezer?
Jacqueline says
Hi, Sarah! Yes, they can be and are the best for keeping toxins out of food. I have some great alternatives to plastic in the post! Check them out! 😀