Will you do me a favor and open up your pantry? OK, go ahead and count the number of plastic bottles, bags, and aluminum cans. Don't feel bad. Mine looks/looked like that too. It is the first place where I am overhauling our lives to be a little less toxic. Think I am over-reacting? Let's look at some stats.
Bisphenol-A is a chemical associated with obesity and endocrine disruption. Your endocrine system allows your hormones to be balanced, and disruptors like BPA...well, they disrupt. They are known to lead to cancers, fertility issues, behavior disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Check out the full story of where BPA is hiding here.
BPA is hiding in aluminum can linings and plastics. Even if the plastics say "BPA free", I am still working hard to take the load off of the environment by reducing our amount of plastic altogether. If you are looking for ground zero to start changing habits, start in the kitchen! When plastics are heated in the microwave or dishwasher, the BPA leeches out into the food we eat. When food sits inside a can, the same thing happens, but is actually much worse (see the article above). On top of the BPA issue, plastic is literally causing trash swirls (5 of them) in our oceans and will stay in our landfills long after we are gone.
So, have I convinced you? Let's get down to it and make some swaps:
1. Boxes > Bags and bottles. Think about OJ in the carton, soup in a box, oils in a glass bottle, cereal in a box over bag. I know I am a sucker for novel packaging, and often that means that the noodles are in a bag. Resist!
2. Mason jars to the rescue! I used to think of these jars as overplayed, trendy, and annoying. I didn't see the point, until one day we ran out of our disposable plastic containers for leftovers. I was frantic to save this spaghetti sauce and get on with my night, so I poured it into a jar. And was quite pleased with my discovery. And yeah, I know grandmas have been doing this for 100 years. We use them for all our leftovers (even champagne!)
3. Glass/ceramic cookware > non-stick cookware. This one will take me a few years to attain, but I am looking at these pretty choices, along with regular glass bakeware from Target, to replace my non-stick stuff.
4. Bento boxes > baggies. Think of how cute your lunch will be with one of these options (and plastic-free, if you choose a stainless steel one. And you can be assured that your kids' lunch is packed safely, as well. And you can see my Lunchskins paper bag above (with the apples on it).
4. Buy in bulk. I never realized how environmentally friendly the bulk section really is, if you do it the right way. If you buy 10 things and use 10 plastic bags, not so much. If you buy 10 things and bring your own bulk or produce bags tucked into your reusable shopping bags, there's no plastic!
6. Bamboo/wood cooking utensils. When you're cooking on the stovetop and you decide your spatula has had enough wear and tear, consider replacing it with a good old wooden spoon that will eventually biodegrade.
7. Skip the Saran Wrap. There are some really cool alternatives to plastic wrap, which is a concerning product for many reasons.
8. Reusable grocery bags > plastic bags. They're so bad, guys. I am guilty of having 1 billion of them myself, so it makes me sick to think of the amount we collectively own. And it is NOT easy to skip that plastic bag in some stores. The cashiers really want to give them to you! I love paper bags and use them for our recycling. I am going to try my best to keep reusable bags in my car and remember to take them inside the store!
I don't think you need to change all 8 of these items today. Pick one per month, maybe. Which one will you try?
Bisphenol-A is a chemical associated with obesity and endocrine disruption. Your endocrine system allows your hormones to be balanced, and disruptors like BPA...well, they disrupt. They are known to lead to cancers, fertility issues, behavior disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Check out the full story of where BPA is hiding here.
BPA is hiding in aluminum can linings and plastics. Even if the plastics say "BPA free", I am still working hard to take the load off of the environment by reducing our amount of plastic altogether. If you are looking for ground zero to start changing habits, start in the kitchen! When plastics are heated in the microwave or dishwasher, the BPA leeches out into the food we eat. When food sits inside a can, the same thing happens, but is actually much worse (see the article above). On top of the BPA issue, plastic is literally causing trash swirls (5 of them) in our oceans and will stay in our landfills long after we are gone.
So, have I convinced you? Let's get down to it and make some swaps:
1. Boxes > Bags and bottles. Think about OJ in the carton, soup in a box, oils in a glass bottle, cereal in a box over bag. I know I am a sucker for novel packaging, and often that means that the noodles are in a bag. Resist!
2. Mason jars to the rescue! I used to think of these jars as overplayed, trendy, and annoying. I didn't see the point, until one day we ran out of our disposable plastic containers for leftovers. I was frantic to save this spaghetti sauce and get on with my night, so I poured it into a jar. And was quite pleased with my discovery. And yeah, I know grandmas have been doing this for 100 years. We use them for all our leftovers (even champagne!)
3. Glass/ceramic cookware > non-stick cookware. This one will take me a few years to attain, but I am looking at these pretty choices, along with regular glass bakeware from Target, to replace my non-stick stuff.
4. Bento boxes > baggies. Think of how cute your lunch will be with one of these options (and plastic-free, if you choose a stainless steel one. And you can be assured that your kids' lunch is packed safely, as well. And you can see my Lunchskins paper bag above (with the apples on it).
6. Bamboo/wood cooking utensils. When you're cooking on the stovetop and you decide your spatula has had enough wear and tear, consider replacing it with a good old wooden spoon that will eventually biodegrade.
7. Skip the Saran Wrap. There are some really cool alternatives to plastic wrap, which is a concerning product for many reasons.
8. Reusable grocery bags > plastic bags. They're so bad, guys. I am guilty of having 1 billion of them myself, so it makes me sick to think of the amount we collectively own. And it is NOT easy to skip that plastic bag in some stores. The cashiers really want to give them to you! I love paper bags and use them for our recycling. I am going to try my best to keep reusable bags in my car and remember to take them inside the store!
I don't think you need to change all 8 of these items today. Pick one per month, maybe. Which one will you try?
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