Plastic phobe gift guide
Monday, December 17, 2012 at 1:25AM
As a plastic phobe myself, I’ve been slowly replacing items in my house that I use on a daily basis that may or may not be leaking bisphenols (proven endocrine disruptors or hormone disruptors.) According to The Week, “Studies have already linked BPA to breast cancer, diabetes, and hyperactivity, and now a new study in the journal Endocrinology suggests a link to autism and attention deficit disorder. The researchers found that BPA seemed to interfere with hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin, which affect trust and bonding; mice exposed to dosages analogous to typical human exposure began acting like autistic kids. Their anti-social behavior, moreover, was passed down to the next three generations of mice. Like Big Tobacco a generation ago, Big Chem has denied there’s any health hazard in the hundreds of chemicals it’s introduced into our bodies. But “serious scientists” are finding evidence that BPA “may be even more harmful than previously thought.”
Avoiding BPA or biphenols as a whole isn’t an easy feat since it’s found in plastic food containers, food can linings, toilet paper! and receipts, among other things. The FDA most recently banned Bisphenol-A from all baby products from sippy cups to bottles but haven’t yet made their way to adult products since babies and infants are more susceptible to toxins. While I think this is a great step, it also irritates me that there is so much focus on BPA when it should really be on Bisphenols as a whole since they most likely all cause damage…the most research has just been done on BPA. So what’s a worry wart to do? Revert back to materials that don’t leach toxins as best as I can. So, I’ve pulled together a little gift guide for those plastic phobes in your life. I’ll come off my soap box long enough to share it. If you’re interested in tips on types of plastics to avoid or other BPA chatter, you can check out these posts.
Glass soda stream - $179.99
I LOVE my soda stream. I just recently added it my list of items to take to a desert island – right after a water purifier. Tee hee. It’s not only made me look forward to drinking water, but also helped me cut out those oh so bad for me soft drinks. I bought ours at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20 percent off coupon. Yes, it is a bit of an investment but it pays for itself within a few months and you’re also helping save the planet by not buying a case of seltzer water every time you go to the store. I haven’t met anyone that regrets this purchase.
Glass Snapware
My first move when ridding my life of plastic was to invest in some glass food storage containers. Luckily Costco carried them and I got a good price. They’re pretty expensive on Amazon but they are totally worth it.
Glass Microwave Popcorn popper $15.95
I learned about this little baby from our friends at MightyNest, an amazing online shop that sells natural, organic and non-toxic products. This is the perfect little gem for that popcorn lover in your family. It’s an extremely easy to use and fast popper, not to mention a healthier alternative to microwavable popcorn bags. Popping time is 2 minutes and 45 seconds and it’s dishwasher safe!
One of my first purchases when I became a plastic phobe was a French press. I kept thinking about how hot my coffee maker got and that most are made entirely of plastic and that this was something I was consuming on a daily basis. Since I still indulge in a cup a day in my pregnancy, I needed a safer alternative. Enter the easy peasy, cheap, simple coffee press that makes an incredible cup of coffee. I’ve also heard the chemex is great but haven’t tried it.
I didn’t invest in a baby food maker with my daughter. I figured I already had all the utensils I needed in my home and I did. The only obstacle I’ve come across is my plastic blender. It makes the process longer because I need to let the food cool, and it doesn’t actually puree as well as I’d like. So, on my Christmas list this year is a glass blender. Unfortunately they aren’t as easy to come by as you’d think and there aren’t many good ones on the market. Oster seems to have a pretty good rep and reviews so I’m giving it a shot (if Santa brings me one.)
I love these perfect portion glass containers. For my daughter, I used mumi and bubi trays which I’ll probably continue to use this time around…I’ll just make sure the food is cool when I put it in but I’m definitely adding some of these containers to my Christmas list as well.
I have a knock-off lifefactory glass drinking bottle from Target but most recently purchased these BKR bottles for hostesses of my baby sprinkle. While I was picking one up for them, I decided to splurge and buy one for myself. Boy, I’m glass I did. This bottle is awesome! It’s sturdy glass with a silicone sleeve but much more drinker friendly since the opening is actually the size of a regular bottle rather than a huge hole where you always end up spilling on yourself.
This is a great gift for anyone who drinks tea and coffee regularly. Rather than buying one of those plastic mugs, get one of these babies and keep them from ingesting a daily dose of toxins from both the coffee made in the maker and those things leaching from the mug. And, save some cups and therefore trees by providing your own mug at the coffee place.
Reader Comments (2)
Love this post! I had no idea that there was a glass Soda Stream. The plastic is why I haven't gotten one. And I love the popcorn popper idea too!
May I also recommend Planetbox?
https://www.planetbox.com/shop
I just finally splurged on one and I looooooove it. The teacher at preschool is jealous and wants to know where to get one because it is AWESOME!