15 November 2018
Well, now you do. And, to make it even easier, we created a quick cheat sheet for you that explains what each type of plastic means and if it is safe to reuse or not.
09 November 2018
You know how you can flip over a yogurt container (or really any container) and see that little recycle triangle? Well, if you look even closer, there is an even tinier number inside that triangle. You might think those numbers are just for the people at the recycling plant, but if you know what to look for, they can actually tell you quite a lot.
Each of those numbers tells you what type of plastic was used to make the packaging (yes, there is more than one type of plastic, crazy we know!). If you know what material was used to make the plastic, it can actually give you a hint about how healthy the plastic is for you. But, we don't expect you to do that research or know it all off the top of your head, so to help you out, we put together this handy reference chart. It explains what each number means, and breaks it down very clearly to say if that plastic is considered safe or not. So, now you can check the leftover yogurt container and decide if you want to use it as an extra tupperware or just recycle that one.
Keep Reading
Show Less
Want an easy way to live healthier?
Sign up for our newsletter! Curated environmental health news delivered to your inbox every three weeks.
By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy.
27 July 2018
Hey festival goers! Are you planning all your outfits for the next big festival. Is glitter on your list to help you get that perfect sparkly 'gram image? Well, while you are ordering all your festival supplies, we suggest adding some biodegradable glitter to the list to replace your standard glitter.
Why?
Besides the fact that you are sure to be finding glitter in your stuff for months to come, standard glitter is made of mylar, just like those shiny balloons (1). Mylar is a type of PET, or polyester, plastic (2). We aren't so much worried about the fact that the glitter is made of plastic and you are putting it directly on your body, but the fact that you have to wash it off it and goes right down the drain into our water systems. Because of the nature of glitter being such tiny particles, washing off the glitter basically means you are dumping a whole bunch of microplastics into your water system. While that alone is less than ideal, it gets worse when you realize that individual pieces of glitter are often so small that they can't be filtered out in basic water treatment plants and break down into even smaller pieces.
For water that doesn't go through a treatment plant, it often goes to oceans and streams where fish and other marine life think it looks like food (1). So, not only is it staying in our water as something that we drink, but it is also getting into the food that we eat (3).
One more tidbit about microplastics - they are really good at absorbing chemicals from the water around them (4). Basically, they become like super potent, very tiny, chemical bombs floating around and looking like food to fish. So, not only are the fish eating plastic, which is kind of gross on its own, but they are eating plastic extra packed with other chemicals that might have been in the water around the plastic. There hasn't been a lot of research yet looking into the health effects of consuming microplastics, but from what we do know, we are guessing it's not going to be good news.
Does that mean you have to give up your perfectly sparkly festival makeup?
Nope! You don't have to - let the celebration commence! There are now a couple of companies that are making biodegradable glitter. How does that work? They use a plant cellulose from eucalyptus and a tiny amount aluminum to make it shine. When introduced to water or soil it can break down - no absorbing chemicals, no looking like food to fish, all the sparkly goodness.
Here are some brands making waves in the biodegradable glitter field. Check them out, then get your shine on!
Of course, glitter isn't the only way to create your perfect festival look. Get creative! We're sure you can come up with something extraordinary that will still turn heads and make for great photos. Who knows, you're amazing new idea might even just start a new trend.
Resources:
(1) http://fortune.com/2017/11/30/banning-glitter/
(2) https://ecostardust.com/pages/about-biodegradable-glitter
(3) https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-42023245
(4) https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters/toxicological-threats-plastic
Keep Reading
Show Less
Food
One Quick and Easy Step to Making your Frozen Meal that Much Healthier
The extra 30 seconds is worth it.
03 July 2018
You've finally returned home after seemingly endless train delays, and you're pretty much ready to eat everything in your fridge. Cue: intense music for your raid through the kitchen (I like Mission Impossible). There's nothing in the fridge except some pickles and ketchup, so you settle on a quick and easy microwavable meal that'll get piping hot food in your belly in less than 10 minutes. Trader Joe's Indian anyone? But, before you rip open that cardboard box and nuke the plastic tray, hear us out on why you might want to move that food to a glass container or plate instead.
What is really in your frozen meal containers?
We've all seen it, the promise of Bisphenol-A (BPA) free packaging. The two words "microwave-safe" written in like size 40 font on your frozen meal. But, the truth of the matter is; plastics are really difficult to regulate. This is because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has pretty lax rules for regulating chemicals added in plastic. Basically, as long as the plastic contains less than a certain percent of a chemical, it can be declared as "free" of that specific chemical, even if a product is not (1). For the most part, we are mainly concerned about BPA and phthalates. BPA is added to plastics to make the plastic harder and clearer, while phthalates are added to increase a plastics flexibility (think plastic wrap). Either one, getting into your food and being ingested, is not good for you. Both BPA and phthalates have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, essentially messing up how the hormones in your body should work, among other negative health effects (2). Even worse, BPA and phthalates can more easily get into your food when plastics are heated, which happens when you microwave your frozen meal straight from the package.
But what about my fancy organic meals in cardboard containers?
We hate to burst your bubble, but even those cardboard containers that definitely aren't made of plastic and promised to be BPA free are still not the safest. Although most packaging in microwavable frozen meals no longer contain large amounts of BPA or phthalates, they have likely been replaced with other chemicals that have similar properties and therefore, similar health effects. Depending on brand, many of these cardboard containers are PET-lined to prevent the food from leaking from the container. If you've heard about PET before, it's most likely because it's mainly used for milk jugs or storage of cold items. However, PET is definitely not safe when heated and neither is the polypropylene plastic film on top sealing in the food (3). Polypropylene is made of what we call plastic #5, which even though is considered safe and heat-resistant, is still a form of plastic and warrants concern (a.k.a. it probably shouldn't be heated in the microwave) (3).
Does this mean I have to give up my frozen meals?
Absolutely not! We aren't trying to starve over here. But, there are a bunch of easy, safer ways to heat up your breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here are some general tips. If your food has to be covered in the microwave, use a damp paper towel or kitchen towel, not plastic wrap, which likely contains phthalates. In addition to the plastic wrap itself releasing harmful gases, condensation underneath the plastic wrap, which absorbs phthalates from the heated plastic wrap, could drip down into your food (2).
Did you know, most frozen meals are super easy to pop out of the plastic tray - just like a giant ice cube. Then, you can place your meal in a microwave safe container and warm according to the instructions on the package. If you're taking your frozen meal for lunch and you want to save a little bit of time, what I like to do is pop the frozen meal into a microwave safe container (check out some good ones here!) the night before, then pop it back in the freezer, so it'll be ready to go in the morning for taking to work. It's so great because I don't have to worry about remembering to pack a microwave safe-container. Easy peasy!
The bottom line is, since we don't know exactly what manufacturers use to make each type of plastic, it is best to just assume that the plastic packaging on frozen meals likely has at least some negative health effects if microwaved. So, take the extra 30 seconds to remove the meal from that tray and microwave it in either a glass container or microwave-safe dish. Then, dig in and eat that lasagna to your heart's content!
References
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/microwaving-food-in-plastic-dangerous-or-not
2. http://time.com/4229503/plastic-in-microwave-is-it-safe/
3. http://www.nontoxicrevolution.org/blog/7-types-of-plastic
Keep Reading
Show Less
Want an easy way to live healthier?
Sign up for our newsletter! Curated environmental health news delivered to your inbox every three weeks.
By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy.