Glass Is Greener

Plastics are not easy to stay away from during these times. Everything that we buy or use, more or less, have some components of plastic. These containers serve as storage for food and liquids and even used for heating or cooking. It is difficult to find glass containers these days of the plastic revolution. It is making us sick, unhealthy, and affecting the development and growth of our children. It was unheard of when I was a teenager that a girl of eight would already have her menses. It doesn't shock us anymore if this happens nowadays because we all know it's due to the BPA in plastics that affects the estrogen in women. According to research and studies, an astounding 90% of the population carries trace residues of BPA in their bodies.

In 1891, Bisphenol was created but its production was introduced in the market only in the 50's. Bisphenol leaking out from early productions of plastics was the issue behind its long deferred public release. Bisphenol as defined is a chemical substance that is synthetically made and generally used in the production of polycarbonate plastics. It was discovered that BPA has a great risk factor in animal developments (even in small doses) by functioning like the estrogen hormone. Bisphenol A, branded as "environmental hormone", with traces of it in subjects involving animals and test tube experiments, it was found to be the cause of imbalances in their hormones. This includes breast cancer, prostate cancer, early puberty, changes in brain structures and is particularly disturbing considering that most babies are drinking out of plastic baby bottles. Bisphenol A or BPA is indeed a very harmful substance. Canada itself was the first country to implement safety measures to restrict BPA exposure. Hey, long was it known of all the hazards this substance brings. Proof of the substance to have adverse hormonal effects was first substantiated by the experiment made where ovariectomized rats were give
BPA. This happened during the 1930's. (Dodds and Lawson, 1936, 1938) The study even undervalued the extent of BPA's effect on human beings.

The purpose of putting BPA in plastic production is that it is a solidifier. It solidifies plastic, making it light, clear and resistant to heat, electricity and breaking. Whatever you can think of, polycarbonate is everywhere, from the glass lenses, storage discs, computers, tools, car headlights, sports safety equipment, devices in the medical field, incubators, recycle cups and plates, even the linings in beverage and food cans.

SRI Consulting printed in its Chemical Economics Handbook, released in August of 2004 its findings on the overall consumption of BPA for the year 2003, an estimated 3 million metric tons.

There are several manners in lessening your contact with the chemical substance, BPA. Buying food ingredients in glass jars in the market is best. One particular example is the tomato sauce. Tomato sauces packed in plastic leaks BPA when the tomato's acid reacts to it. Try to consume fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables as these are BPA free. Pick soft drinks and juices that are packed in glass bottles. Glass bottles for your baby is the way to do it.

I try to keep my utensils BPA free so I use glass or ceramic. For your pets, when you feed them, use containers that are made of ceramic, glass or of stainless steel. Even birdbaths have their own glass and ceramic versions and are exquisitely designed. It makes the garden look very pretty and lessens the risk of wildlife and domestic animals getting exposed to BPA. Besides, glass can be reprocessed and reused. Whichever way you look at it, glass is still the best! Go glass, go green!

Help save the earth stop using plastics. Do your part and use ceramic materials instead. www.safehomeproducts.com supplies earth friendly items at reasonable prices.