NO plastic is "safe"

[Wondermom]

In trying to find some "safe" plastic plates for our family to use at dinner--particularly ones that can be microwaved, I ran into two interesting items online.

(1) 2008 Milwakee Sentinel story on the BPA leaching into food containers labeled microwave safe. http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/34532034.html

(2) National Resources Defense Counsel item explaining why BPA-free does NOT necessarily mean "safe."
http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0902.asp

I'm not vigilant about these things, but I stopped microwaving our plasticware when the BPA stories came out. I was hoping now that so many manufacturers have caught on to the concerns that there would be some safe alternative. It seems like the bottom line is that no plastic should ever be microwaved.

Sigh. Sometimes I think blissful ignorance is best, but I can't take that approach with my babies.

[Katigre]

We don't use any plastic in our kitchen except what food might be packaged in (hard to avoid that). I have tempered glass plates and bowls for the kids - even the baby - and they work great and have not broken in spite of being dropped. Highly recommend that route - safe for microwave too :).

[AnnieW625]

Corelle is great for the kids. I actually need to get some more to use at work for reheating. I do prefer if I have to use plastic for food storage that it's Tupperware (they really stick by their products:)) Gerber BPA free bowls are also great for cold non heated snacks, and I still use my Avent honey colored BPA free bottles, but if Avent came out with a glass bottle we'd switch to that in a heart beat!

[sansdieu]

I agree. I don't like plastic for anything - storing, eating, not just reheating food. In fact, I think that the current epidemic of thyroid issues in this country is at least in part due to BPA and other endocrine disrupters found in plastic (as well as can linings, receipts, personal care products, etc.)

Tempered glass, corelle, etc., I try to avoid plastic like the plague, although finding substitutes is often hard. (See my thread on toddler flatware.) When DD was born, glass baby bottles were not available in any regular stores - you could only buy them online (somebody actually brought me 2 from Europe, and since I was BFing, that did it).

[AnnieW625]

Tempered glass, corelle, etc., I try to avoid plastic like the plague, although finding substitutes is often hard. (See my thread on toddler flatware.) When DD was born, glass baby bottles were not available in any regular stores - you could only buy them online (somebody actually brought me 2 from Europe, and since I was BFing, that did it).

That's how it was in 2006 too. I don't even remember seeing them online much then either. It wasn't until the whole BPA scare that all of sudden they were everywhere. However both times my DDs had weird latching issues with the narrow Evenflo nipples so they did better with the larger Avent nipples, and now I have six glass evenflo bottles (hand me downs from a friend) on my counter doing nothing. I guess I could try Born Free glass with DD2, but I still need plastic for daycare.

[ThreeofUs]

Tupperware (they really stick by their products:))


I don't mean to be offensive, but be careful of what you say about Tupperware. Tupperware NEVER says its products are BPA-free - in fact, they defend BPA - though they do say the stuff specfically for babies and kids is free of polycarbonates. (Polycarbonates are only one family of things made from BPA.) http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/tup_widget.show_page?fv_page_code=safetyqa&fv_section_name=help&fv_category_code=search&fv_item_category_code=200550


Tupperware also uses *every* kind of plastic in their lines. While I agree Tupperware works well, from a chemist's perspective, they do not divulge the ingredients and many of their plastics smell like petrochemicals (which means they are releasing something). I also think their messages on BPA skirt the real issues, as well as the other BPA products (like plasticizers, the things that make plastic bendable, such as in recycle code 3s) that could be used in Tupperware goods.

Tupperware also defends the use of plastics in the microwave (which in itself is enough to make any toxicologist tear their hair out), and in the dishwasher.

While they stand behind their products, they are also protecting their livelihood.

[YouAreTheFocus]

What's the feeling on silicone?

[Wondermom]

What's the feeling on silicone?
:yeahthat:

[sansdieu]

What's the feeling on silicone?

Good question. I thought it was non-reactive, but would be nice to get confirmation from someone a little more knowledgeable.

[sansdieu]

That's how it was in 2006 too. I don't even remember seeing them online much then either. It wasn't until the whole BPA scare that all of sudden they were everywhere. However both times my DDs had weird latching issues with the narrow Evenflo nipples so they did better with the larger Avent nipples, and now I have six glass evenflo bottles (hand me downs from a friend) on my counter doing nothing. I guess I could try Born Free glass with DD2, but I still need plastic for daycare.

Yeah, back then Evenflo were the only glass bottles you could buy online, and if your kid didn't like those weird nipples- tough. My European ones were made by NUK, but they had standard mount - so I used them either with Medela or with Dr. Brown "housing" (nipple, nipple ring and all) because they both used standard mount.

My friend whose oldest kid was born in the early 1990s told me the story of how when polycarbonate bottles first came out they were pretty pricey. And she only bought one, to use "for special occasions." And used the glass bottles for daily feedings. So she laughed at how protective I was of my glass bottles (well, seriously, what if it broke?? It's not like I could travel to Europe with a newborn to go shopping for a new one.)

[Momto1]

So what do you non-plastic users use for sippies? I'd love to make the switch away from plastic, but all DD's straw cups are (BPA-free) plastic, and I definitely don't see glass being a viable alternative in this case.

[Tondi G]

So what do you non-plastic users use for sippies? I'd love to make the switch away from plastic, but all DD's straw cups are (BPA-free) plastic, and I definitely don't see glass being a viable alternative in this case.

stainless steel is a good alternative to plastic sippy cups

http://www.kleankanteen.com/products/kid/kid-kanteen-sippy-classic.html

http://www.diapers.com/Product/SearchResults.aspx?FreeText=foogo&QueryFrom=Search&cm_mmc=Google-_-Feeding-_-Foogo-_-foogo+stainless+steel+sippy-5960670131%7C-%7C100000000000000547526&cm_guid=1-_-100000000000000547526-_-5960670131&gclid=CMz3mteAyaMCFRX_iAodAi-zsw

[Katigre]

So what do you non-plastic users use for sippies? I'd love to make the switch away from plastic, but all DD's straw cups are (BPA-free) plastic, and I definitely don't see glass being a viable alternative in this case.
We use stainless steel water bottles - even for babies. DD moved to a Green Sprouts SS water bottle at 6 months and Klean Kanteen makes sippy lid adapters too. DS has been using a sports top Klean Kanteen for a few years now and we're really happy with it - it's held up well.

[crl]

That's how it was in 2006 too. I don't even remember seeing them online much then either. It wasn't until the whole BPA scare that all of sudden they were everywhere. However both times my DDs had weird latching issues with the narrow Evenflo nipples so they did better with the larger Avent nipples, and now I have six glass evenflo bottles (hand me downs from a friend) on my counter doing nothing. I guess I could try Born Free glass with DD2, but I still need plastic for daycare.

Just wanted to say the actually make stainless steel baby bottles now, in case you were interested for daycare.

Catherine