SIGG Finally Cops to BPA

If you have Sigg bottles, you will want to read over the FAQ on their website that states before August 2008, their bottles did contain BPA. Below is a picture to help you figure out which lining yours has. I bought some Sigg bottles this summer...half of them have the new liner while the other half has the older, brassy looking one and will be digging thru my receipts to return them as soon as possible.

I also recommend reading the information available on Z Recommends for a little insight into how sly Sigg was over the last few years scurting the issue of BPA in their bottles.

The more I read up on companies and the lies they tell in order to make a profit at the expense of their consumers health, the more frustrated I get. How do these CEO's sleep at night? How can they look into the sweet, innocent face of a child and continue to spew out toxic products? It is pathetic that providing a product became more of a game of profit than safely meeting a consumer need.

Educate, Challenge, Change! You can make a difference!!!!

Back to School - Eco-Friendly Lunches

Buses are trolling through neighborhoods, backpacks are overflowing with classroom supplies and lunch boxes are stuffed with goodies.

The new school year is here and it couldn't be a better time to take a look at your kid's lunch box (hopefully it is lead and bpa free) and what you use to package sandwiches, veggies, crackers, etc.

Do you use ziploc baggies?

Even though there are new bags on store shelves claiming to have 25% less plastic, they are still made of plastic and end up in the trash after one use. Think about how many of those bags make it to landfills each day, or worse, fly off the truck and end up swirling around in the Pacific Ocean in what has been coined Garbage Island.

In an attempt to cut down on my household's waste, I switched to reusable, bpa free tupperware, but many lunchboxes are not big enough for a drink and bulky tupperware containers.

My problem was solved while shopping at my local Whole Foods the other day when I came across Wrap-n-mats. They are a fun, eco-friendly way to wrap sandwiches, veggies, fruits, crackers or just about anything. Not only are they good for holding food items, but they work well as placemats when opened up.

Clean up is simple...just wipe, air dry, and they are ready to use again.

Look for them at your local stores, order them online, or make your own. Every little bit helps!

Happy Green Living!

Crafty Cool Magazine

If you are interested in some fun, chic ways to recycle trash into cool treasures, check out the new Green Craft magazine. The first issues hit newstands August 1, 2009 and is printed on recycled paper.

Just Say No To Bottled Water

Bottled water litters grocery store shelves in various shapes and sizes and now has cute roller skating babies promoting it...but is it really that good? Not at all! Filtered water from the tap is the cheapest and safest form of water available. In fact, its the only water that received a good grade in EWG's water test.

For more reasons why a reusable drinking vessel filled with filtered water from the tap is your best bet, check out these links:

http://www.enviroblog.org/2009/07/will-watching-evians-roller-babies-make-you-stupider.html

http://www.thegreenguide.com/food/buying/tapped-out

Candles

Do you enjoy lighting a candle to soften the mood, relax, or scent the air? If your favorite candle isn't 100% beeswax, you may want to reconsider and save yourself from doing more harm than good.

Click on the link below to read more about paraffin, lead wicks, soy, and the benefits of beeswax (it actually cleans the air):

Illuminating Thoughts - Toxic Candles at The Epicurean Table

Plastics and a Challenge for You

Ever wonder how much plastic is produced, used, and discarded without much of a thought as to its effect on our environment? Well, here's your chance! How many bottles of water do you drink in a day...how many cartons of milk do you go thru in a week...how is your bread packaged?

Plastic is a part of our everyday lives in ways that most of us don't bother to think about. While it can be recycled, avoiding it as much as possible is best, but in today's world, is that feasible? It may be difficult, but anything is possible! A little will power and a dash of compassion can go a long way to help improve our environment now and for future generations.

Check out the Enviroblog entry about the movie Addicted to Plastics and see if you can come up with at least one way in which to curb your plastic use. Even the smallest change can have a positive impact.

Instead of buying milk in plastic or unrecyclable wax lined cartons, buy organic milk in reusable glass bottles from a local farm that has grass fed cows. Not only will you be decreasing your carbon footprint, but you'll also get a fresher, more nutritious form of milk that came from a cow in the last week rather than over a month ago.

Educate, challenge, change...you can make a difference!

Happy Earth Day!

If you are interested making a change in your usual routine to help improve the environment, but don't know where to begin, here are a few fairly simple ways to start the process:

* Recycle everything and anything your local city, town, county allows. If there are limitations, look into local drop sites that take items your local service may not pick up curbside.

* Switch to baking soda and vinegar for most cleaning jobs. Baking soda is a fantastic whitener instead of bleach or oxy brand additives and can easily clean a soap scummy bathroom. Vinegar is a great fabric softener and odor eliminator.

* Instead of chlorine bleached diapers that contain Dioxin, Tributyl-tin (TBT), and sodium polyacrylate, switch to 7th Generation or G-Diapers or, better yet, cloth diapers. The Natural Baby Co has a fantastic line if Dream-eze organic all in one diapers. (I have no financial stake in the company, I just love their diapers and have tried my fair share)

* Use reusable bags when shopping...bonus...some stores offer a refund of 3 - 10 cents when you use your own bag(s)

* When buying fresh fruits and vegetables, forgo the bag

* Buy products with minimal packaging...if you can't avoid this, recycle as much of the packaging as possible or come up with alternate uses like using bread bags to pick up pet droppings, contain a dirty diaper, or for the contents of the tupperware container hidden in the back of the fridge

* Ditch paper napkins and towels and opt for washable versions. You can even go to your local craft store and pick out fabric to make your own.