Quite a few Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas have joined the EcoMom Challenge too so hello to all of you as well. We are working together and making a difference! Though I must admit, even the most positive of journeys can create opportunity for your kids to mess with you, as I recently found out with Corbin when I tried to switch out the plastic sippy cup he had been using for his midnight soy milk fix. 

As all moms know, plastics are unbreakable, lightweight,
generally inexpensive and very convenient. And let’s face it, after the very
first time you took your first baby out to run errands, convenience became a
driving factor in many a decision (i.e. the midnight sippy cup). However, the long-term price of convenience, when it means risking your
child’s health, or his chance to swim in a clean lake, is not worth it.
Plastics are extremely toxic for both your planet and your health. They are
made from petroleum, a non-renewable, and mostly imported, resource. And all
that great packaging? Imagine it in your local landfill. The use of
plastics in food storage and cooking has been linked to cancers, birth defects,
poor brain/nervous system development and endocrine disruption, which, among
other things, causes premature onset of secondary sex characteristics (early
puberty). As if all that weren’t enough, plastic manufacturing and incineration
creates air and water pollution that sends those chemicals right back into our
rivers, soil, food chain, and then into your body. Not a pretty picture. So
what to do? Thanks to some forward thinking engineers, entrepreneurial moms and a few good old fashioned options, there are alternatives to plastic that are both convenient and healthy.

• First and foremost, you know the little triangle on the back of most plastics? Check it out and make sure you use only 1, 2, 4 and 5 and avoid 3, 6 and 7 – especially #3, PVC. Just in case you need more convincing, Europe has banned the use of PVC in all children’s toys!
• Avoid using plastic containers in the microwave or freezer.
• Look for products which state “no phthalates” or “no bisphenol A (BPA)”
• Wash plastic containers by hand with a mild soap instead of in the dishwasher
• Use old fashioned glass bottles and sippy cups (EvenFlo and Born Free have been getting good reviews from  some of my friends with young babies)
• Replace plastic water bottles (over 3 million of these suckers end up in America’s landfills EVERY DAY!). SIGG has great colors
  and designs your kids will love. Klean Kanteen is really durable, though not as fancy as SIGG.
• Look for eco-friendly alternatives for lunch boxes and containers. Corbin loves his Laptop Lunch Box
• Opt for toys and books made with natural wood, paper, cloth, or metal, particularly when your kids are in the “stick it all in my mouth” stage.
• For storage, use glass, butcher paper, waxed paper and (lead free) ceramic.

Many stores including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats and even Target, now carry many of these products. If you can’t find them, order online. Your planet is worth it, your kids are worth it, and you are worth it!!! Oh, and as for Corbin’s midnight fix, after a few tries and cries, he’s happy
with his SIGG thermos of water and the sippy cup has gone into the recycling
bin.