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Back to school the chemical-free way

Green Touches helps to end your toxic relationship with plastic

At Green Touches we not only concern ourselves with the chemicals you are using to clean your home but also with the chemicals found in your everyday used items. It’s back to school time within the next few weeks and we want you to protect your children from the chemicals in plastics. It’s very easy in the busy morning when packing the lunches to grab a plastic bag from the roll and place the sandwiches inside – one less thing to worry about – but in actual fact it is a big thing to worry about. Plastics are manmade which means lots of chemicals, some safer than others of course. But how well do you know your plastics?

Think about the innocent piece of see-through plastic you have in your hand. Research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels some of the chemicals in these plastics can cause birth defects, skin diseases, cancer and deafness, as well as liver and spleen problems.

The following chemicals can be found in plastics:

• Bisphenol A or BPA – low doses can cause a range of health problems. It is a weak synthetic estrogen, its estrogen like activities makes it a hormone disruptor, like many other chemicals in plastics.
• Phthalates – endocrine disruptor.
• Vinyl chloride – found in manufacturing of PVC or #3 plastic. First known chemical designated as a human carcinogenic.
• Dioxin – found in manufacturing of PVC or #3 plastic, known human carcinogenic and endocrine disruptor.
• Styrene – can leach from polystyrene or #6 plastic. Possible human carcinogenic.

Tips for protecting your family against plastics:

• keep plastic out of microwave, use suitable microwave containers.
• use glass storage jars.
• source BPA-free drinking bottles or use stainless steel drinking bottles.
• use reusable sandwich bags
• know your plastics – look closely at plastics with the recycling symbol and number. Use the 1-7 guide.