Plastic is Forever
Once a piece of plastic is created, it is with us forever. Every piece of plastic ever created on this planet since plastic started being created still remains in one form or another. According to the Worldwatch report, “an estimated four to five trillion plastic bags—including large trash bags, thick shopping bags, and thin grocery bags—are produced globally in every year." Roughly 80 percent are used in North America and Western Europe. Every year, Americans reportedly throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags, which can clog drains, crowd landfills, and leave an unsightly blot on the landscape.
About a thousand miles west of San Francisco is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also called the Pacific Trash Vortex), a heaping floating mass of plastic debris twice the size of Texas. The United Nations Ocean Conference forecasts that the oceans might contain more weight in plastics than fish by the year 2050
In addition to the environmental impact, plastics also post a threat to our health. All plastics are marked with an identification coding system. This is the number surrounded by arrows usually on the bottom of the package.
BPA-Free Isn't The Only Answer
There was big noise made when mothers discovered that BPA, a hormone disrupting chemical found in soothers, baby bottles and toys was - well - present in soothers, baby bottles and toys. Here's the issue though: the chemical being used to replace BPA in plastic might actually be worse. A groundbreaking new study has linked the BPA alternative to disruption in brain activity, causing hyperactivity. The alternative chemicals being used have not been adequately tested because they don’t have to be. A compound is considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration until proven otherwise.
Get to know the number 7 (polycarbonate) really well. These are the plastics that tend to be very hard and clear, almost tricking us into thinking they’re solid, stable and glass-like. These guys often have BPA in them and include things like food-storage containers, water bottles and plastic tableware. You’ll also find this stuff in the lining of tin cans including canned fruits and vegetables, soda, beans and lentils. The more acidic the food in the can, such as tomatoes, the more leaching that happens.