Why Avoid Plastic?
Everyday, we do our best to keep our family safe, and that means
protecting our health as well as our environment. We exercise, eat
right, recycle, it's all in a day's work. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s
not as simple as doing just those things. Recently, disturbing news has
surfaced about the health and environmental impact of plastics. With
plastic being everywhere in our daily lives, it’s important to start
reconsidering how and why we use it.
For Your Health
From our dishes and toys to our food packaging, there's a reason to
think twice about plastic. Plastics come in numerous varieties, but many
of them often contain toxic additives that can influence a plastic’s
properties. Color, texture, hardness, these can all be changed to
improve performance or reduce cost – even though the additives used
might be potentially dangerous.
A commonly used additive is a plasticizer. Plasticizers, such as
adipates and phthalates, soften plastics to be used in food packaging,
teethers, toys, and many other household products. This becomes an issue
when a plastic comes into contact with food. Traces of these chemicals
can leach out of the plastic, exposing your family to their harmful
effects.
You might have heard media discussion of Bisphenol A (BPA). It’s a
toxic chemical additive found in many plastics and epoxy resins that
leaches into our food and beverages. In fact, BPA is so common that
plastic baby bottles, water bottles, sports equipment, even the coating
inside most food and beverage cans have all been found to contain BPA.
BPA and chemicals like it have come under scrutiny from Canada,
Europe, and our own Environmental Protection Agency. Canada has already
banned the use of BPA in baby bottles, and both the U.S. and Europe are
looking at phasing out consumer products with phthalates; BPA and other
potentially harmful chemicals are the next to be evaluated.
Why should we be so concerned about these things? Studies have shown
that certain additives can cause harmful developmental effects on
children, potentially impacting allergies, hormones, metabolism, and
more. More and more studies are beginning to show that the convenience
of plastic simply isn't worth the risk to our health.
For Your Planet
You want the best for your children, and that means leaving them a
clean and safe planet – not just for them, but for their own children
and the generation after that. Because of that, it’s also important to
consider the environmental impact of plastics. Unlike paper, glass, or
wood, plastics aren't biodegradable or easily reusable. That means that a
plastic water bottle from today could be in the exact same condition
when your grandchildren are born.
Now, consider the number of plastic items consumed by the average
family in a week: water bottles, food containers, product packaging, and
so on. Just about all of that creates an immense amount of waste with
nowhere to go. At best, it's in a landfill, and at worst, it pollutes
the ocean or wildlife areas. Either way, it affects our children's lives
for today and tomorrow. Right now, just a fraction of all plastic can
be recycled – and of that fraction, only a small percentage is actually
collected and processed. The choices we make have a giant impact on our
planet's future. The good news is that there are alternatives.
You Can Make A Difference!
At LunchBots, we've dedicated ourselves to creating safe alternatives
to plastic products. BPA-free and biodegradable plastics can only
address some of the concern -- and it's far from a big-picture solution.
Glass, stainless steel, bamboo, and other materials are just as
effective and don't have any of plastics’ inherent dangers. By selecting
these alternatives, you're making healthier choices for your family and
our planet.
We believe that every little change makes a difference. While it may
be challenging to live a completely plastic-free lifestyle, we can all
make small adjustments that accumulate into a big impact. It can start
with your daily routine: try using a stainless steel water bottle,
eliminate your plastic sandwich bags, or bring your own container for
takeout. It’s that simple.
Thank you for supporting our mission to reduce the use of plastic.
