Say no to plastic

There is no doubt that plastic does tremendous harm to our bodies and our environment. And the best way to help both is to cut down on its use, says a recent article in Time magazine. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. For there is little available in the market today that does not contain plastic in some form.

“Our food and water come wrapped in plastic. It’s used in our phones and our computers, the cars we drive and the planes we ride in,” says Bryan Walsh. While environmentalists fret about the petroleum needed to make it, and parents worry about the possibility of toxic chemicals making their way from household plastic into children’s bloodstreams, there are a few groups of people who are trying to minimize the use of plastic in daily life.

Walsh gives the example of 28-yearold Jeanne Haegele who, last year, resolved to cut plastics out of her life. And Frederick vom Saal, a biologist at the University of Missouri, who is a member of a group of researchers who have raised questions about the safety of some common types of plastics.

As plastic ages or is exposed to heat or stress, it can release trace amounts of harmful ingredients like bisphenola (BPA) and phthalates. BPA is in everything from baby bottles to can linings, while phthalates are found in toys as well as vinyl shower curtains. These chemicals enter our body through food, water or dust we consume or even by absorption through skin.
Ingredients like BPA and phthalates are endocrine disrupters, which mimic hormones, and can cause vast changes in the body, especially in young children. Animal studies on BPA found that low-dose exposure, particularly during pregnancy, may be associated with serious illnesses, including cancer and reproductive problems. Some human studies on phthalates linked exposure to declining sperm quality in adult males, while others linked it to early puberty in girls.
This is why, avoiding certain kinds of plastics is simply being better safe than sorry. You can avoid plastic bottles and toys labelled with the numbers 3 (vinyl) or 7 (polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources). Steer clear of vinyl shower curtains and canned foods — especially those with acidic contents like tomatoes. You should also avoid heating plastic in microwaves.

It’s tough, however, to get rid of the stuff altogether. Meena uses a plastic toothbrush, though she had made her own toothpaste from baking soda, cinnamon and vodka. She has used vinegar for conditioner. But she is still searching for a decent shampoo that doesn’t come in a plastic bottle, or wrapped in plastic.