Plastic has invaded our lives in a most intimate way. ... The
quality of this new ‘carbon footprint friendly’ compound is now being called
into question as it plays havoc with our hormones and overall health. ... Glass, it seems, is slowly becoming obsolete in the grocery aisle....The
origins of plastic are generally unknown to many of us. We take for granted
that what we buy is generally safe for us and our families. Is plastic our modern
age convenience riddled with dastardly consequences, a harbinger of things to
come?
BPA free-(bisphenol)- is the catch all phrase of the plastics
industry. It denotes that the plastic we are buying is free of this one chemical additive that is bad for our health. It isn’t just any old plastic
anymore. It is an upgrade, they infer, a far superior product, a safer one,
albeit, still plastic. We need to take a closer look, however. ... BPA is not the only chemical ingredient in
plastic that is degrading our environment, our health and worse. There are
other chemicals in the plastic 'water' bottles that we all seem to be using as part of our daily routine.
The water we drink from these containers
is the body’s life force! The problem: there is no shortage of insipid ingredients in
this new age product called plastic. ... I am not a chemist, biologist, neurologist,
doctor, anthropologist, zoologist, entomologist, forensic scientist, or physicist. I am just an ordinary person,wondering,
“is Tupperware O.K.?” ... As I began to
investigate the world of plastic, I was shocked at what I learned.
Each type of plastic-(#1-#7, are there more?)- has its own unique
properties which govern(degrade?) its responses to heat, acidic foods,
beverages and even water! ....Then there
are the 'industrial grade' and 'food grade' additives. (Do these terms become interchangeable and end up in the wrong places?) Never!! Further on, there is the ‘leaching’ effect of
plastic or the unleashing of toxic substances into our bodies while using these
plastics in which water or food were processed. Things such as antimony, arsenic, lead
are but a few of the horrible things mentioned as possibly being present and intruding
into our bodies via the specific plastic in which they are confined. ... Surprisingly, just sitting on a shelf for prolonged periods in the summer heat
can contribute to bottled water’s degradation.
The toxic soup is all around us. ...
When mayonnaise first appeared in ‘plastic' jars I
became concerned. When I phoned one manufacturer
the response was simple. The large ‘carbon
foot print’ the company was creating by using glass, a heavier material than
plastic, was being replaced with the lighter, more environmentally friendly plastic! (It’s odd that the price of mayonnaise is
still the same while using plastic, the lighter and cheaper alternative). ... Is using
politically correct jargon helping to mask the real motivation of profit
margins and the bottom line for companies, perhaps? While
lauding companies for their ‘carbon footprint’ policy, and acting upon it,
responsibly, my concern is much more immediate. What about the ‘carbon footprint’
into our bodies(-especially those of very young children)-generated by the plastics, whose unknown properties are intruding
into our bodies in sinister ways. Phrases such as, “may leach”, “of unknown origin”, “may cause”
does not bode well for the continued usage of
‘food grade’ plastic in our lives. What about furniture, the way they
are made and the ‘protective’ coatings on them? What about.....?
Our bodies , whose “Paleolithic” or “Stone Age” design were not meant to ingest these modern age foods tainted by plastics, are
beginning to succumb to chronic illnesses, disease or worse. We are getting fatter
and sicker. Why now? Glass and stainless steel have been around forever but
their hidden costs to companies make for a compelling argument for using
plastic. But what is the real cost to us, the public, the innocent, compliant users
of this modern age wonder called plastic?
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