Thursday, December 9, 2010
CANCER CELLS...WE ALL HAVE THEM
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY ..
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7.. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including be an sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)..
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave..
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxinsare highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Please share this with your whole email list.........................
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7.. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including be an sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)..
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave..
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxinsare highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Please share this with your whole email list.........................
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
* Fortune 500 Companies Ditching PVC, the Poison Plastic
FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES DITCHING PVC, THE POISON PLASTIC
Here's some great news - we're winning the war to get toxic PVC out of packaging! Corporate America is waking up and driving more and more nails in the coffin of toxic PVC plastic. In recent months, Johnson & Johnson (http://www.jnj.com/connect/caring/environment-protection/environment-performance/), Procter &Gamble (http://plasticsnews.com/headlines2.html?id=19794&channel=194), and Clorox (http://plasticsnews.com/headlines2.html?id=19947&q=Clorox) have all announced progress in phasing out the poison plastic in their packaging. CHEJ has been organizing to get PVC out of packaging for over 5 years now, and working with allies we have secured agreements from huge corporations to ditch PVC in favor of safer and healthier alternatives.
Johnson & Johnson reported in their most recent report that they have "eliminated 84 percent of our secondary and tertiary PVC packaging across the company." Procter and Gamble announced they're committed to "entirely eliminat[ing] PVC packaging within two years." Clorox announced they're identifying "alternatives to PVC for all packaging."
Do you hear that, Georgia Gulf & Formosa Plastics? That's the market speaking!
Remember - bad news comes in 3's! You can avoid PVC packaging by looking for the 3 inside the recycling symbol and/or the letters "v" or "PVC" underneath the symbol. If you see this, that means it contains PVC. E-mail or call the manufacturer and ask them to go PVC-free. Go to our PVC Products In Your Home webpage for more info athttp://www.besafenet.com/pvc/pvcproducts.htm.
TAKE ACTION
Help CHEJ make the switch to greener and healthier alternatives to PVC - Donate to CHEJ at http://www.chej.org/donate.
PVC and the environment
Polyvinyl Chloride, more commonly known as PVC or just vinyl, has been in widespread usage since the early-mid 20th century.
PVC is strong, resistant to oil and chemicals, sunlight, weathering and flame resistant. It's everywhere around us. PVC is an incredibly versatile material use in bottles, packaging, toys, construction materials, bedding, clothing, piping, wire coatings, imitation leather, furnishings and more.
PVC ranks the third in both global plastic output and consumption. Over 33 million tons of PVC is being produced each year and that figure is increasing annually. Around 57% of PVC's mass is chlorine, so it requires less petroleum than many other polymers.
So, what's the problem with PVC?
For starters, oil and chlorine aren't what you'd call "green" substances in regards to their extraction, refining and by-products. So much of our modern life is based on oil that if production were to suddenly cease, it's not just transport that would suffer - it would affect every aspect of our lives. We really need to kick our fossil fuel addiction before we are forced into withdrawals.
PVC's durability is also its downfall environmentally speaking - it's not biodegradable or degradable. Items made from PVC will retain their form for decades and the breakdown that occurs is just granulation - the pieces simply become smaller. Animals can ingest these pieces and the plastic can block their digestive tracts.
Greenpeace has pushed for the cessation of PVC production as dioxin is created from the manufacture and incineration of the substance. Dioxin is one of the most deadliest of man-made poisons and it's a cumulative toxin, meaning it stays in the body for a long time, concentrating in food chains at the highest levels in carnivores - which includes us.
Substances called phthalates are added to PVC to make it flexible. Studies of animals show that some of these chemicals are may cause cancer, kidney and reproductive system damage. The disturbing part is that soft PVC is often used in toys for young children - and they just love putting things in their mouths. The phthalate issue is now such a concern, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a series of actions.
It's often reported that no other plastic presents such a direct environmental and human health threat as PVC does throughout its lifecycle; from manufacture to use to disposal - yet our demand is only increasing.
Recycling PVC
PVC is also difficult to recycle given the presence of additives including heavy metals such such as lead and cadmium; in fact it's considered a contaminant in other recycling streams. Currently under 1% of PVC is recycled.
Identifying PVC?
Examine any plastic item you have around the house. If you see a '3' or 'V' stamped into the plastic itself, it's PVC. The 3 may also appear within a recycling symbol:
PVC aka Vinyl - look for the 3I used to always think that the recycling symbol was a good sign, but as it turns out - not necessarily so. The number may not appear within the recycling logo, it may be beneath it, or the logo may not be present at all - the key easily discernible identification point is the number 3, or less commonly, V.
Unfortunately, stamping won't always be present, so if you're particularly concerned, contact the manufacturer - and while you're at it, express your concerns about PVC as this is a good way to get the message upstream.
Alternatives to PVC
This is a tough one. Some new materials with most of the desirable properties of PVC, without the health and environmental concerns are now being produced. These degradable plastics are engineered to breakdown under landfill conditions (darkness, heat and moisture) within a few years without emitting toxic gases or other pollutants. At this point in time, these sorts of materials aren't widely available and are quite expensive.
However, the more environmentally friendly materials that PVC originally replaced are still around. These are economical and widely available. For a list of PVC alternatives, check out this article on Greenpeace's site - PVC Solutions.
PVC is strong, resistant to oil and chemicals, sunlight, weathering and flame resistant. It's everywhere around us. PVC is an incredibly versatile material use in bottles, packaging, toys, construction materials, bedding, clothing, piping, wire coatings, imitation leather, furnishings and more.
PVC ranks the third in both global plastic output and consumption. Over 33 million tons of PVC is being produced each year and that figure is increasing annually. Around 57% of PVC's mass is chlorine, so it requires less petroleum than many other polymers.
So, what's the problem with PVC?
For starters, oil and chlorine aren't what you'd call "green" substances in regards to their extraction, refining and by-products. So much of our modern life is based on oil that if production were to suddenly cease, it's not just transport that would suffer - it would affect every aspect of our lives. We really need to kick our fossil fuel addiction before we are forced into withdrawals.
PVC's durability is also its downfall environmentally speaking - it's not biodegradable or degradable. Items made from PVC will retain their form for decades and the breakdown that occurs is just granulation - the pieces simply become smaller. Animals can ingest these pieces and the plastic can block their digestive tracts.
Greenpeace has pushed for the cessation of PVC production as dioxin is created from the manufacture and incineration of the substance. Dioxin is one of the most deadliest of man-made poisons and it's a cumulative toxin, meaning it stays in the body for a long time, concentrating in food chains at the highest levels in carnivores - which includes us.
Substances called phthalates are added to PVC to make it flexible. Studies of animals show that some of these chemicals are may cause cancer, kidney and reproductive system damage. The disturbing part is that soft PVC is often used in toys for young children - and they just love putting things in their mouths. The phthalate issue is now such a concern, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a series of actions.
It's often reported that no other plastic presents such a direct environmental and human health threat as PVC does throughout its lifecycle; from manufacture to use to disposal - yet our demand is only increasing.
Recycling PVC
PVC is also difficult to recycle given the presence of additives including heavy metals such such as lead and cadmium; in fact it's considered a contaminant in other recycling streams. Currently under 1% of PVC is recycled.
Identifying PVC?
Examine any plastic item you have around the house. If you see a '3' or 'V' stamped into the plastic itself, it's PVC. The 3 may also appear within a recycling symbol:
PVC aka Vinyl - look for the 3
Unfortunately, stamping won't always be present, so if you're particularly concerned, contact the manufacturer - and while you're at it, express your concerns about PVC as this is a good way to get the message upstream.
Alternatives to PVC
This is a tough one. Some new materials with most of the desirable properties of PVC, without the health and environmental concerns are now being produced. These degradable plastics are engineered to breakdown under landfill conditions (darkness, heat and moisture) within a few years without emitting toxic gases or other pollutants. At this point in time, these sorts of materials aren't widely available and are quite expensive.
However, the more environmentally friendly materials that PVC originally replaced are still around. These are economical and widely available. For a list of PVC alternatives, check out this article on Greenpeace's site - PVC Solutions.
Article: Baxter advances toward PVC-free IV bags.(Baxter International Inc.)
Baxter International Inc., one of the two largest medical bag makers in the United States, has made substantial progress on a replacement for PVC in its intravenous bags.
The company has been showing PVC-free IV bags to a small group of shareholders who have been pressuring the company to move away from vinyl for environmental and health reasons. The Deerfield, Ill.-based manufacturer has consistently maintained that it considers PVC safe, but is now telling shareholders that for the first time, it has materials that are performance- and cost-competitive with vinyl for large-scale production.
``We have identified new materials that offer definite benefits …
The company has been showing PVC-free IV bags to a small group of shareholders who have been pressuring the company to move away from vinyl for environmental and health reasons. The Deerfield, Ill.-based manufacturer has consistently maintained that it considers PVC safe, but is now telling shareholders that for the first time, it has materials that are performance- and cost-competitive with vinyl for large-scale production.
``We have identified new materials that offer definite benefits …
Plastic wrap
Plastic wrap, cling film (UK), cling wrap or food wrap, is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxes with a cutting edge, clings to many smooth surfaces and can thus remain tight over the opening of a container without adhesive or other devices. Common plastic wrap is roughly 0.5 mm thick[1][2].
History
Plastic wrap's history is built on a laboratory error and serendipity. Plastic wrap was invented in 1953 by a scientist who was trying to make a hard plastic cover for his car; his experiment was completely unsuccessful but he then found the usefulness of plastic wrap which he happened to create instead. The original commercially produced cling wrap material was Saran, the commercial name for polyvinylidene chloride (PVdCl). The material was given approval for direct dry food contact and for paperboard coating for contact with fatty and aqueous foods.In Australia, the original cling wrap material was polyethylene with a "stickifier" in the form of edible gum. The product was introduced under the brand name "Glad" in 1966.
Materials used
Plastic wrap was first made from PVC, which remains the most common material, but non-PVC alternatives are now being sold because of concerns about the risk in transfer of plasticizers from PVC into food. Indeed, it is problematic to achieve full polymerization of the material, which could contain remains of the vinyl chloride monomer. For food catering applications, PVC is the most common. For household use, LDPE is gaining market share because it is purportedly safer.More and more countries over the world are concerned about the environmental effect of PVC, as the material is said to be toxic and harder to recycle. Nevertheless, PVC is still used because its stretching properties offer excellent food catering presentation on the shelf, and it clings well to more kinds of surfaces. Even so, some countries are starting to ban the use of PVC in toys for infants and food contact applications.
The original Saran Wrap is made of polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC). In July, 2004 the name Saran Original was changed to Saran Premium and the formulation was changed to low density polyethylene (LDPE). SC Johnson claimed that this change was a result of an initiative to look for more sustainable and environmentally acceptable plastic. The film in Saran Premium Wrap does not contain chlorine. However, LDPE does not possess the same barrier qualities to oxygen, aroma, and flavor molecules that vinylidene chloride copolymers do, making the new formulation a lower quality plastic wrap, as it is not as useful in protecting from spoilage or flavour loss.[citation needed] PVC is not impermeable, but adheres well. LDPE is impermeable but doesn't cling as well.[3]
The PVC-based films contain plasticizers, most often bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), but phthalates (most often dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)), in spite of being prohibited in most countries, also cause concern. The plasticizers were found to migrate to some foods, for example cheeses or fatty fish and meat. In the UK, polymerized plasticizers replaced DEHP in this application, largely eliminating the problem.[4]
A common alternative to PVC is low density polyethylene (LDPE), which is less clingy than PVC, but also does not contain traces of potentially toxic additives. Newer production processes are closing the clingy gap between PVC and LDPE. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) is sometimes added to the material, as it increases the clinginess and the tensile strength of the film.[5] Brands like Glad Cling Wrap or Handi-Wrap are LDPE-based. Saran Premium Wrap, a newer version of Saran Wrap, is based on LDPE as well.
Glad Press'n Seal has its surface covered by shaped dimples, which hold the adhesive away from the surface. While being handled, the wrap is unsticky, but when pressure is applied the dimples are flattened and the adhesive pushed against the contacting surface, sticking them together.[6] The adhesive used is a special edible type similar to chewing gum.[7]
PVdC has better barrier properties than the more-permeable LDPE, making the foods wrapped in it less subject to freezer burn.[citation needed] However, LDPE is substantially cheaper and easier to make.
Natural polymers of LDPE and PVdC are insufficiently clingy on their own, and they do not adhere to themselves. To achieve the desired clinginess, certain polymers with lower molecular weight have to be added; the most common two are polyisobutene (PIB), and poly[ethylene-vinylacetate] (EVA) copolymer. Their chains readily interact with each other and their lower molecular weight makes them more mobile within the host polymer matrix.[8]
Food safe plastics you can use in your kitchen, and elsewhere in the home.
Food-safe plastics? Perhaps it would be more accurate to call them safer plastics.
But given that our homes are literally filled with plastics, including many of the building materials in the building itself, it is reasonable to focus on getting rid of only those plastics which are known or suspected threats to our health.
These plastics are BPA-free, phthalates-free and PVC-free.
Safe Plastic # 1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)
This is the plastic typically used in most clear pop bottles and water bottles. As far as anyone knows, these are safe, and there is no migration of dangerous chemicals into your drinks.
That said, these bottles are designed one-time use only and should not be used over and over again, as there is a danger of bacterial build-up on the plastic.
Safe Plastic #2 – High Density Polyethyline (HDPE)
HDPE is used in a wide range of containers and bottles, including detergent bottles, shampoo bottles and milk bottles.
One of the features of HDPE, which you will recognize in plastic milk bottles, is that it is slightly cloudy and not totally transparent.
With regard to buying milk, it is probably a good idea to buy it in HDPE bottles or jugs. While the inside of cardboard milk cartons used to be lined with wax, these days they are coated with plastic. And there is nothing on the carton that identifies the kind of plastic used.
Safe Plastic # 4 – Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
LDPE is used typically used in the manufacture of shopping bags, sandwich bags, some cling wrap, and the kind of plastic wrapping you get when you buy toiled paper and kitchen paper towels.
LDPE is believed to be safe, and is also used to make opaque baby bottles.
Safe Plastic #5 – Polypropylene.
This is a fairly rigid plastic and is typically used for yogurt cups, some baby bottles and some plastic cups and bowls. It is also used in disposable diapers.
There are no known dangers associated with polypropylene.
But given that our homes are literally filled with plastics, including many of the building materials in the building itself, it is reasonable to focus on getting rid of only those plastics which are known or suspected threats to our health.
These plastics are BPA-free, phthalates-free and PVC-free.
Safe Plastic # 1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)
This is the plastic typically used in most clear pop bottles and water bottles. As far as anyone knows, these are safe, and there is no migration of dangerous chemicals into your drinks.
That said, these bottles are designed one-time use only and should not be used over and over again, as there is a danger of bacterial build-up on the plastic.
Safe Plastic #2 – High Density Polyethyline (HDPE)
HDPE is used in a wide range of containers and bottles, including detergent bottles, shampoo bottles and milk bottles.
One of the features of HDPE, which you will recognize in plastic milk bottles, is that it is slightly cloudy and not totally transparent.
With regard to buying milk, it is probably a good idea to buy it in HDPE bottles or jugs. While the inside of cardboard milk cartons used to be lined with wax, these days they are coated with plastic. And there is nothing on the carton that identifies the kind of plastic used.
Safe Plastic # 4 – Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
LDPE is used typically used in the manufacture of shopping bags, sandwich bags, some cling wrap, and the kind of plastic wrapping you get when you buy toiled paper and kitchen paper towels.
LDPE is believed to be safe, and is also used to make opaque baby bottles.
Safe Plastic #5 – Polypropylene.
This is a fairly rigid plastic and is typically used for yogurt cups, some baby bottles and some plastic cups and bowls. It is also used in disposable diapers.
There are no known dangers associated with polypropylene.
Toxic plastics to remove from your home as soon as you can.
There are reasons to cut back on the use of all plastics in our homes, but there are three classes of plastic which comprise a clear and immediate threat to your health.
These are the plastics to get out of your kitchen, and elsewhere in your home, right now.
Bad Plastic #3 – Polyvinyl Chloride
Polyvinyl Chloride is more commonly known as PVC.
PVC contains phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals which are included because they help make the plastic flexible. That’s why garden hoses contain PVC, as do shower curtains, some cling wraps, teething rings, baby’s vinyl toys and some squeezable bottles.
The trouble is, phthalates are highly toxic and small doses migrate from the PVC to anything that touches it – whether that be food, drink, shampoo or a baby’s mouth.
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors. They mimic estrogen. Because phthalates resemble estrogen, they can mimic or block estrogenic effects in the body.
Endocrine disruptors are associated with a number of health problems that are on the rise on the U.S. and worldwide, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, infertility and heart disease.
By the way – you know that “new car smell” loved by so many people? What you are smelling, and inhaling into your lungs, are phthalates.
Bad Plastic # 6 – Polystyrene
Polystyrene is used in disposable coffee cups, take-out food containers, egg cartons and the packaging of meats, cheeses and other foods in your local supermarket.
What is the problem with polystyrene?
It contains styrene, also known as vinyl benzene. The US Environmental Protection Agency, which is notoriously conservative when it comes to associating plastics with any ill-effects, has described styrene as "a suspected carcinogen" and "a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal, kidney, and respiratory systems, among others."
Styrene is also listed by the World Health Organization as a possible carcinogen.
When you next drink coffee from a polystyrene cup, also keep in mind that the release of styrene is increased when polystyrene is heated.
Another important thing to know about polystyrene is that it isn’t always used in its foamed form. Polystyrene is also used in a solid form, as a clear or colored plastic. Solid polystyrene is used, for example, in disposable cutlery, some yogurt cups and clear containers for cakes and other baked items.
Bad Plastic #7 – Polycarbonates
The number 7 designation actually includes pretty much every plastic that isn’t included in 1-6.
However, most plastics marked with the number 7 are polycarbonates.
Polycarbonates contain BPA, also referred to as bisphenol-A.
BPA is highly toxic and has been banned from use in most plastic products by both the European Union and Canada. But not in the US. (The first state to legislate against the use of BPA in some products was Minnesota, in January 2010.)
Where will you find BPA?
If you live in the US, you will find it in many baby bottles, sports bottles, water cooler bottles and in food and drink containers.
You can often figure out plastics which contain BPA because they are rigid, and almost unbreakable. That is why BPA is found so frequently in baby bottles and sports drink bottles. If you drop them, they don’t break.
A study by the CDC estimated that 92.6 percent of Americans age 6 and above had measurable BPA in their bodies, and the number one source of that BPA is the plastic coating on the inside of cans. If you eat canned food, you have been absorbing BPA.
As with phthalates, BPA is an endocrine disruptor, with all the same dangers described in the section on Plastic #3 above.
Even if you don’t live in the US, don’t be complacent. Polycarbonate plastic is also used in common kitchen appliances, like coffee makers.
A commonsense guide to toxic plastics in your home, and how to avoid them.
Toxic plastics, used in many kitchen and household items, contain a variety of dangerous chemicals.
Three of the most toxic chemicals are bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC and Phthalates.
BPA, PVC and Phthalates can be found in plastic food packaging, plastic food storage containers, plastic water bottles, canned foods, toys, cooking implements and even kitchen appliances like coffee makers.
The problem is that when we use plastics in our kitchens, these chemicals migrate out of the plastic and into the food and drink we consume.
All three chemicals are extremely dangerous to our health – and most dangerous of all to unborn babies, infants and children.
Why are they so dangerous? They are all what are known as endocrine disruptors. They can upset normal hormonal balance in our bodies, stimulate the growth and development of cancers (breast, uterine, prostate), impair fertility, and disrupt pregnancy.
There are other sicknesses associated with these chemicals, including heart disease and behavioral problems in children.
And they are all over your house, not just in your kitchen.
They may be in the plastic of the bottle containing the organic shampoo you bought last week, or in the plastic used to make the toy duck your child is chewing on right now.
Is this threat real?
Good question.
It is real enough for all the countries in the European Union to place a ban on the use of endocrine disruptors in plastics that come into contact with food and drink. And the same goes for plastics that are used in baby bottles, sippers and toys that might be chewed by young infants.
It is real enough for the Government of Canada to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles.
It is real enough for the State of Minnesota to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles.
In the Western World, the only federal government that insists these plastics are safe is the US Government. Interestingly, several US plastics manufacturers are voluntarily removing these chemicals from many of their products, and a number of retailers are removing toxic plastics from their stores. But the EPA has no bans or prohibitions in place for any of these chemicals.
As a result, if you live in the US, or eat packaged foods imported from the US, you are likely feeding these endocrine disruptors to your family.
| Tell us what you have found out about bad plastics, and their alternatives. Scroll down our page on Plastics Alternatives and tell us about the changes you have made in your own home. Same with our Bad Plastics in the Media page -- share news stories you have found on the subject of toxic plastics. |
How can you protect yourself and your family from these chemicals?
1. Educate yourself. Learn about the different plastics in your home. Identify them by the recycling number you will find on most plastic products.
2. Throw out all plastics which contain bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC or Phthalates.
3. Replace those plastic items with alternatives -- like items made from safe plastics, glass, steel, ceramics or wood.
PVC-Free: 21 Companies That Don't Use Toxic Plastic
The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics singles out companies, like Nokia, that have stopped using PVC in the production of their goods, but it’s not only electronics producers that are moving away from the deadly plastic. Microsoft, Honda, Walmart, Target and Nike have all started shifting production away from PVC.
A representative from the Vinyl Institute, an industry trade group, thinks that the move away from PVC is a mistake, and that no one will find a plastic better than PVC. With more and more consumers becoming aware of the hazards of PVC, we think most companies will settle for something not quite as sturdy but infinitely less toxic.
You can tell if a product was made from PVC if you look for the number 3 or the letter V inside the recycling triangle. (Check out Greenpeace’s list of common products that contain PVC.) PVC products also tend to have a strong smell (like that vinyl shower curtain scent).
The good news is that some companies have pledged to be PVC-free. Here’s a list of 21 popular companies that don’t use PVC:
- Asics
- H&M
- L.L. Bean
- Patagonia
- Birkenstock
- Crocs
- Puma
- Land’s End
- Trek Bikes
- BabyBjorn
- Ikea
- Evenflo
- Gerber
- Playtex
- Lego
- Peapods
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Nokia
- Sony Ericsson
- Jansport
- Saran Wrap
via CNN
Go PVC-Free
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, commonly known as "vinyl," has become one of the most widely-used types of plastics. It's used in packaging, home furnishings, children’s toys, automobile parts, building materials, hospital supplies, and hundreds of other products. PVC may be versatile and relatively inexpensive, but the price we pay for a low-cost piece of PVC pipe or soft vinyl toy is far steeper than it may seem.
In fact, this commonplace plastic is one of the most toxic substances saturating our planet and its inhabitants. PVC contaminates humans and the environment throughout its lifecycle: during its production, use, and disposal. Few consumers realize that PVC is the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics. Since safer alternatives are available for virtually all uses of PVC, it is possible to protect human health and the environment by replacing and eventually phasing out this poison plastic.
The good news is that this industrial transition can be accomplished in a manner that is fair to all involved - the plastic manufacturers, industrial workers, and host communities. PVC can be replaced with safer materials in virtually all cases. Substitutes for PVC include traditional materials such as clay, glass, ceramics and linoleum. In those cases where traditional materials cannot be used as a replacement, even chlorine-free plastics are preferable to PVC. As consumers increasingly demand PVC-free products, and as the environmental and health costs of PVC are recognized, practical alternatives will become more economically viable.
In fact, this commonplace plastic is one of the most toxic substances saturating our planet and its inhabitants. PVC contaminates humans and the environment throughout its lifecycle: during its production, use, and disposal. Few consumers realize that PVC is the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics. Since safer alternatives are available for virtually all uses of PVC, it is possible to protect human health and the environment by replacing and eventually phasing out this poison plastic.
The good news is that this industrial transition can be accomplished in a manner that is fair to all involved - the plastic manufacturers, industrial workers, and host communities. PVC can be replaced with safer materials in virtually all cases. Substitutes for PVC include traditional materials such as clay, glass, ceramics and linoleum. In those cases where traditional materials cannot be used as a replacement, even chlorine-free plastics are preferable to PVC. As consumers increasingly demand PVC-free products, and as the environmental and health costs of PVC are recognized, practical alternatives will become more economically viable.
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