The US Conference of Mayors, meeting in Miami, banned bottled water this week. The cities will no longer use municipal funds to purchase water bottles. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who proposed the resolution along with 17 other big-city mayors, said: "Cities are sending the wrong message about the quality of public water when we spend taxpayer dollars on water in disposable containers from Read more

You may have noticed some numbers surrounded by chasing-arrow symbols on consumer packaging like water bottles, plastic bags, bottle caps, toys, etc. If you have, good! That's step one. But, do you know what they mean? Contrary to what you may think, these icons do not mean that the products can be recycled, or that they're made of recycled plastic; they actually identify which types of plastic a Read more

The recent news about the possible health risks of using polycarbonate bottles (like ones made by Nalgene) has made me a little uneasy. Now I'm wondering about about the relationship between microwaves and plastic, like the reusable food containers I heat up almost daily. Are the high temperatures leaching chemicals into my food? Should I use ceramic or glass containers instead? To find Read more

The future may no longer be in plastics. Another study linked the chemical bisphenol A, used to make hard, shatter proof plastics, to precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty. The study was performed on rats that were fed or injected with small amounts of the chemical, and although the results are preliminary the group of scientists involved in the study said that possible Read more

Have you ever been at the store poised to buy a slew of bottles for babe when you suddenly wonder, "Are these Bisphenol A free?" While you can ask the clerk for information, you may not have faith in their response. If that's the case, just pull out your cell phone and text "zrecs" and the company name to 69866. They will shoot back a BPA report for you right away. To see how it Read more

There are plenty of reasons to avoid using so much plastic, both environmental and health wise. For instance, marine researchers have shown that plastic debris outweighs zooplankton in remote parts of the Pacific. Health wise, phthalates, a chemical added to normally rigid PVC to make soft products, are potential hormone disruptors and may increase infertility in men. When it comes to packing Read more

How do you feel about bisphenol A (BPA)? While you might not know what this chemical compound is, chances are high that it is in your home and even in you. I hate to sound so alarmist but a recent report on BPA alarmed me. The chemical compound BPA is used to make hard plastics and is found in plastic baby bottles, dental sealants and linings of metal cans among other common household objects. Read more