Natural and Sustainable

Americans alone go through an estimated 70 million plastic bottles daily and over 80% of those go start to the landfill. What is one to do? With the fear of PET in plastic, a lot of people aren’t sure where to turn. Here is a simple list of the reusable bottles that are healthier alternatives to the landfill filling plastic throwaway bottles.

1. BPA-Free: Avoid this danger by steering clear of anything that does not read BPA-Free. You can pick these up from Born Free bottles and even sippy cups are available as well.

2. Stainless Steel/Aluminum: These bottles are guaranteed not to leach any harmful chemicals. They are lightweight and can be taken anywhere. They are also reusable and even recyclable. Try ones by My Sigg.

3. Glass Bottles: Glass is always the top leader in leach-free containers. They reusable and even recyclable like their aluminum counterpart. Never give a glass container to a child though, because of the fear of breakage. There are glass coverings available on the market like ones from Built NY.

4. Biodegradable Plastic Bottles: These are made from corn, bioplastic bottles can be composted and they don’t contain petroleum or even leach the harmful chemicals like most other plastics. Try brand such as Biota or Blue Planet Water.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Make since of your money and make it green sense. General Electric and MasterCard introduce the Earth Rewards credit card. Every time you make a purchase with the card, a portion of your purchase will go to offsetting carbon emissions.

There have been trace amounts of antimony, a toxic metal found in several brands of bottled water. Because water in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have a considerable amount more antimony than water in glass containers. It’s been suspected PET is the problem the bottles have been tested by adding water to PET bottles. The longer the water sat in the bottles, the more antimony was released. While levels were still below drinking water guidelines, it’s not currently known what the long ter, effects might be. One more reason to do away with plastic polyethylene bottles all together.

More information for you:

• Kids with asthma and dogs don’t play well together. While it’s not surprising that they have more severe symptoms than kids with nop petsa. they also farced worse than cat-owning children.

• Eating lots of carrots, tomatoes and leafy vegetables reduces your chances of having asthma. A daily diet containing at least 90 grams of leafy veggies has a risk 22% lower than the viggue-averse person who consumes less than 40 grams of leafy veggies.

• Conserve energy by using power strips (many electronics suck power even when off-but power strips in the off position don’t.)

**Over at Watching KVille, Lulu Mcgrew has the latest “Writer’s Strike” update for you. Read it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Carpool whenever you can.

The environmental footprint that we leave behind when we develop our beauty habits is costly to the environment. Chemicals used in self-care and beauty products add to the burden that the environment is already struggling with. Switching from regular lipstick to organic lip gloss does not slow down global warming in a significant way, but every little change that you do counts. Keeping the skin healthy and glwoing through the years might not seem directly connected to saving the planet, but it is.

There was a time then people thought that beauty was equivalent to keeping up with the latest and most expensive cosmetic products out on the market. Lately, this image is changing. Beauty and health go hand in hand and more and more people are learning that over the fact of buying the most expensive and most chemical laden products. And the more people start to change the stronger the health of one’s face and body.

Here are some organic beauty and planet helpers that will help you make that change to help the earth glow, as well as your face:

* I have said it in many posts and it still stands true, reduce your environmental footprint and greatly improve your health by choosing local organic food as often as possible. Use fresh, organic fruit masks to make your skin glow. Your new beauty mantra should be “inside and out.” So just remember, whatever you put on your skin your body ingests. So if you wouldn’t eat mineral oil or dyes, why put them on your skin?

* Recycle as much as you can, including your beauty products containers. In fact, it it’s not reusable and/or recyclable, pass on the products no matter how spectacular the results. Beauty without guilt involved is a priceless state of mind.

* Install a water filtration system and use stainless steel containers to carry your much needed water around. Use plastic bottles only if forced too. Recycling plastic bottles is only partially alleviating a serious environmental issue.

**Vote for Sally Anderson over at Living Without Meat for Project Blog. Read the rest of the story and how you can cast your vote for her here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Victoria’s Secert Pink line is now going organic. So the next time you go to purchase under-roos opt for the more sustainable Pink Line from VS.

Known to block male hormones and lead to reproductive feminization in laboratory animals, phthalates are environmental toxins found in plastics and many synthetic personal care products. A recent study may have discovered on way in which these chemicals harm humans.

Compairing phthalate metabolites in blood and urine samples of more than 400 men between 18 and 55 who have vistied a Boston Fertility center, researchers linked higher levels of this chemical with altered thyriod hormone levels. While more clinival stufy is needed, the thyroid connection has been found in male rats as well.

In addition, research at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry shows that pregnant women using beauty products containing phthalates gave buirth to boys with smaller genitals. Since the thyroid glans stimulates energy production and impacts basal metabolic rate, it influences all bodily functions, including reproduction.

Phthalates may also cause asthma as well as liver and kidney damage.

These chemicals are hardly essential - in most cases, safer alternatives do exist.

• PVC-free building products.
Steer clear of vinyl windows and doors and choose wood instead. For flooring, choose linoleum, cork, bamboo, or wood instead of vinyl. Adhesives, caulk, grout, and sealants may also contain phthalates.

• PVC-free shower curtains.
Avoid vinyl shower curtains in favor of natural fibers, polyester, or nylon.

• PVC-free packaging.
Look at the recycling symbol on products you purchase in plastic packaging. Plastics marked with the #3 symbol contain PVC. Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Victoria’s Secret, and Bath and Body Works have agreed to phase out the use of PVC in their packaging. Ask the companies you buy products from to do the same.

• PVC-free toys.
Toymakers Brio, Chicco, Early Start, Evenflo, Gerber, Lego, Prime Time, Sassy, and Tiny Love have pledged to stop using PVC. Look for products labeled as PVC-free.

• PVC-free food storage.
Buy plastic wrap and bags made from polyethylene, such as GLAD. For food storage, use glass containers or plastic containers marked with recycling symbols other than the #3. For heating food, microwave food in glass containers, not plastic. Dispose of all clear, shiny plastic baby bottles, unless the manufacturer states they are not made of polycarbonate. Use filtered drinking water (even bottled water may contain phthalates).

• Phthalate-free cosmetics.
Check ingredient lists and avoid products listing ‘fragrance’ or phthalates. A wide variety of personal-care products may contain phthalates, including perfume, cologne, after-shave, deodorant, soap, hair and skin-care products, and makeup.
(Sources: Some information pulled from TFL 2007)

**What is “one habit of moderately successful people”? Over at Get Incensed, Mark Jabo has the answer in more ways than one. **

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Purify indoor air with plants instead of with artificial room fresheners.