Super Eco

Photo credit: Randy Son of Robert, flickr

Keep your toxic Bisephenol A out of babies' mouths or face the long, green arm of the law.

That’s the message Minnesota sent commercial baby bottle and sippy cup makers last week when it became the first state to legally ban BPA from plastic infant and toddler drinking containers. Do I smell a new license plate slogan: "Land of 10,000 Safe Sippy Cups"? No, at least not yet.
 
Minnesota's historic “BPA bottle ban” is a welcome change, but Bill SF247 doesn't officially take effect until 2011. By then, most of the kids currently sucking on chemical-laden nipples and plastic bottles will already be weaned (we hope!). This ban can’t be enacted fast enough, especially because it will stop millions of bottle- and sippy cup-fed children from risking heart disease, diabetes, liver problems, cancer, reproductive and neurological problems ... Not to mention a giant wake-up call to parents.

According to the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, BPA was “first synthesized as a sex hormone.” Scary. Let’s leave our kids' sex hormones to Mother Nature, okay? Polluting plastic makers—not so much.

Babies are especially prone to BPA’s proven toxic effects. Researchers also worry that unborn (and living children) exposed to even minute levels of BPA may also be at increased risk for early-onset puberty and prostate and breast cancer.

You can ban BPA in your own household with one of these already-available BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free baby bottles:

• Lansinoh
• Medela (which my kids occasionally drank breast milk from)
• Momo and Nature Pure glass bottles (Hooray for our old friend glass!)
• Parent’s Choice
• ThinkBaby Bottles

Now for non-toxic sippy cups (that also don’t leach BPA, PVC and phthalates):

• Boon Sippy
• iPlay Aqua Bottle
• Klean Kanteen
• Nalgene Tritan 12oz Grip-n-Gulp Bottle 
• SIGG toddler water bottles

Recycle your sippy stash when your little sipper upgrades to big-time spill-ables (Oh, no! Messy cover-less "adult" cups!). Look for the recycling code (and have your mop at the ready). 

I doubt the North Star State's BPA ban includes toxic pacifiers and teething toys. It should. Lord knows those suckers aren't safe either.