As said by Norman Mailer, a great American novelist, , “I sometimes think that there is a malign force loose in the universe that is the social equivalent of cancer, and it’s plastic. It infiltrates everything. It’s metastasis.
It gets into every single pore of productive life.” While this statement seems to be a recent one and associated with the popularity of the green movements, it is basically a quote from 1983.
Mailer said this much earlier before America got obsessed with plastic and its peak. What an amazing foresight!
The modern society we live in is kind of obsessed with plastic. It has a significant part of our mobile phones, computers, cars, children `s toys- and basically everything that we use in our everyday activities.
However, there is one place where plastic is not praised and welcomed anymore. We are talking about the plastic container for water we drink and food we consume.
The worst thing about plastic is that it is a byproduct of toxic materials. These toxic compounds are likely to leach into whatever they come into contact with. Taking into consideration the fact that these compounds that make up plastic are ingested, it is not surprising that they can enter the body, cause damage to it, and trigger the development of health issues.
According to the experts, human body is designed to easily handle the small amounts of toxins ingested from plastic. The government insists on referring to them as “acceptably safe levels”.
However, this excuse is a huge lie because the human body was not designed to ingest plastic, regardless of the amount given. As simple as that!
Here are 5 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Plastic Containers:
- There is No Such Thing as a Safe Plastic
Plastics that contain BPA or bisphenol-A, type of toxic compound, have been all the rage recently. After all of that, people have been deceived into thinking that “BPA-free” product means completely safe one.
However, this is not true. Many companies sell more of a product if it is labeled as “BPA-free” and they take an advantage of this. While the product may be BPA-free, these companies use another very toxic chemical known as BPS. In other words, you cannot be 100 percent positive that any plastic doesn’t contain toxic compounds.
- Plastics are Terrible for Our Planet
Even though you may not be quite concerned about the environment, the fact that you live on this planet, and so will your children, carries a certain responsibility. You have a responsibility to keep the planet as livable as possible.
As most plastics are made of petrochemicals that create lots of toxic discharge and pollution, we are not contributing to keeping the planet as livable as we should.
In addition to this, most plastics are not recycled and end up in a landfill, which in turn makes it degrading very slowly. According to Wikipedia, “Since the 1950s, one billion tons of plastic have been discarded and may persist for hundreds or even thousands of years.”
- Toxic Compound in Plastic can Make You Sick
As we age, many different health problems occur. However, is this really just part of getting older? Is there any chance that toxic overload in the body may be the culprit?
It is a well known fact that many illnesses and health conditions, such as vision impairment, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer`s disease and many other health issues are on the rise. Is this perhaps caused by the increasing amount of plastic in our lives?
Plastic drink and food containers became all the rage recently (in the 1970s) and have became a huge part of our lives from then on. There is growing research suggesting that toxins found in plastic cause health problems, from cancer to infertility.
- Chemicals in Plastic can Make You Fat
There are many contributing factors for nearly two-thirds of American adults who are either obese or overweight.
However, one of the main factors is the enormous amount of plastic in drinks and food they come in contact with. In fact, America is the largest consumer of disposable plastic containers worldwide.
According to a recent research published in the Environmental Health Perspectives, a chemical widely used in plastics, known as bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) may be the cause for stem cells becoming fat cells. As explained by one of the study`s authors: “Exposure to these kinds of chemicals can reprogram your metabolism and make it more likely for you to store calories instead of passing them through.”
Have you found that losing weight is next to impossible, despite eating less and exercising more? After all, it seems that chemicals found in plastics make losing weight harder than it is supposed to be.
- Plastics can Cause Fertility and Reproductive Problems
Everyone wishes to produce a healthy child in their life as this is the most amazing event. However, in many cases the toxic compounds found in plastic make this quite difficult and even impossible.
It all started as rumor and simple speculation, but there are a growing number of studies which prove that this is a huge problem. For instance, many plastics contain toxins that negatively affect the hormone regulation and immunity, which in turn affects fertility as well.
To be more specific, it was found that BPA is linked to difficulty in women to conceive as well as it causes an increased risk of miscarriages. According to a recent research, toxic compounds in plastic cause birth defect and development issues in children.
Best Solutions
As mentioned in the very beginning, plastic is an essential part of our everyday lives. However, the plastic on the computer and the one that may come into contact with your meal is not the same. Simply, you don’t eat your computer.
The best solution is to opt for glass or and certain types of metal, both of which are convenient, cheap, and safe. Consider the following solutions:
- Glass Water Coolers
Luckily, more and more companies are offering glass containers for a water cooler instead of plastic ones. Replace the plastic containers at your home or office with better option.
- Break-Proof Glass Water Bottles
The Glass Water Bottle helps you avoid using plastic water bottle, it prevents breakage with the help of the rubber coating and it makes water taste amazing!
- Stainless Steel Containers
Replace the plastic Tupperware with Stainless Steel Containers. Even though glass containers are good as well, they contain plastic lids.
- Alternative to Non-Stick Cookware
As the coating on the non-stick cookware tends to be made of plastic, it is recommended to use enameled cast iron or ceramic cookware instead.
- Stainless Steel Straws
Opt for stainless steel straws instead of the commonly used plastic straws.
Sneaky Sources of BPA
Unfortunately, even though you may remove all plastic from your water and food supply, there are some sneaky sources of BPA. The ones below are the most common:
- Canned soda and beer
- Some baby bottles and pacifiers
- Some aluminum water bottles ( stainless steel is generally safe)
- Many toys and other children`s product
- The lining of most canned foods
- Cash register receipts: Most people are shocked by this. However, it is very simple. If you touch a receipt with your hands, then you eat your food with the dirty hands, which in turn enables BPA to get in your system. Avoid receipts or wash the hands right after touching one!
