Trying to get all the plastic out of the kitchen is really hard!!!

[big brown horse]

BB, our dishwasher is very very old!

BBH, mine is too!!!! But it really needs some plastic.......surgery!

You know that is why wedding dresses are white, don't you? So the dishwasher will match the stove and refrigerator!

 

[Henrietta23]

BB, our dishwasher is very very old!

BBH, mine is too!!!! But it really needs some plastic.......surgery!

 

[Blackbird]

Is this the thread where the teflon pans and such were mentioned?

"Perfluorinated compounds (PEFs): Fluorine-containing chemicals that make materials stain and stick-resistant. The two most prevalent are perfluorooctanoic acide (PFOA), used to make Teflon, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), formerly found in Stotchgard products. Grease-resistant food packaging contains PFCs, as does nonstick cookware, cleaning and personal-care products like shampoo, dental floss, and denture cleaners, nail polish, facial moisturizers, and eye makeup. Ditto Gore-Tex clothing and accessories, and stain-resistant anything. PFOA and PFOs are likely human carcinogens linked to liver and kidney damage, as well as reproductive problems. They are slow to clear from both our bodies and the environment."

 

[big brown horse]

Is this the thread where the teflon pans and such were mentioned?

"Perfluorinated compounds (PEFs): Fluorine-containing chemicals that make materials stain and stick-resistant. The two most prevalent are perfluorooctanoic acide (PFOA), used to make Teflon, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), formerly found in Stotchgard products. Grease-resistant food packaging contains PFCs, as does nonstick cookware, cleaning and personal-care products like shampoo, dental floss, and denture cleaners, nail polish, facial moisturizers, and eye makeup. Ditto Gore-Tex clothing and accessories, and stain-resistant anything. PFOA and PFOs are likely human carcinogens linked to liver and kidney damage, as well as reproductive problems. They are slow to clear from both our bodies and the environment."

I am glad I've been using more of my cast iron pans lately! Thanks for sharing that tid bit of info BB!!!

 

[Blackbird]

Ironic, just read this for a school assignment.

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/02/22_edgerlym_3mscience/

 

[big brown horse]

Ironic, just read this for a school assignment.

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/02/22_edgerlym_3mscience/

That is it!! I am tossing my non stick pans right now! Thank you for sharing that article.

 

[Blackbird]

Phthalates: A family of compounds that make plastics soft and flexible and are also commonly found in personal-care products. Phthalates wreak havoc on the liver, kidneys, lungs, and endocrine system; studies have linked them to asthma and allergies in children, and to genital birth defects in male infants due to prenatal exposure. Problems start at phthalate levels below those found in the bodies of one-quarter of American women, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control.

Avoiding phthalates;
Phthalates don't build up in our bodies, so you can improve your health starting now. Avoid vinyl windows, doors, and shower curtains; product packaging or food-storage containers marked with the #3 recycling symbol; toys made with PVC; and almost any other flexible plastic, including plastic wrap - it probably contains phthalates unless the label specifically says otherwise. Read labels on personal-care products, looking for phthalates in their many disguises: DEHP, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, BzBp, benzylbutyl phthalate, DBP, di-n-butyl phthalate, DEP, diethyl phthalate, DMP, and dimethyl phthalate. And when in doubt, go all-natural - because under current law, phthalates can simply be labeled "fragrance."

http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/

 

[bibliophile birds]

i've been looking into all this for a while now (but just came across this thread). when my sister found out she was pregnant in February it really kicked me into gear. it is near impossible to find plastic-free baby products! Babies R' Us is 100% BPA free now and a lot of things there are phthalate free as well, but it just doesn't seem like enough. i made her buy an organic cotton and wool baby mattress because i couldn't stand the thought of my precious niece sleeping on petroleum. my sister isn't nearly as concerned as i am, but i'm slowly winning her over. i've even got her using eco diapers that are 70% biodegradable (she refuses to go cloth...).

i'm the shopping bag nazi, too! i think the people at my local stores are talking about me in the stock rooms! i was at Target the other day and had forgotten my recycled plastic shopping bag (the only plastic thing i still cherish) so i bought a new cloth one. i wasn't paying attention so i was surprised when the lady handed me a plastic target bag. i looked at it stupidly for a sec and then realized she had rung up my items and put them in a plastic bag, CLOTH BAG INCLUDED! i politely pointed out what was wrong and remedied the matter, going so far as to rehang the offending bag on the little bag carousel. i once carried an armful of groceries out to the car sans bag because i'd forgotten mine and they didn't have any for sale. i got quite a few strange looks. Ed Begley, Jr, would have been proud!

i'm always reminding my mother (who i shop with a lot) that it's not that hard to avoid plastics at the grocery store if you just take the time to think about it (ok, sometimes you can't avoid it). she will start to buy individual serving apple sauces and i have to remind her to buy the glass jar instead. or she'll buy shredded cheese and then complain about the packaging, so i have to point out that she can buy deli cheese and shred it at home (which usually ends up being much better quality for cheaper). she's constantly telling me how annoying i can be, but then she always comes to me with questions so i know she really likes it!

 

[freemotion]

Wanted to get this thread moving again...if possible.

My dh has stopped using the last small non-stick pan and is now a cast iron convert. He often cooks my eggs for me in the morning and I started refusing them in teflon (politely but firmly) and he learned how to get it done with the cast iron....now I only see the cast iron pan on the stove in the morning when he gets up early and goes to work before I get up. Yeah!

He does use the plastic spatula....gotta toss those along with the non-stick pan. But some of them are handy for scraping out the plastic VitaMix container when making mayo or grinding flour....

 

[TanksHill]

Good for you!!! I am only using stainless and cast iron now. I have been collecting stainless utensils as well. I still have a few plastic things. But there really is no reason to keep them. I really don't think I will give up my rubber spatulas. They don't come in contact with heat so I did not think they were a problem. I have a couple really nice high temp ones, so the rest will go.

My downfall is Ziplocks!!! Please help. I use them for everything. Lunches, freezing, keeping tortillas and bread fresh. Any suggestions?

I am thinking about making some small bags I can use to store foods in the fridge. Fresh picked green beans lettuce etc... Any ideas on fabric?

Thanks for reminding me!!

gina