There have been many reports about the dangers of plastics and how its best to reduce exposure to them as much as possible. Plastics are dangerous because they leach chemicals into our food and water, even plastic products which are labeled 'BPA' free (bisphenol A) are not as safe as first thought.
BPA, which mimics the hormone estrogen, has been linked to a long list of serious health problems (cancer, diabetes, obesity, infertility, heart disease, developmental problems, ADHD, and the list goes on). The latest research reflects that many of the chemicals used in BPA free plastics are just as (if not more) dangerous as BPA and contain synthetic estrogens as well.
I wanted to created a safer, healthier home in regards to plastics. Water
bottles always came to mind first when I’d think about cutting out
plastics, but I could never find one that was 100% plastic free that I liked.
In the past, I used plastic water bottles but then I switched to glass ones, however, they still had some type of plastic on them - like a 'BPA free' lid or spout. I had two of them and they both broke and I wanted something more durable and completely plastic free. I have been on the hunt for the perfect water bottle for a long time for both myself and my kids.
Here is the really embarrassing part.... my kids were WAY overdue (blush, blush) on graduating from sippy cups - ages 5 and 7 (cringe). They love going to bed with a sippy when they get thirsty during the night, and they love bringing their water on the go. I love that that sippys don’t leak or spill, but I don't love that they are plastic or have plastic parts. So . . . I have done my research and found the bottle of all bottles!
Introducing Pura! They are 100% plastic free and the cool thing is that they convert (with interchangeable tops) from bottle, to sippy, to straw, to a sport top (for kids and adults) to seamlessly transition with your children through the different stages of life. They even have silicone sealing discs that are used as a lid to change the bottle into a snack carrier. Their motto is ‘One Life . . . One Bottle’. They are made of food-grade stainless steel and the spouts are made of silicone- which are really convenient to drink from and are considered safe.
I found these online and I first ordered one for myself (I bought the 22 oz insulated bottle) to make sure that I liked it and that the stainless steel didn't give off a weird taste - and it didn't whatsoever.
I loved it so much that I then got the 11 oz. straw bottles for my kids. These bottles are easy to carry and grip because they have silicone sleeves on them (some of them come with the sleeve and others don't- but you can order the sleeve if the style you want doesn't come with one). My kids and I are totally loving these and you can too - check the Pura bottles out here.
When I first started reading about the dangers of plastics, I got thinking.... its not just about water bottles..... my kids are eating off of plastic dishes and using plastic utensils too. So, I tossed them, later realizing I should have recycled them (oops, cringe, blush), and thats when my kids began using the
adult ceramic plates and normal utensils.
My kids felt proud to be “so big” to be able to use the Mommy and Daddy
plates and I felt so much better because I knew they were no longer eating with un-safe products.
Finally, I replaced our plastic food storage containers with glass ones (Pyrex). The lids
are still plastic, but I feel that’s ok because it not containing the food, it’s
just creating the seal. Also, I try not to run the plastic lids through the dishwasher because the high temperatures in dishwashers cause plastics to leach more - so I usually just hand wash them.
So, please learn from me: Don't let your kids use sippy cups past the toddler stage (like I did), ditch the plastics in your home, recycle your old plastics (like I should have - cringe), and do your research too so that you are aware of just how dangerous using plastics can be - it's great motivation for ditching plastic. Oh, and order some Pura bottles soon.
XO
Such a nice post, I am totally agree with you Plastic is dangerous. You have shared nice piece of bottle for kids which is comfortable for them in all way. Buy the best vacuum insulated Bpa Free Water Flask at best price.
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