Choosing Plastic Milk Bottles for Kids

Plastic is everywhere in the form of water bottles, plastic wrap, food containers and toys. Initially proclaimed as a miraculous material—lightweight, flexible, and sturdy, plastics are presently recognized as toxic both to the environment and to the user. The manufacturing process uses large amounts of energy and generates pollutants that contribute to global warming. They also spew toxic chemicals such as benzene and dioxin into the atmosphere. Disposal of plastics is a tough challenge for environmentalists; if dumped into a landfill, it takes hundreds of years to break down. If dumped into water, they harm aquatic life, and if burnt, the fumes toxify the air. It can be fatal to animals that eat them.

Man-made estrogen-like compound leach into water packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and disrupt the endocrine system by interfering with estrogen and other reproductive hormones in the human body. During the manufacture of plastics, many chemicals are added to plastics to improve their quality, and these include toxic metals like cadmium. These can leach into food stuffs stored in the plastic containers.

So it is natural to be concerned when one reads about plastics causing DNA structural changes or about infants’ death as a result of milk powder being contaminated with melamine. Studies indicate that food and drinks stored in plastic containers—including the Nalgene water bottles—can contain traces of Bisphenol A (BPA) used to make hard, clear plastics (or polycarbonate). Even canned foods can contain BPA, as it is used in the inside lining. BPA has been linked to miscarriage, breast and uterine cancer, and decreased testosterone levels.

Here’s a report that says girls today menstruate earlier than they did in earlier decades, and this is partly due to the extraneous hormones called xeno-estrogens that come from plastic milk bottles, toys and pacifiers that kids put in their mouth, and these hormones mimic the natural hormones produced by the body. These artificial hormones are also the reason for the recent surge in male infertility.

As most baby bottles and sippy cups are made with plastics containing BPA, our parental responsibilities increase. Most of us heat plastic bottles for sterilizing it or put it on the microwave for heating it; this can hasten the transfer of BPA into the milk.

The immune systems of fetuses and newborn are immature, making them vulnerable to damage from toxins. When babies chew on plastic toys, harmful chemicals can gain entry into the babies’ delicate bodies.

Here’s link to an article that shows the health hazards (as well as environmental) of using disposable diapers containing plastic or petroleum derivatives as constituents.

Safe Plastic: Plastic Recycling Codes

The plastic containers carry certain symbols and codes at the bottom. They’re called resin identification codes, and they help consumers know whether and how to recycle various plastic products. Most disposable water, soda and juice bottles are made from plastic #1 (polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET), and they are safe for one-time use only. Because High Density Polyethylene HDPE (#2) has good chemical resistance, it is used for packaging many household and industrial chemicals such as detergents and bleach. Plastics carrying #7 codes (Polycarbonate) contain BPA; those labeled #3 contain polyvinyl chloride(PVC), and those labeled #6 contain polystyrene (PS). All of them are carcinogenic.

Plastic containers labeled # 2, 4 and 5 are safe.

You can read more on recycling codes at H2NO site. The following video gives some tips on how to choose a milk bottle for your kids:

In India, people generally use stainless steel vessels for cooking and heating, but of late, microwave ovens have started appearing in many homes. If using microwave oven, use glass or ceramic containers (no paints, please).

Avoid plastic bottled water, if possible. Nowadays, stainless steel bottles have started appearing in the market. If you use a polycarbonate water bottle, do not use for warm or hot liquids, and discard old or scratched water bottles. Avoid using harsh detergents that can break down the plastic and increase chemical leaching.