I have written extensively about BPA or Bisphenol A on this blog. It is a 
hormone mimicking chemical that can be found in some plastic types. It is most commonly found in baby bottles, water bottles, kids feeding items (cups, plates, bowls, utensils) toys, etc.
Today I saw an investigative journalism report from Fast Company that takes the BPA issue and really tells it like it. They accuse plastics manufacturers and chemical companies that make BPA of using the same tactics used by Big Tobacco to fund fraudulent studies and sow seeds of doubt about their dangerous product.
They did their own in depth investigation and found that the BPA debate is nothing but “a battle to protect a multibillion-dollar market from regulation”. This quote was especially telling:
Just five companies make BPA in the United States: Bayer, Dow, Hexion Specialty Chemicals, SABIC Innovative Plastics (formerly GE Plastics), and Sunoco. Together, they bring in more than $6 billion a year from the compound.
Of the more than 100 independently funded experiments on BPA, about 90% have found evidence of adverse health effects at levels similar to human exposure. On the other hand, every single industry-funded study ever conducted — 14 in all — has found no such effects.
It is a long article but worth the read with shocking info about scientists requesting that their names be removed from reports that claimed BPA was safe and final report statements about BPA being safe being made BEFORE studies even started!
The government is unlikely to start controlling the use of BPA. The United States has a long tradition of keeping harmful substances — lead, DDT, tobacco, PCBs — on the market for decades after scientists find adverse effects.
This is why consumers need to educate themselves about BPA and let their money do the talking. We can vote against BPA ourselves by not buying products that have it and supporting companies that don’t use it. Here are some of my BPA articles with product links:
BPA Free Sippy Cups – Foogo, Klean Kanteen, Sigg, Avent Naturally, and Born Free
BPA Free Sippy Cups Part Two– Boon Fluid, The Safe Sippy, Nuby, ThinkBaby, and Funtainer
Glass Baby Bottles– Evenflo, Medela, Playtex, Born Free
BPA Free Baby Bottles Part Two– Glass bottles with protective sleeves (Siliskin and Wee-Go), and polycarbonate plastic baby bottles, Green to Grow, Nuby, Dr. Brown, Evenflo, Adiri
BPA Free Teethers and Pacifiers– Sophie, Natursutten, Raz-Berry, Playtex, Gerber, Chan Pie Gnon, Nuby, Sassy, and more.
BPA Free Plates, Cips, Bowls, and Utensils– Boon, Camden Rose, Mini-Me, Emily Green, Dombo, Trebimbi, Sassy and more.
Wow! Thanks for doing all this research and offering so many awesome BPA free options!
Karla
I broke my plastic blender pitcher this year and was pleased to find a glass replacement at a local appliance repair shop for around $8. That might be an option if anyone out there is getting down to the nitty gritty with clearing out the BPA but can’t afford a VitaMix. :)
Hi- I’ve read on Zrecs (another green website with an emphasis on kids) that the glass blender containers have lids with pvc, phtalates, etc.
BPA has been banned in Canada for use in baby and child cups since last year. Scientists here could not claim it to be safe, and it was pulled fast, like over night in stores. It can be done, if there is enough public will. Chemical companies can also make new compounds that are not harmful. Not all chemicals are harmful.
Another blog, News Anchor Mom, posed the question whether coffee makers were leaking BPA into our drinks and someone from NIH confirmed that the hot water and acid in the plastic is a double whammy. I have a french press and have started to use that instead. It’s scary how much coffee we all drink from these plastic machines!
What’s scary to me is how many moms think that BPA is a bunch of hogwash. You know how many women I have talked to that that don’t believe it? Enough to make me sick. Talk about bowing down to the government and taking it up the… ya know.
American consumers have become very lax and dependent upon “regulating government bodies” that don’t regulate anything but the information that is fed the American public. It seems like more and more people are waking up but those that don’t are harming the next generation by sticking their heads in the sand. It’s very sad.
This is such a great article on the BPA issue. Thank you for your amazing research. It is unbelievable the amount of harmfully products that are made for children. Between BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, mercury, pesticides, growth hormones, etc., we really need to continue to educate ourselves and demand safer and healther products!
It reminds me of the HFCS folks advertising the safety of their product. The fox is guarding the hen house in either case, and I don’t trust the fox.
I am wondering if anyone has heard of any toothbrushes that are BPA/PVC free. I can’t seem to find any information out there.
Beth – I use a “preserve tooth brush”. it’s made out of recycled yogurt cups, and it to can be recycled when you are done with it. :O)
Beth, this page has a link to a BPA free toothbrush:
http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/04/19/bpa-free-feeding-gear-update/
Do you know how I would find out if the Brita water pitchers we use to filter our water are safe? I am now left wondering if those could be leaching BPA into our drinking water.
Here is an article about Brita pitchers:
http://thesoftlanding.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/are-brita-water-pitchers-made-from-safe-plastic/
Thanks so much Tiffany!