Hi Leigh,

Excellent post; thank you for providing us with this information. No question, this is a topic area every parent must know more about, including myself. I have a couple of quick questions, though:

1. I know Wal-Mart and Toys R Us promised to phase out polycarbonate baby bottles and feeding products by the end of 2008. Are you aware whether or not this was done?

2. We know that BPA is the main component of polycarbonate (if my information is not accurate, by all means, please let me know). Some plastics, from what I understand, are labeled with a number 7, which often contain BPA (though not all). "PC," from what I've learned, is another source identifier of BPA. My question is this: My kitchen is probably full of BPA plastic, which is conerning to me. Does every plastic item that you buy contain an indicator (such as 7 or ""PC") of BPA? If so, I feel as though we, as informed members of socieity and concerned parents, should make every effort to check for any indicators of BPA, prior to purchasing the item. That is, if the indicator is marked on or inside these items.

Thanks again, Leigh, for posting this for us!

-Craig

I'm going to chime in one more time.

From what I've heard through the news, it may also be wise for us to check for the numbers 3 and 6, as these might also be cause for alarm. Apparently, plastics that contain these numbers may contain chemicals similar to BPA.

I just wanted to let you know that I found another great ACTION LINK today and wanted to share it as another means to RAISE YOUR VOICE to get rid of BPA in our children's products!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/775/303/755/?z00m=19886725

Best,
~Leigh Attaway Wilcox

Craig: The Director of Science and Research for Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE) graciously answered your questions. (See below!)

Big thanks to Alexandra and WVE for providing us with such beneficial information.

~Leigh Attaway Wilcox

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1.) Yes< Toys R Us has phased out BPA bottles from its shelves. You can check out the Toys R Us Policy on its website: http://www2.toysrus.com/safety/safetyPractices.cfm

“Elimination of Baby Feeding Products Containing Bisphenol-A

All of the bottles, feeding and nursing accessories available in our stores meet the standards set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of January 1, 2009, all baby bottles and baby feeding products sold in "R"Us stores and through our websites are BPA-free.

While the FDA has not changed its position on the safety of products made with bisphenol-A (BPA), in light of growing consumer concerns on this topic, we worked with manufacturers to phase out all baby bottles and other baby feeding products containing BPA in our Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores nationwide.”

As for WalMart, I have some emails out to folks in contact with WalMart to find out. I looked through the WalMart website and didn’t see anything about completing the phasing out of BPA bottles, but maybe they just havent promoted what they have done. I’ll let you know when I hear back from my colleagues.

2.) Unfortunately not every plastic item will contain an indicator (like a #7) on the bottom. The #s are put there to facilitate recycling – so they tend to be placed on items that are disposable, or which have a relatively short lifespan. There is no federal law requiring them, but most states have laws requiring them on disposable bottles and containers. More permanent plastic items (reusable plastic dishware for example) may not have the number printed on the bottom, as these items are not expected to be recycled. It is up to the manufacturer to include them voluntarily. So its not easy to figure out which ones might be made of polycarbonate plastic. However, due to all the attention that BPA has gotten in the media, many manufacturers now see “BPA-free” as a good marketing tool – especially for products associated with children – so you can certainly look out for that label when buying plastic products. If the product doesn’t say anything – its always worth a call to the company to see if you can find out what its made of. That helps send the message to the manufacturer that their customers do care – and it might help lead to a change in plastics if they get enough calls!

3.) #3 and #6 plastics;

Yes – these are good plastics to avoid as well. While they are not associated with BPA, they do also have harmful byproducts. #3 plastic is PVC (polyvinyl chloride) also known as “the poison plastic”. PVC products can leach all kinds of harmful chemicals, from phthalates to heavy metals. It is also dangerous to the communities where PVC is made, and can create dioxins if PVC plastic items are burned in an incinerator. A great site with everything you need to know about PVC is : www.pvcfree.org. #6 plastic is polystyrene. Polystyrene containers can leach styrene, which is a possible carcinogen, and can impact the nervous system.

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Hey Leigh,

Wow, thank you so much for providing such thorough answers to my questions! Thank you also for doing this reserach and thanks to Alexandra and WVE for assisting us! That's great that Toys R Us and Wal-Mart have followed through on their promises; though, I agree, it's a little strange that Wal-Mart has chosen not to make this more public. And I do hope, at some point, every plastic item will include an indicator at the bottom, but I know that may take a little time. But as long as we have people like you who voice their opinions about the dangers of plastics, real progress will be made (though much progress has already been made since 2007). And by educating the public about these dangers, you are also making people like myself more aware of these important issues, which adds to an already collective voice.

Thanks again, Leigh!!