Nov

19

PVC Free Stroller Rain Covers

Filed Under PVC Free, Product Safety | Comments Off

A while ago our friend Kirstin of Trying to be Greener went on a manhunt to find a PVC Free Rain Cover for baby strollers.  From what she went through it seems that was no easy feat.  I have never used a rain cover myself… I always thought they looked like a bad idea and if you know anything about PVC (a plastic which contains a bevy of volatile organic compounds and phthalates) it’s not something you want to encase your infant in.  (Read more about the dangers of PVC.)

Anyway, Kirstin searched high and low and finally, after 4 days of digging and searching found a PVC-free, chlorine-free, and phthalate-free rain cover from Orbit Baby.  Orbit Baby makes the covers for their strollers but Kirstin, the wonderful woman she is, went to Babies R Us and tested it on every stroller in the store.  I love her for that!

Head over to Trying to be Greener and see what she found out about the covers fit.  She’s posted a nice list of strollers the cover did and did not fit on along with some photos of the cover fit over her own stroller.  Thanks Kirstin!

Oct

28

Alternative to PVC Stroller Rain Covers: Plum Tots GO Blankie

Filed Under PVC Free, product finds | Comments Off

A few of us have been looking for PVC free rain covers for baby strollers and have come up with a whole lot of “not much”.  Our friend Kristen from Trying to be Greener went on a hunt and I think she’s still working on finding out more information, but she did find some good news.  We’ll be sure to let you know when she posts that but in the meantime, I stumbled on a nice little alternative and thought I’d share it.

Check out the GO Blankie from Plum Tots…  I thought this was a really cute idea and multipurpose, which is always a mommy must.  GO Blankie was created by mom Ami Roberts of Plum Tots when she had her son and put her crafty nature to work.  GO Blankie is an outdoor blanket with a softie soft inside and a water resistant nylon outer layer that can be tied on to car seats, strollers or whatever!  It can be used as an outdoor play mat, stroller blanket, diaper changer, infant seat cover, baby cozy, front pack blanket, and nursing cover… whatever you can think of and is machine washable.

I just stumbled on these one night and thought they were such a great product.  They come in 4 tasteful colors and she sells other cute items like bibs and hoodie towels.  So in stead of covering your stroller with PVC, try a GO Blankie instead.  Ahhhh.. that’s better.

Get one: You can order a GO Blankie right from Plum Tots website.  Let them know we sent you!

Oct

6

SafeMama’s Safer Dishware Cheat Sheet: BPA, PVC & Phthalate Free Dishes

Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Bisphenol-A, PVC Free, Product Safety | Comments Off

We’ve gotten the request for a cheat sheet for dishware so here is our list of favorites. We made sure all the items listed are free of Bisphenol-A, PVC and Phthalates and we listed as much of a diverse selection as possible for those who are looking for alternatives to plastic we made sure to include options for you too. Note: There is no melamine dishware on this list. You can read why here. (Last Updated: October 23, 2008)

Plates, Dishes, Bowls, Cups

Utensils

  • Bambu Kids Organic Bamboo Utensils
  • TreBimbi Dinnerware Utensils
  • Munchkin: Soft-Tip Infant Spoons,
  • Boon: Benders Fork & Spoon, Modware Utensils, Squirt (new version)
  • IKEA: Kalas 18 Piece Cutlery set
  • SteadyCo: Cutlery
  • Williams Sonoma: Kids Stainless Flatware
  • One Step Ahead: My Very Own Flatware stainless steel (3 and up)
  • Gerber: Graduates Kiddy kutlery, Graduates, Tossables, Scoopin’ Spoons, Safety Fork and Spoon

Snack Containers

Lunchboxes, Food Containers

Wait! You can also find a more comprehensive list of our Safer Lunchbox Picks located here.

Have a product you think belongs on this list? Let us know! Please link back to SafeMama.com if you share this so we can keep this site going! Thanks!

Take the headache out of no-toxic shopping by visiting our friends at The Soft Landing. Use coupon code “SAFEMAMA10″ for 10% Off!. They have a safer Dish and Cup Guide as well. Have a look.

Aug

3

SafeMama Picks Safer Lunch Box Alternatives

Filed Under PVC Free, product finds | Comments Off

Crocodile Creek Lunch BoxIt’s hard to believe that back to school shopping is in full swing. I suppose that having a toddler makes it feel as we still have a little longer until summer is officially over, and if it’s anything like last summer, we have until at least November. I’m not complaining….much.

But for those of you that have school aged kiddos, you’re probably counting down the days until school starts. And let me say, I’m with you in spirit.

We’ve gotten quite a few requests from SafeMama™ readers out there regarding lunch boxes. Conventional lunch boxes from your local discount chain are most likely constructed of PVC and riddled with lead paint. You’d think after a year of listening to nothing but lead paint recalls and phthalates in PVC, these chains would get with the program. But unfortunately, I think we’re far from seeing any sort of resolution on their part. So we set out to find a few alternatives for you that don’t suck entirely. All options are free of lead, phthalates, PVC and BPA.

For a good soft lunch box, I discovered Crocodile Creek. (shown above) These might be a good alternative for kids who are geared towards licensed characters. They have a large selection of cute designs for both boys and girls. You might be able to find these in your local Whole Foods, which is where I discovered them, or you can order them directly from their website.

Next up we have Laptop lunches. These are a bento box type of lunch box and one of the more expensive options that we’ve come across, but they’re really appealing to kids that like things organized and presented in an appealing way. Bento is the Japanese tradition of a boxed lunch. Which is where the food is divided into its own little compartment. All of laptop lunches options are made of polyethylene and polypropylene. You can order Laptop Lunches directly from their website.

One of my favorite options are Munchlers lunch bags by Built NY. Munchlers are adorable totes that are shaped like animals and open up fully to create a placemat. These run a little on the small side, so for those who might need a little more space, there’s also a wearable lunch bag available. All bags are made of polyethylene and can be ordered directly from their website.

Finally, we came across the Cool Tote, a soft lunch box with a fabric outer cover. These totes are shaped more like your brown bag, except it has an adustable shoulder strap. With three different sizes and 50 different fabrics to choose from, you should be able to find something for just about every kid. All lunch totes also come with an 8oz freezer pack. You can order Cool Totes directly from their website.

We haven’t come across a safe alternative yet that has any sort of licensed characters, which might pose a problem for the kid who HAS to have Lightning McQueen or Dora The Explorer, so if you do happen to find anything that satisfies those who are going through an obsession with their favorite character, drop us a note and we’ll be happy to add it to the list if it meets the criteria.

Update 8/6/08: A couple of SafeMama™ have tipped us off with a few other suggestions.  Licensed character lunch boxes to the rescue!  ZAK! Designs has quite a few licensed characters, all of their lunch boxes are lead and PVC free.  There’s no store locater, but I would check your local discount chains and grocery stores.  My local grocery store has tons of ZAK! products.

L.L. Beans critter lunch box series is also free of lead and PVC.  And they’re also way cute!

Apr

6

Review: Hold Me Closer Tiny Diner

Filed Under PVC Free, Product Reviews | 3 Comments

First off, let me just say, that I’m not a germaphobe. I firmly believe that antibacterial products do more harm than good, and should my son pick something up off the floor and get a few dog hairs in his mouth in the process, I don’t freak out and sanitize him. That said, before my son was born, I did get the requisite seat cover for the grocery cart, and before he was even conceived, I put the Tiny Diner on my list of products that I had to have. Who knows what kind of chemicals are being used on restaurant tables? Kids are messy, and they don’t care where their food is resting, but I do. And quite frankly, I don’t know why everyone doesn’t have one of these. It’s inexpensive, easily washable, and folds up easily and fits pretty compact in a diaper bag. We bought two and keep one in our diaper bag at all times, and use the other one at home at our kitchen table, so that we can all eat together. It’s got suction cups and a reservoir to catch food. Everywhere we go, we get compliments on it and they always ask us where we got it. It’s made with FDA compliant materials, PVC, latex, BPA and phthalate free.

The Tiny Diner retails for about $10-$11 and can be purchased here or your local Babies R Us.

Feb

19

Toymakers Eye on Phthalates

Filed Under PVC Free, Phthalates Info, Toy Safety | Comments Off

duckTo echo the last post contributed by SafeMama Becky, I wanted to direct some attention to a related article I read this morning on CBS.com. I’m happy to see more and more attention being brought to the fact that consumers actions and voices are being heard and stores like Toys R Us are taking steps to make sure our needs are met. Parents don’t want toys that could possibly contain a chemical linked to things like reproductive birth defects and cancer. Even if the chance is slight.

Retail giant Toys ‘R’ Us just announced it wants to stop selling children’s products that contain phthalates, nickel-cadmium batteries, or PVC vinyl - a sign that the industry is taking cues from consumer concerns about chemicals like phthalates, even if U.S. government regulators don’t deem them harmful.

Source: CBS.com

Feb

12

FAQ: Teethers made of EVA Safe

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, FAQ, PVC Free | Comments Off

Dear Safe Mama,
I have teethers made out of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA)… are they safe? I thought vinyl was a bad plastic?

I’ve gotten this question and admittedly, I didn’t know how to answer it. I asked the Non-Toxic Super Hero: Alicia from The Soft Landing. She of course, had the answers we seek!

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is widely accepted as safe for use in teethers. EVA is a type of plastic that does not require a plasticizer and is bisphenol-a free, so it is considered to be non-toxic.

So what is this plasticizer stuff? PVC’s soft texture is imparted by “plasticizing” chemicals. DEHP, a member of the phthalate family of chemicals, is the most widely used plasticizer in teethers. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CEHJ) recommends EVA as a safer PVC-free plastic alternative. CEHJ describes the effects of phthalates in their article PVC: The Poison Plastic.

Short answer: Yes, it’s safe and BPA, phthalate and PVC free. Thanks Alicia!

Jan

4

BPA Free Pacifiers and Teethers Cheat Sheet

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, PVC Free, Phthalates Info, Product Safety | 20 Comments

I’ve gotten a couple of emails from parents asking about BPA Free pacifiers and teethers. With all the news surrounding Bisphenol-a in bottles and sippy cups, parents are now wondering what else they might need to modify in their babies routine to avoid those plastics. Once a parent learns about potential hazards its tough to know what to buy and what to avoid. I’ve said myself more than once “Can’t someone just tell me what to buy?“.. and I am pretty sure I am not the only busy parent who’s uttered that phrase. Not a comprehensive list.

Last Updated: September 26, 2008

BPA & Phthalate Free Pacifiers*

  • BornFree: BPA-Free Pacifier for Day and Night Use
  • Playtex: Playtex “Binky” (one piece silicone pacifier), Binky Most Like Mother Latex Pacifier, Binky Most Like Mother Silicone Pacifier, Binky Angled Pacifier, Ortho-Pro Pacifier
  • Gerber: NUK Original, NUK Classic, NUK Nautical
  • The First Years: Soothies Silicone Paci’s, Safe Comfort, Ultra Kip
  • Vice Versa Binky w/ Case
  • Natursutten Natural Rubber Paci
  • Evenflo: Mimi Soft Touch, Mimi Premium, Mimi Neo One-Piece, Vizion, Fuzion and Illuzion
  • Gumdrop Silicon Pacifiers
  • Happy Baby Soothers
  • NurturePure™ Pure™ Orthodontic Silicone Pacifier & Teether

BPA & Phthalate Free Teethers*

  • Please also check out The Soft Landing Blog for a great list of BPA Free products.
  • Cross check your items with The Zrecs Guide to see what harmful chemicals are/aren’t in them.

*This is not a comprehensive list, it just contains the BPA Free products I am aware of. If there is a product not on here, it does not mean it’s not safe. Inquire with the toy maker about materials used if you are unsure. If there is a product that is not listed here that SHOULD be, please let me know and I will be thrilled to add it.

My absolute favorite site to take the headache out of non-toxic shopping:
The Soft Landing

What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A is a hormone-mimicking chemical used in polycarbonate plastics and resins commonly used for items such as shatterproof baby bottles. Bisphenol has estrogenic properties which, in animal tests has shown to cause a bevy of health problems such as an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Research is showing that when plastic containers, mostly those used to hold liquids and foods, are leeching Bisphenol into the foods and liquids they are holding. Heating food and liquids with these plastics is shown to increase the leeching of this contaminate.

Many companies use this chemical in their packaging including cans, soda cans, and plastic food containers. There is a risk of absorbing this chemical through the use of containing foods and liquids but can also leech into our water systems through landfills.

Many leading experts argue that the use of Bisphenol is safe to the human public but research may begin to further prove otherwise.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

“Bisphenol A has been known to leach from the plastic lining of canned foods and, to a lesser degree, polycarbonate plastics that are cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high-temperature liquids.[16] Infants fed with liquid infant formula have among the highest exposures of anyone eating canned foods. Infants fed canned formula with polycarbonate bottles can consume quantities of Bisphenol A up to 13 µg/kg/day.”

Dec

13

Sears and Kmart join Wal-mart and Target in No PVC Efforts

Filed Under PVC Free, Phthalates Info | 7 Comments

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), posted a press release this week announcing that Sears Holdings, which include Sears and Kmart, will be joining Wal-mart and Target in actions to reduce and phase out products and packaging containing the toxic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, more commonly known as vinyl.  According to CHEJ, as much as 7 billion pounds of PVC are discarded every year in the U.S. PVC disposal is the largest source of dioxin-forming chlorine and phthalates in solid waste, as well as a major source of lead and cadmium which pose serious health threats.

Part of their new efforts, Sears Holding is encouraging product makers to label their PVC-free merchandise as well as research to find safer alternatives. An excerpt from the press release:

Recent reports indicate that the world stock of PVC in use contains 3.2 million tons of lead. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system, cause behavior, learning and developmental disabilities, and decreased IQ. Previous testing has detected lead in a broad range of PVC consumer products including toys, lunch boxes, baby bibs, jewelry, garden hoses, mini blinds, Christmas trees, and electronics.

A report released just last week — http://healthytoys.org/home.php — found that almost one half of all toys tested are made out of PVC, which often contain phthalates. Exposure to phthalates have been linked with premature birth delivery, early puberty in girls, impaired sperm quality and sperm damage in men, genital defects, and reduced testosterone production in boys. Over ninety percent of all phthalates are used in PVC products and are often found in many toys such as rubber duckies and bath books.

Read the entire press release on the CHEJ website. And if you really want the full scary list of the harm PVC does to us and the environment, check out their findings here. I recently found some character plate sets at Target and was surprised to see a No PVC symbol on the box. I hope this trend continues!

Nov

22

BPA Free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, PVC Free, Phthalates Info, Product Safety | 65 Comments

This is a list of BPA Free (also PVC and Phthalate Free) bottles, BPA Free sippy cups and food/milk storage items that we’ve made into a quick reference for those looking for a short list to have on hand when shopping for items for yourself or someone else’s kids, should BPA be a concern to you. If a product you are using is NOT on this list, you should investigate that product with the manufacturer to determine whether or not it contains BPA. Please note: If a product is not on this list it means either it contains BPA or we aren’t aware of it’s BPA status. We are more than happy to add BPA Free products to this list as we find them (or you find them), shoot us an email and we’ll add it in. Thanks!

Updated: November 15, 2008

BPA Free Bottle Products

  • Adiri Natural Nursers
  • Avent: “Via” Feeding System, Tempo Liners, Avent AirFlex, PES Bottles ***see note
  • BornFree: All bottles and cups BPA free *see note
  • EvenFlo: Classic™ Glass Bottles, Classic™ Light Tint Polypropylene bottles, Classic™ Clear Polypropylene Bottles, Purely Comfi™ Bottles
  • Playtex: Original Nurser, Playtex Drop in liners, Ventaire Advanced Bottles (marked BPA Free)
  • Gerber: Gerber Clear View, Fashion Tints (”Plastic Pastels”), Gerber GentleFlow
  • Medela: All bottles
  • Sassy: MAM bottles (UltiVent), Baby Food Nurser Kit
  • Green to Grow Bottles **see note
  • ThinkBaby Bottles
  • Tommee Tippee Easyflow Bottle to Cup
  • Momo Glass Bottles
  • Munchkin: Dora the Explorer Classic Bottles
  • Nuby: Standard Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, Standard Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, 3-Stage Wide Neck Easy Grip Feeding System with Non-Drip Nipple, Natural Youch SoftFlex InfaFeeder (silicone)
  • Nuture Pure Glass bottles
  • Babisil Silbottles
  • Weego Glass Bottles
  • Siliskin Glass Bottles
  • Dr Brown’s: Glass Bottles, Dr. Browns Polypropylene Bottles (all vent system pieces BPA Free - made with polypropylene - and fit all models)
  • Parent’s Choice Bottles (available at Walmart) - box is marked BPA Free
  • Lansinoh® Bottles (all)

BPA Free Sippy Cups / Water Bottles

  • Avent: Magic Cups, Magic Cup Sportster, Super Sport Cups
  • BornFree Sippy/drinking cups, Stainless Steel water bottles
  • Playtex: Coolster Tumbler, Insulator, Sipster, Create My Own, Quick Straw, Insulator Sport, Sip and Discover, First Sipster
  • Gerber: Sip & Smile Spill-proof Cup, Easy Grip Insulated Soft Straw Cup, Insulated Cool Cup, Gerber® Fun Grips® Cup, Gerber® Fun Grips® Color Change Cup, Grins & Giggles Spill-proof Cup, Gerber® Sip & Smile™ Cup
  • Evenflo: Fun Sip Insulated Spill-proof Cup, Fun Sip Insulated Straw Cup
  • Klean Kanteen: All bottles
  • Thermos Foogo Sippy Cups, and FUNtainer Straw Bottles
  • SIGG Toddler Water Bottles
  • Kid Basix The Safe Sippy
  • Boon Sippy
  • GrowPure Multi-Stage Feeder and Sippy Cup
  • iPlay Aqua Bottle
  • ThinkBaby Training Cup, ThinkSport Stainless Bottle (cute!)
  • Tommee Tippee First Cup, Easiflow Cup, Easiflow Insulated Cup, Easiflow Open Cup, Tip It Up Cup,
  • Munchkin: Cupsicle, Cupsicle Straw Cup, Big Kid Sippy Cup, Mighty Grip Flip Straw Cup, Mighty Grip Trainer Cup, licensed character Sports Bottles, Re-usable Straw Cups, Re-usable Spill-proof Cups
  • Nuby: No-Spill Sports Sipper, Insulated Soft Silicone Spout Cup, Soft Spout Easy Grip Cup, Gripper Cup with Soft Silicone Spout, 2-Handle Cup, Tinted Mega Sipper, 7oz Tumblers, Magic Cups Insulated Hologram Cup (straw and spout), Insulated Sipper Cups (with and without handles)
  • The First Years: Take & Toss, Spill-proof Cup, Insulated Cup, Licensed character sippy cups, Insulated Spill-proof Cup, 2 Handled Cups

BPA Free Milk/Liquid/Powder Storage

  • Avent Via 8-oz. Nurser Kit
  • Avent Snack Cup / Formula Dispenser
  • Avent PES Breastmilk Storage sets
  • Mother’s Milkmate Storage bottles
  • Medela Milk Storage bottles and breastpump accessories
  • Playtex One-Step Breast Milk Storage Kit
  • Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bags
  • Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bottles
  • Gerber Breastmilk Storage Bags
  • Dr. Brown’s Breastmilk Storage Bags
  • The First Years Easy Pour Breastmilk Storage bags
  • Bailey Milk Storage Bags (Nurture lll pump tubing BPA Free as well)
  • Bailey Storage Bottles (as well as all parts of their “double collection kit”)
  • Sensible Lines Milk Trays

BPA Free Baby Food / Food Storage

See our new Safer Dishware Cheat Sheet for more options!

BPA Free Breast Pumps

  • Avent Isis, Avent Isis iQ (Uno, Duo)
  • Medela Breast Pumps

*If you are currently using Dr. Browns polycarbonate bottles and would like to switch, the Dr. brown’s venting system (the internal pieces) are BPA Free and are made of polypropylene plastic. Also, they FIT and work with BornFree bottles which could be a little bit of a money saver. We were also told by another Safe Mama reader that the Avent nipples also fit with Born Free bottles as well as Gerber Gentle Flows.

** Safe Mama reader Melissa wrote in to let me know that Dr Browns bottle nipples fit with Green to Grow bottles. As we know once a baby is comfy with something it’s sometimes a pain to change so it’s good to know we don’t have to change everything if we don’t have to. Alicia of The Soft Landing did a more exhaustive report on what nipples fit what bottles. Read about it on her blog here.

*** Please refer to Phillips Avent’s material Chart for information. Get it here. (PDF)

If you must copy/paste this list, please link back here. However, republishing written material from this website is a violation of our Terms and Conditions.

What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A is a hormone-mimicking chemical used in polycarbonate plastics (PC or identified as #7 recycling code) and resins commonly used for items such as shatterproof baby bottles. Bisphenol has estrogenic properties which, in animal tests has shown to cause a bevy of health problems such as an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Research is showing that when plastic containers, mostly those used to hold liquids and foods, are leeching Bisphenol into the foods and liquids they are holding. Heating food and liquids with these plastics is shown to increase the leeching of this contaminate.

Many companies use this chemical in their packaging including cans, soda cans, and plastic food containers. There is a risk of absorbing this chemical through the use of containing foods and liquids but can also leech into our water systems through landfills.

Many leading experts and the FDA argue that the use of Bisphenol-a is safe to the human public but independent research HAS proven otherwise.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

“Bisphenol A has been known to leach from the plastic lining of canned foods and, to a lesser degree, polycarbonate plastics that are cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high-temperature liquids.[16] Infants fed with liquid infant formula have among the highest exposures of anyone eating canned foods. Infants fed canned formula with polycarbonate bottles can consume quantities of Bisphenol A up to 13 µg/kg/day.”

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