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People’s minds are troubled by questions about the environment today. Reports of new disasters are flooding radio waves. That year, the United States was devastated by a record 905 tornadoes by May 11, 2008. Statistics show that in the past ten years, the United States has experienced an average of 1,270 tornadoes per year.
The American honeybee is disappearing and is predicted to go extinct.
It is not only our external environment that bothers us. Recent published discoveries about treated wastewater revealed contamination with antibiotics, contraception and chemicals used to make plastics.
Meanwhile, health problems we can’t explain, including ADHD, autism, and fibromyalgia, are on the rise. It is natural to ask yourself if environmental factors are involved.
One of the main producers of non-alcoholic beverages recently jumped into the “green fashion” by announcing its line of recycled plastic garments under the rPET® brand. Its merchandise includes T-shirts, shopping bags, caps, handbags and notebooks made from used plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills.
“It’s a great use of recycled materials,” praised one of the company’s spokesmen.
The industry giant is not alone in its offer of ecological products. In 2007, 328 new green products were introduced, compared to just five in 2002.
How environmentally friendly are recycled plastics?
Timothy J. Krupnik, writing for the Berkeley Ecology Center’s Recycling Department, explained that plastics are made from ethylene, which is a natural gas. Ethylene is released during the petroleum refining process. In this sense, plastics come directly from crude oil, which is a non-renewable raw material. The gas is mixed with many other additives, many of which are toxic, to make the product.
For example, PET bottles with soda use lead barriers in the structure of the bottle. Due to the numerous chemicals added to these products, the production of plastic is an extremely toxic process. Compared to glass, the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) releases 100 times more toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.
Recycling plastic requires significant amounts of energy compared to glass. Glass can be recycled “as is” many times from its original form. The same does not apply to PET due to the numerous compounds that enter it.
If the soft drink giant really wants to switch to green, a better option would be to switch back to glass containers.
By now, we’ve all heard about the dangers of heating plastics. Dioxin sucking has been a frequent topic of talk shows for several years.
But consider plasticizers, a group of chemicals that are used to soften plastic, mold it into a mold, and reduce its stiffness. . Plasticizers contain phthalates, a toxic chemical and a known endocrine disruptor. Your endocrine system helps regulate your nervous, reproductive, and immune systems.
Phthalates (including monoethyl phthalate, monobutyl phthalate, monobenzyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and butyl benzyl phthalate) can be ingested by the body when using plastic products as drinking or food storage vessels.
Carbonated drinks, fatty foods, and products heated in plastic flush these chemicals from the packaging into the food or drink itself. When these chemicals migrate into the endocrine system, they mimic the body’s natural hormones. This confuses the endocrine system and leads to serious health disorders.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville studied the consumption of phthalates in modeling clay in 2004. The study found that phthalates enter the body through both heating (vapors) and sediment on the skin, which should make you wonder if recycled plastic garments are safe. In the same year, the European Union banned the use of plastic softeners in all toys and products intended for children under three years of age.
Research to date on the absorption of these chemicals by the human body has focused on inhalation and consumption. For example, we do not know if body temperature is sufficient to release harmful chemicals or if phthalates can be absorbed through the skin. We know that the temperature of the shower water is sufficient to release toxins from vinyl shower curtains.
Think about what you don’t know before deciding to wear a product.
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, advises consumers:
o Use personal care products, detergents, cleaners, and other products that do not have “fragrance” in the ingredient list – “fragrance” typically includes DEP phthalate.
o Avoid cooking or microwave in plastic.
o Use a vinyl-free shower curtain.
o Use paints and other hobby products in well-ventilated areas.
o Give children wooden and other phthalate-free toys and do not let them chew on soft plastic toys.
o Healthcare professionals and patients may urge their healthcare facility to reduce or eliminate the use of products containing phthalates.
o Avoid products made of flexible PVC or vinyl plastic. Some examples of these products are PVC garden furniture, vinyl raincoats, flexible PVC building materials, vinyl shower curtains, and children’s or animal toys made of PVC.
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Source by Priscilla Garrett