It's that time, to get ready for sending the kiddos back to school, if you haven't already. My little one is starting preschool this month, and it dawned on me that I'll need to get some things for him, like a lunch box and backpack (mini sized of course). Naturally, these items MUST be free of harmful chemicals like lead, pthalates, and other nasties. Also AVOID products with MICROBAN. Talk about greenwashing and only adding more chemicals to the mix. Oh, and the big one-PVC. Those squeaky shiny vinyl backpacks and lunch containers in a lot of stores often contain PVC, which is a huge no-no. It is one of the worst chemicals to produce because of its effects on the environment and the factory workers, not to mention off-gassing from the finished products. You want to be wary of prints and paints on the designs too-they may contain lead or other nasty chemicals, and you don't want your little ones breathing them, putting their hands on them and then putting their hands in their mouths or touching food and eating. Yuck.
Of even more concern is the containers that we use to pack our children's lunches-what do you use? Plastic sandwich bags that may or may not leach chemicals into the food, and then sit in a landfill? How many sandwich or snack bags do you go through in a month? In a year? Think of how much you spend on those little things. It's a complete waste. Buy reusable containers. I have sandwich containers from Tupperware (haven't checked the safety on those recently, oops) and they don't let the sandwich get smooshed, though they do take up a bit more space. (They're also good for packing cookies.) Wash and reuse the plastic bags? Um...yeah no. Those will start to break down, and how clean do they really get? I've made a relatively new discovery-reusable snack and sandwich bags. Sure we've used small plastic containers for snacks before, and those are good too (depending on what kind you use!), but these replace plastic snack and sandwich bags, and are washable. You pay, say between $5 and $10 for a bag or bags depending on the size, and that's your bag...until it happens to wear out. Months? Years? You pay about that price for a box of plastic ones you're going to throw away...and then pay for another box....and another...well it's not rocket science. AND they come in great colors and patterns!
Okay, what else? Other food containers. Replace plastic with glass or stainless steel (for example, Lunchbots makes stainless steel food containers, lunchbox size), or check on the safety of the plastic ones you're using or looking at. Some companies are very reputable and do quality work as well as test their products for safety. Same thing for drink containers-stainless steel. Thermos makes nice kid sized products, and even some with characters that they absolutely must have. Also, you will get a quality product that will last you longer.
For good references, check out one of my favorite sites Safemama.com for cheat sheets on which brands are safe to buy and recommendations on which products to get. The most recent is the lunch gear list and the backpack list. The Center for Health, Environment & Justice is another good reference place. Finally, definitely check out EWG's back to school guide- it contains great recommendations for greening up all of your school supplies. Classrooms and their supplies are a major pit of toxic chemicals, but we won't think about that right now.
These suggestions are not just for kids- they are relevant to big people too. Look at your food containers and the lunches you pack. What do you buy that's throwaway that can be replaced with a reusable item? What kinds of products are you using? This is a learning curve for me too. Things I never really thought about-like plastic straws and lunch/snack bags- are now an obvious thing to me. I'm ordering reusable snack bags and not buying any more plastic ones once mine are used up.
Small changes can make a big difference. Your health and the health of your child are worth it. Oh, and your earth will thank you.
