Thursday, August 12, 2010

Back to School Guide to "Waste Free Lunches"

So you've got the PVC Free backpack ready for school, now its time to green up you lunches! If you haven't picked a good lunch box yet, look for PVC free, phthalate, lead free one. See our previous post, PVC,Lead, BPA, and Phthalate Free School Shopping for suggestions. But more importantly we need to look at what you actually put your food into and what you don't throw away!

"As Americans we have come to depend on the many convenience products that are available to us, and nowhere is this more evident than in the school lunch room. Most parents pack lunch items in single-use plastic bags, aluminum foil, or wax paper, or they purchase single-serving items that come in their own disposable package. Admittedly, these products are extremely convenient, but what is the environmental cost to a country that relies so heavily on them? Landfills are full and overflowing. Incinerators pump contaminants into the air. Communities are battling over who will accept the nation's trash. We all enjoy these conveniences, but few of us are willing to allow new landfills and incinerators to be built in our own backyards.

Much of the trash we generate comes from the packaging on the food we buy, and lunch foods are no exception. In fact, it has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. (Waste Free Lunches)

4 Simple Ways to a "Waste Free Lunch"


Reusable BPA free Water Bottle:
"Thinksport was created to address the growing concern of harmful chemicals potentially leaching from sports bottles. The bottle is constructed of FDA approved stainless steel and is double-walled to keep contents at the desired temperature for hours. The bottle's sleek design also features an easy to drink from spout and built in mesh filter to stop ice or tea leaves from being consumed.

Built to fit your active lifestyle, thinksport provides safe consumer products free of Bisphenol-A (BPA), lead, phthalates, melamine, nitrosamines, PVC and biologically toxic chemicals. Their products are also designed to be sustainable, eco-friendly, super functional, and elegant." Think Sport



Reusable Sandwich Wrap:
Wrap N Mat are an environmentally-friendly re-usable sandwich bag. The Wrap also serve as a place mat providing a clean eating surface anywhere!

Simply place the sandwich or other snack foods in the center of the wrap and fold left to right, top to bottom and close the hook and loop fasteners. WRAP-N-MAT Wraps keeps food fresh for hours. When needed, place a cold pack alongside the mat.

* WRAP-N-MAT Wraps are the only RE-USABLE sandwich wrap and placemat in one.
* Easy to clean, just hand wash and air dry.
* Original sized wraps are approx. 13" x 13"
* Grande' sized wraps are approx. 14" x 17"
We carry the "Made in USA" wraps and are made with a lining of LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) #4 Resin Code. The material is manufactured to meet all FDA's guidelines to be in contact with food and is Phthalate free, Lead free and BPA free. (Wrap n Mats) Great for everyone in your family! Even DAD!

Reusable Snack Bags:

Families are going through an average of 10 plastic bags per day between school and work lunches. We all do our best to reuse and recycle in other areas of our lives, but there doesn't seem to be a solution to the plastic sandwich bags until now.

"ReUsies were developed for their waste-free quality, but the primary reason for purchasing the ReUsies for most people is to eliminate plastic from being in direct contact with their family’s food".

"ReUsies™ are a re-usable alternative to sandwich/snack bags, each one has the potential to eliminate hundreds of plastic bags. ReUsies™ are 100% cotton lined with leak-resistant nylon and are secured with Velcro® closures.

Snack: approx. 6” w / 5” h
The snack size holds a half sandwich or whole sandwich with the crust cut off! It is good for smaller quantities of crackers, pretzels, apple slices, etc.

ReUsies can be machine washed and dried, washed in the dishwasher, or for longest life simply wiped clean with a soapy sponge and air dried. To keep the Velcro from snagging on the stitching when washing in the machine we recommend turning the bag inside out, tucking in the flap, and securing one side of the Velcro to the other". ReUsies

Reusable Utensil Sets-Bamboo Cutlery:

"We’ve got our travel mugs and our reusable shopping bags. How about a reusable bamboo utensil set to round out the perfect toolkit for life on the go? A handy carabiner on the back lets you clip and carry a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks wherever they may roam. Perfect for a busy lifestyle

Bamboo reusable utensil sets are a great alternative to plastic! Bamboo is not a tree-it's a grass, and it grows like one. Many species of bamboo can grow two feet or more a day. When it's harvested, it need not be replanted, because it will grow a new shoot from its extensive root system. So bamboo renews itself readily, unlike hardwood trees, which, once cut, are gone forever. Bamboo is an endlessly renewable resource and makes for a great reusable fork! Not to, mention that means no BPA, Lead, phthalates, or PVC to worry about.

The bamboo utensil sets have a colorful "RePEaT" holder, and gives plastic bottles a second shot at a useful life – and an opportunity to stay out of our landfills. Made out of RPET (recycled PET plastic), we like to call it “RePEaT” because it lets plastic reincarnate into something kinder and gentler. The material for RePEaT utensils is made of RPET, recycled plastic bottles. Plastic soda and water bottles that would otherwise end up in the landfills are given a second shot at a useful life by being recycled into this amazingly strong, color-fast and water-resistant utensil holder. An added plus for RePEaT wraps is that the recycled material requires less energy during manufacturing than virgin PET materials. (To Go Ware)

Keep them clipped to your lunch sack, in your glove compartment, or in your camping gear! They work everywhere for everyone! They are even allowed on airplanes!

There is no need for waste in our lunches anymore! With a little effort we can create a "Waste Free Lunch"! Get your lunch supplies now, while supplies last, at Little Green Booties & Family. Happy lunching!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

PVC,Lead, BPA, and Phthalate Free school shopping!





Well it comes upon us too soon, and we say good bye to the wonderful summer times, but the excitement of school begins. The hustle of the back to school supplies, the joy of new markers upon the children, and the thrill of new backpacks and lunchboxes.

Now comes the hard part, resisting those oh so child attracting, chemical laden, cheap tempting products we are all so used to. My daughter is starting Kindergarten and is so excited about everything. We were in a discount store recently buying some supplies on her list and she immediately wanted the princess backpack and and the Dora lunch box. Knowing very well these were filled with PVC and phthalates and who knows what else! I quickly discouraged her from her temptations and promised to find her a fun backpack that we both could agree on.

It was harder than I thought, the search, not the convincing that is, I had been searching google for ever it seemed and I was about to give up when I found two great choices. Crocodile Creek or Dante Beatrix. These two offer backpacks that are PVC, Lead, Phthalate Free and offer bags that cute, yet large enough for school age children to use!

My daughter picked a Crocodile Creek bag and lunch box. "Crocodile Creek lunch boxes are child safe with lead-free linings and are PVC free and phthalate free. They conform to both U.S. and European safety standards as well as FDA recommendation and their backpacks are made of high-quality polyester. They are BPA, PVC and phthalate-free and conform to both US and European safety standards as well". And at Crocodile Creek you also have the option of picking up your products at a local store. All you do is insert your zip code and they tell you if there is a sore near by that sells the products ordered! And then you pick them up (already paid for) and have no shipping charge! Cool and green!

Happy back to school shopping!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Landmark Report!


"You may have heard that the President's Cancer Panel issued a landmark report last month suggesting that public health officials have "grossly underestimated" the extent of environmentally-induced cancer among the 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with the disease annually!!! " (EWG)

All those people who say , well ......"I played with lead toys when I was little and we had lead paint in our house, and oh its just small amounts of DEET and pesticide...... and I'm FINE!" Well we are not fine.

How many people do you know, or know of with cancer? 4 of every 10 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, and two of every 10 will die from it!! Seriously, we need to start paying attention to our environment and our bodies!

The Environmental Working Group. The Environmental Working Group is an environmental organization that specializes in environmental research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability. EWG is a non-profit organization whose mission, according to their website, is "to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment." (Wikipedia). Here is a small list of what you can do to help keep yourself safe from EWG

1. Filter your tap water.

2. Seal outdoor wooden decks and play sets. Those built before 2005 are likely coated with an arsenic pesticide that can stick to hands and clothing. Learn more from EWG.

3. Cut down on stain- and grease-proofing chemicals. "Fluorochemicals" related to Teflon and Scotchgard are used in stain repellants on carpets and couches and in greaseproof coatings for packaged and fast foods.

4. Stay safe in the sun. More than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Use a safe and effective sunscreen.

5. Cut down on fatty meat and high-fat dairy products. Long-lasting cancer-causing pollutants like dioxins and PCBs accumulate in the food chain and concentrate in animal fat.

6. Eat The Clean 15. Many pesticides have been linked to cancer.

7. Cut your exposures to BPA. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic estrogen found in some hard plastic water bottles, canned infant formula, and canned foods. Some of these chemicals cause cancer in lab studies.

8. Avoid carcinogens in cosmetics. Use Skin Deep cosmetic database to find products free of chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer. Use this website to check out your cosmetics and toiletries : www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

9. Read the warnings. Some products list warnings of cancer risks

Check out the whole article on EWG site! And go to littlegreenbooites.com to get your green basics for you and your family. Our site offers products that will help you get started living the "green" life. We recommend that you educate yourself and start learning about your environment. Why? Because it's that important!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Company drops children's chocolate drink

Fri, Jun 11, 2010 (HealthDay News) -- A new chocolate-flavored toddler drink has been taken off the market after criticism that the product and others like it, made by Mead Johnson, contribute to childhood obesity. Read the article here.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Sunscreens- The Good,The Bad & The Ugly

Sunscreen is still a sticky topic. It is very confusing when trying to buy and figure out what is good and what exactly is 'bad" for you. We touched on it in one of our previous posts "Screen you Sunscreen". You should know that sunscreen should be used sparingly and not needed for small amounts of time in the sun. All sunscreens can create some "free radicals", but when you are in the sun all day a sunscreen is the best choice.

Remember back in the day when the life guard wore the zinc on their noses!? Oh, how I remember those cool dudes! So what happened!? Someone decided one day it was not cool ,that they could make a chemical to make us more hip and cool. unfortunately what they didn't think about is what those chemicals were going to do to us or our children!


According to the Mayo Clinic sunscreens work like this:

"Sunscreen absorbs, reflects or scatters UV light. It's divided into three wavelength bands — ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC). Only UVA and UVB rays reach the earth.

Sunscreens provide either "physical" or "chemical" protection from UV light.
"Chemical sunscreens"- absorb UV rays before they can cause any damage. They contain one or more ingredients, such as avobenzone or oxybenzone, which absorb UVA or UVB rays. For broad protection, chemical sunscreens often contain more than one ingredient to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. A newer over-the-counter sunscreen contains mexoryl (Anthelios SX) and offers protection against both UVA and UVB radiation. (Mayo Clinic)

"Physical sunscreens" - form an opaque film that reflects or scatters UV light before it can penetrate the skin. These sunscreens contain ingredients, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which protect against both UVA and UVB rays. (this is the white stuff we used to wear on our nose!). Original formulations of physical sunscreens remained white when applied to the skin. Newer formulations blend more with your skin tone and are less noticeable. (source: Mayo Clinic; Sunscreens)

So the good the bad and the ugly look like this:

- No fragrance or scent masking agents

- UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection
- Water Resistant

- Non-whitening micro-titanium dioxide

- No Octyl Methoxycinnamate

- PABA free # Scatters & reflects UV rays
- Free of parabens,phthalates, SLS , dioxanes or PEG
- No Oxybenzone
- No vitamin A
-Contains organic and sustainably grown ingredients


* Vitamin A-Recently available data from an FDA study indicate that vitamin A , a form of, retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions (NTP 2009). This evidence is troubling because the sunscreen industry adds vitamin A to 41% of all sunscreens. Read EWG's article here.

* Oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor which can affect the nervous system, has been linked to cancer in some laboratory studies, and creates free-radicals when exposed to the sun which are harmful.

So before you head for the beach and the pools this summer check out your sunscreen and make sure it's safe! Get some new stock and keep safe from the sun and the chemicals . Little Green Booties and Family has done the research for you already. Check out the line of California Baby products including their safe sunscreens and deet free bug spray. littlegreenbooties.com.