I had started researching about this plastic island that is bigger than Texas.. and I stumbled up on this..
which is a wow.. and a solar oven... along with plants and such... way cool!
but then there is this..first I would like the readers to know that it takes 3 bottles of water to make on empty plastic bottle just to hold 20 oz of water....
.. what do we do.. well I have spoken to my daughters and friends.. and we are buying drinking products from glass bottles.. or we make our own.. we do juice alot.. and I have glass ewers for keeping the juices.. and to have water while working.. is to buy a perm. container for this.. also for those not aware.. what constitutes a good drinking vessel when it comes to plastic.. (glass is not allowed on the work floor).. there are different numbers on the bottom of the plastic container which gives you information on what quality this plastic has.. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/319161/how_safe_is_your_plastic_container.html?cat=5
however I copied this from the site... 1 is Polyethylene Terephthalate, also marked as PET or PETE. Companies normally use this plastic for various beverage containers such as water, soft drinks, and sport drinks. You can also find this plastic for ketchup, peanut butter, salad dressings, jellies, and various other condiments. This plastic is known as one of the "good" plastics since it is not known to leach, or gradually penetrate, chemicals into the products it houses.
#2 is known as High density polyethylene or HDPE. Companies will normally use this container for milk, various waters, juices, yogurt, margarine tubs, and trash bags. Some cereal box liners and grocery/retail bags may also be made of #2 plastics. This plastic is also known as a good plastic since it is not known to leach chemicals into the products.
#3 is known as Polyvinyl chloride or PVC. This plastic is normally used in cling-wraps and plastic baggies that delis or grocers use to wrap meats and cheeses, and IV bags. This plastic is sometimes seen as bad since it may leach traces of chemicals from the PVC into the foods it contains. The NIH has found that PVC may contain di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which is suspected to be a human carcinogen.
#4 is known as Low density polyethylene or LDPE. This plastic is normally used for some bread companies, squeezable containers, or frozen food storage bags. This plastic is seen as neither good nor bad since it is not known to leach any chemicals into food, but it is not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.
#5 is known as Polypropylene or PP. This plastic may be found in some margarine tubs, ketchup bottles, or yogurt cups. This plastic is also seen as neither good nor bad since it is not known to leach chemicals into the products, but it is also not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.
#6 is known as Polystyrene or PS. This plastic is normally used for foam insulation, plastic or foam cups, food storage take-out containers, or even some plastic toys. This plastic is normally seen as a bad plastic. Besides not being recyclable, this plastic normally is made with Benzene, a human carcinogen as well as Butadiene and Styrene.
#7 is a various "other" plastic, normally labeled as Polycarbonate. This plastic may be found mostly in baby bottles, plastic eating utensils, microwaveable dinnerware, food storage take-out containers, and the plastic coating for metal paint cans. One of the most shocking places #7 can be found, besides baby bottles, is on "Stage 2" foods and "Graduate Sides" made by the Gerber baby food company. This plastic is normally seen as a bad plastic because it is made with Biphenyl-A, which is a synthetic estrogen. This can leach into food products as it ages as well as under heat. Biphenyl-A is thought to be a hormone disruptor than may simulate the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer studies.
Some companies, such as the ones that manufacture baby bottles, have taken this research into consideration when making their products. Currently some of them are now trying to switch to a more "kid friendly" and "earth friendly" plastic in order to ensure better health for our children and our planet. On a similar note, a recent study also showed the health factors in using PVC and other "plastic" garden hoses for drinking or even filling children's pools. Even though most garden hoses have warnings on using the PVC style plastic hoses for water consumption, it was rather easy to overlook on the packaging. This is one reason why some manufacturers have begun making "safe" hoses that do not leach lead or other carcinogens from the product when used or even handled.
However, stop and think if you have ever seen a warning label on a package of baby bottles, baby food, or a take-out food container. Chances are you have not, nor will you see them in the future. Instead it is up to us as consumers to look out for ourselves, our families, and our planet. We need to begin to take notice of the numbering on plastic containers and begin to buy smarter. In the end, "big business" will normally not be the ones to shield us from the "bad" plastics they may or may not use; it will be our jobs to do so as well as to inform future generations of the down side of various plastics.
so now you know... we are doing as much as possible to delete using plastics.. even for storage of food..it is very difficult since many products come in plastic.. and they say they recycle.. but there are people out there that just toss their waste on the streets.. and therefore the plastic garbage islands..
PLEASE DO NOTuse PLASTIC BAGS.. THERE IS NO NEED.. REFUSE TO BAG ANY ITEM IN PLASTIC..
we also have stopped using items for dusting.... only rags.. and if you all watch these videos you would know that not only are the mammals of the sea digesting plastic.. so are humans!
