![]() California, Washington State, and Vermont, for example, have limited the allowable amount of phthalates in children's products, and Congress added a partial phthalate ban to its new consumer-protection law, passed in August. Many retailers have decided to stop selling toys and other kids' products with BPA and phthalates, and a growing list of companies, including P&G and Nike, have been taking phthalates out of everything from beauty products to sneakers. Quickly, as the media coverage intensified, manufacturers and retailers took up the charge: Last spring, just when I was packing my kids' lunches with Nalgene water bottles, the company announced it was phasing out bottles made with BPA. First, reports quoted scientists and environmental groups saying that the same containers and wraps that have made life so convenient may contain chemicals that can pose dangers to health: bisphenol A (BPA), which, among its many roles, is used to make a type of hard plastic, and certain phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates), a wide range of chemicals that, among their many uses, soften plastic. So I've grown increasingly alarmed over news stories on plastics in recent months. I sometimes buy food and drinks in plastic containers, I've been known to chop on a plastic cutting board, and I carry water around in a plastic bottle. In the fridge, there's usually a collection of leftovers - last night's lasagna, some barbecued chicken the kids didn't finish - in dishes covered with plastic wrap, ready to eat after a zap in the microwave. I have cans of beans and tomato paste on my pantry shelves. My kitchen is probably similar to yours - filled with products that help me get dinner on the table fast. ![]()
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