That's Fit

I often bought organic baby food for our babies. We also worried about all the plastics surrounding them. While just last month the Food and Drug Administration reported, "It's not clear what effect, if any, phthalates (a plastic additive) have on health" -- a new, February 2008 study in Pediatrics reported baby care products are possible sources of infant phthalate exposure. They also state young infants may be more vulnerable to developmental and reproductive toxicity of phthalates. No doubt the dangers of phthalates is big news these days, and chemical-conscious consumers are throwing more and more money at chemical-free goods for their newborn bundles of joy.

Retailers are listening. Toys "R" Us has announced it will not sell baby products containing phthalates by the end of 2008 and Wal-Mart Stores has placed a similar demand on its suppliers. From organic cribs, mattresses and chemical-free baby carriers to stainless-steel sippy cups and shatterproof glass bottles, green baby alternatives are a big buck market.

Case in point, while we're past the baby years, we just bought two BPA-free water bottles by CamelBak for our son's lunch bag. I'm also looking for a couple of large SIGG aluminum water bottles, but they were pretty picked through at our local REI, so I'm waiting for a restock. In a previous post, I reported Canada's Mountain Equipment Co-Op (similar to REI in the U.S.) pulled polycarbonate (BPA) water bottles from their shelves last December.