Becoming an Eco-friendly person is obtainable even if this is all new to you. Just because you haven't been aware of your impact on our environment does not mean it can't be done. Every little thing you can do will help with the growing problems of our landfills and oceans. The major issue seems to be plastic being that it is not biodegradable. Eighty percent of the ocean litter is plastic. This is also a problem for our landfills. The landfills are designed to bury not biodegrade. When depriving the trash of the oxygen needed to biodegrade our trash does seem to last forever.

 Health concerns is another reason for creating an Eco-friendly kitchen. The problem is that recent studies have indicated that some compounds found in plastic may be toxic. The controversial Bisphenol-A (BPA) is in many types of containers, from baby bottles to the lining food cans. In 1991, 7,260 tons of the chemical was produced in the U.S. In 2003 the productions increased to 856,000 tons with 72% of that used in making polycarbonate plastic. The studies show that BPA is an endocrine distruptor. The first evidence of this was found in 1930 but it wasn't until 1997 that the low dosage effects were reported. Although this is still being studied and we may never be told the truth, I feel it's better to be safe than sorry.

REMOVING PLASTIC FROM YOUR KITCHEN

This may not be considered earth-friendly but putting the health of our families should be first. There may be certain plastics that are safe but with the ever changing news and studies let's change our ways. Instead of throwing away the old plastic containers in your kitchen, first check to see if it's recyclable. If it's able to be recycled in your area do this. If you have items that are not able to be recycled find a way to reuse. Even if you don't want to put your food in the containers you should be able to come up with another use.

• let your toddlers play with the plastic dishes
• use them for arts and crafts projects (storage for beads or other small items, paint bowls, ect)
• storage for non-food items, nuts and bolts, old oil,

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY.

When you are tempted to buy the newest stylish container, think about long term effects. How long will you actually keep this item. How long will it last. How many herilooms are made of plastic. Not many. The plastic loses it's luster after time. Those bright mixing bowls will become dull. Look at some of your old plastic containers. Do you see peeling plastic inside? This could be due to microwaving, mixing or simply washing in the dishwasher. If you see the plastic chucking off, cracking or peeling then it could end up in your food and ultimately in your body. There is a few simple and old fashioned alternative to plastic. How about glass, stainless steel or even a newer marketed item, bamboo.

REPLACING YOUR PLASTIC

Lets start with glass. Glass is a classic kitchen item that has been proven healthy and enviromentally friendly. There are many companies that make great glass containers. Many of the glass products can be used in the microwave, the oven, put it the freezer and are dishwasher safe. The glass containers do not retain the stains like the plastic containers and are easy to clean without damaging the appearance and usablilty. The downside is that they do break. This may not be the best product for a young child.

Baby bottles are a big concern with most of us parents. Finding out that the bottles we give our baby have a chemical that may have ill health effects is devastating. We try our best to protect our child and we don't want to find out that the product we chose to hold our baby's food is unhealthy. This is also an area where you could choose glass. This big issue again is the breaking. However there are now silicon glass bottle protectors. This will provide a cushion if the bottle is to be dropped. Also if the bottle does break most of the pieces will stay on the inside of the protector. The silicon protectors provide an improved gripping surface over the glass and is dishwasher safe.

For your young children you may want to try bamboo. There are many products available in bamboo. You can get everything a child would need, their bowls, plates and cups. These products are not always the easiest to care for. Check your labels to see about washing instructions, many will need to be hand washed. You should not heat up food in a bamboo container.

Stainless steel works great as an alternative to plastic. Although you should not use it in the microwave, it is dishwasher safe. Try using stainless steel mixing bowls. They are an eye-catching subsitute for plastic and they clean up easy. When it comes to your water bottle, there are many companies offering a stainless steel version. They may cost a little more than the plastic bottles but will last so much longer. We already know about how many plastic water bottles end up in the landfills.

After you remove all that old distressed plastic and replace it with beautiful shiny glass and stainless steel you will have a more organized and appealing kitchen without all the health and enviromental concerns.