A county in Long Island, New York may just be the first to ban baby bottles and sippy cups that contain the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA has been shown in many studies to have adverse affects on the developmental growth of babies. BPA can leak from sippy cups and baby bottles into food and drink.
Suffolk County legislature approved the ban unanimously, now it is up to Steve Levy, the County Executive to sign it into law. This would make Suffolk County the very first in the nation to actually ban BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. Other state and local governments have stated that they would consider legislation to ban the chemical, but so far no new legislation has actually gone through. Canada announced in the latter part of last year that it would ban BPA.
Many retailers, such as Toys R Us and Walmart have already removed products containing BPA from their shelves.
The North American Metal Packaging Alliance opposes the ban, saying that it would make it more difficult for consumers to obtain baby food and bottles. some baby food is packed in plastic containers that have BPA, and some cans of formula (and canned food) are lined with a plastic containing BPA.
Personally I think this is a step in the right direction. If these harmful products are banned, manufacturers will have to provide healthier solutions. Fortunately, being a breastfeeding mom, I used bottles only infrequently with my first child and not at all with my second and third children. I did and do use sippy cups, so the presence of this chemical is frightening.
The presence of BPA can often be indicated by the recycling number 7 and the letters PP on the bottom of plastic containers. Clear plastic is more likely to contain BPA than is solid colored plastic.
If this is an important issue to you, I suggest that you contact your local leaders and ask that BPA baby products be banned.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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