Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

There are numerous sources of indoor air pollution. Some are temporary, but others can continually to pollute your indoor air for years, as the components of the materials slowly break down.

• Combustion byproducts from burning oil, gas, coal, wood, and other sources of heat, as well as tobacco, and candles.
• Off-gassing from building and home décor products, including carpeting, cabinetry, furniture, adhesives, and paint.
• Insulation that contains asbestos.
• Commercial cleaning products that contain chemicals.
• Personal care products, such as perfume, hair spray, or hair color.
• Pollution entering the home from the outdoors, such as radon or pesticides.

Read more about toxic chemicals in your home and what you can do to help

Symptoms of Indoor Air Pollution

Many of health problems associated with indoor air pollution appear after years of living in a toxic environment. Common health problems associated with indoor air pollution include respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer. But there are also immediate effects of indoor air pollution, including headaches, dizziness, eye, nose or throat irritation, and fatigue. If you notice these after bringing a new piece of furniture or a new vinyl shower curtain into your home, the culprit is likely chemicals off-gassing from the new product. Removing sources of indoor air pollution is key to keeping your home a healthy environment for everyone.

Improving Indoor Air Quality

There are lots of simple and affordable ways to improve the air quality in your home or office. Some of these simple solutions include:

• Improve ventilation by opening windows or doors whenever possible (even for a short time each day or week in the winter).
• Switch to soy or beeswax candles.
• Use only all-natural commercial cleaning products, or make your own with natural ingredients.
• Use no-VOC paints.
• Use natural personal care products (it's good for your body too!) and look for ways to eliminate unnecessary product use.
• Fill your home with carbon-absorbing plants such as English Ivy, peace lilies, and elephant ear.

If you're looking to radically reduce the indoor pollutants in your home, you may have to invest in building materials and pricy upgrades, but it can be worth it. Options include:

• Buy formaldehyde-free furniture and cabinetry.
• Switch to solar or wind power.
• Remove carpeting and replace with hardwood, stone, ceramic, or cork flooring.
• Consider installing a HEPA filter unit that works with your furnace to remove tiny particles from your air.

Radon Reduction

All homeowners (and home buyers) should test the radon levels in their home. According to the EPA, radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the United States, so it's vital to have the levels in your home tested. Most hardware and home improvement stores carry affordable radon testing kits, but be sure to choose one that is certified by your state or a national program.

The EPA's Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction explains in detail the ways you can reduce the levels of radon in your home through various forms of "soil suction," a process that vents radon away from your home. Sealing cracks can help, but the EPA does not recommend it as a solution to high radon levels.

Read more about air pollution at the office and how it might be making you sick

Reducing levels of indoor air pollution will allow your family to live more comfortably and healthfully, and who doesn't want that?

Image: Maureen Didde

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But humans aren't the only ones at risk. Wildlife exposed to pesticides can face behavioral abnormalities or even death, and in many cases, their food sources can become contaminated with chemicals. In addition, pesticides often kill benign insects as well as microorganisms in the soil.

Choosing to grow your plants organically is the first step to a healthier, greener garden and environment. It can seem daunting when you're faced with an aphid infestation or when your soil needs a boost, but there are simple solutions. Compost is the easiest and cheapest way to develop a green garden. But not all foods have to chill out in the compost bin before they can be used, and in fact, some food scraps should be applied directly to your garden for the greatest benefit. Here are a few suggestions.

Read more: 5 Great Tips for Starting a Spring Organic Garden

Coffee Grounds

If you can't live without your morning coffee, then chances are you dispose of a lot of coffee grounds. But if you're throwing them in the trash, it's really a waste. Coffee grounds are full of nitrogen, which makes them great for garden soil that needs a little boost. Sprinkle a think layer coffee grounds on your garden each week and watch your plants bloom.

Banana Peels

Bananas are a superfood. They're packed with nutrients – including potassium – and that potassium is good for your garden. Banana peels also have a superpower: Aphids will do anything to avoid them. If you have roses in your garden, you know how destructive aphids can be, so banana peels offer fantastic natural pest control. Cut banana peels into small pieces (no bigger than a half-inch in length and width) and bury them around your rose plants. The pieces have to be small and you need to bury them at least a few inches below the surface to avoid attracting raccoons, skunks and other critters looking for a snack.

Orange Peels

Are there a lot of outdoor cats in your neighborhood? If you're sick of your neighbors' kitties treating your garden like a public washroom, there's a simple solution: orange peels. Cats don't like orange peels, so a sprinkling of orange peels throughout your garden will keep away your feline foes. Throw orange peels in your food processor to chop them up quickly and easily, then sprinkle on your garden.

Cucumber Peels

Cucumber isn't just tasty; the cooling effect of the fruit has been mined for all sorts of beauty products. But cucumbers have another benefit: ants don't like them. If you have a problem with ants coming into your home from a specific door, place some cucumber peels (cut side up) along the threshold of the doorway and few if any ants will be willing to cross the cucumber to get inside.

Read more: How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

Garlic Peelings

Garlic adds a lovely flavor to foods, but it also offers plenty of benefits for your garden. Garlic repels many pests, such as aphids, several types of beetles, root maggots, and spider mites. Grind up garlic peelings in a food processor and lay flat to dry. Work a little of the dried garlic into the soil around plants.

So next time you're looking for ways to deal with pests and ensure a thriving organic garden, look no further than your food scraps.

The post How to Use Food Scraps to Control Pests and Help Your Garden Thrive appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Camping is perhaps the original eco-tourism, and even a few days in the great outdoors presents several opportunities to teach kids about ecology. A handful of peanuts will give young kids an understanding of the chipmunk's swiftness, while a look around your campsite can reveal a number of different plant and tree species. Many state parks run education programs for young campers focusing on local wildlife, plant life and sustainability issues, but if you're looking for something the whole family can enjoy, there are plenty of hiking trails that combine exercise and education. Canoeing along a river system is also a great way to get an up-close view of otters, moose, waterfowl and other creatures.

Read More About Life Lessons Learned on a Health Retreat

But just as camping can offer a view into the unspoiled natural world, the choices you make as a camper can inflict harm on the area.

Even getting to your campsite can carry a hefty carbon footprint. Some campers prefer the comfort of sleeping in an RV (also called a coach or motor home), but your comfort comes at an expense to the environment. According to RV-Coach Online, the average RV gets 5 to 10 miles per gallon (mpg) running on gas, and 9 to 14 mpg running on diesel. By comparison, the Toyota Prius gets 52 mpg. If you need a little more comfort than a tent provides or if you have health issues that are exacerbated by sleeping on the cold, hard ground, consider a tent trailer, which sits up off the ground on a trailer chassis and can be pulled behind a fuel-efficient vehicle.

While you're at it, leave the gas-powered toys at home and take up a green alternative. Instead of zipping along the lake in a motorboat, which uses gas and can kill or injure marine wildlife, paddle the lakes and rivers in a canoe, kayak or raft. If you usually like waterskiing or jet skiing, try windsurfing-it may sound tame by comparison, but you'd be surprised how fast you can get going on a moderately windy day.

When you're loading up the cooler in anticipation of steaks eaten around the campfire, keep in mind the waste your foods will generate. Consider food options with minimal packaging, or pack your foods in resealable, reusable containers, so you don't have to worry about storing the waste. While most campgrounds have a dumpsite, it may be one central location that happens to be a 20-minute drive from your site, so you won't want to trek over several times each day.

It used to be the norm for campers to burn their garbage, and it's still common practice when people are camping along rivers or in the woods. But burning garbage is a bad idea. Several plastics release dioxin, a highly toxic organic chemical, when burned. Campfires produce a relatively low heat compared to the temperatures needed to effectively incinerate plastics, and incomplete combustion can increase the levels of harmful chemicals released into the air. Many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and other health issues, and some are greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.

Take garbage and recyclables to the garbage drop-off location or take it home for disposal. Do not leave garbage on your site. Garbage attracts animals such as bears, and when bears find a source of food, they will return again and again, even if they are moved several miles away my park staff. If they continue to return and become a nuisance, they are often shot. One way to keep bears away is to eliminate food scents, so it's important to wash dishes after each meal.

Read About Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List

Be sure to bring along biodegradable, plant-based soap for washing dishes so the soapy waste water won't harm the surrounding environment (unscented options are best). Dispose of dirty dishwater at washroom facilities where possible, or else walk into the bush a fair distance away from your campsite to avoid attracting animals directly to your site. Before you head home, make a sweep of the site, looking for the smallest bits of garbage. Something as simple as cleaning out the fire pit can prevent forest fires caused by warm embers suddenly bursting into flames.

Remember: The key to green camping is leaving the smallest ecological footprint possible. When you leave, it should appear as if you were never there.

Image: Christian Arballo

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Some people hang up the shower curtain and turn on a fan to air out the smell, while others hang their shower curtain outside until the smell is gone. This helps, but many of those chemical gases are detected for days, weeks and sometimes longer. Washing the shower curtain is a bad idea, since heat and detergents could release toxins more quickly. (Always follow care instructions when you're cleaning plastics or vinyl.) But not all shower curtains that contain vinyl are toxic. Vinyl is used with a lot of other chemicals to create a number of compounds. The culprit is polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-dubbed The Plastic Poison-and PVC is often listed as "vinyl" on packaging, making this whole issue a little complicated. As a rule of thumb, unless you absolutely know a shower curtain is not PVC, don't buy it.

Read more about 5 places plastic is hiding in your home

Dangerous Toxins

In 2008, three researchers examined PVC shower curtains sold at five major retailers: Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kmart, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart. In their final report, Volatile Vinyl: The New Shower Curtain's Chemical Smell, the researchers found that the shower curtains "contain avoidable toxic chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, organotins and metals." The study found that PVC shower curtains can release up to 108 VOCs, and seven of the compounds detected in the study are on the EPA's list of hazardous air pollutants. VOCs can damage the liver, central nervous system, respiratory system, reproductive system, and can contribute to developmental damage. Some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. On a day-to-day level, they can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, nausea and loss of coordination.

Toluene and ethylbenzene, two of the chemicals released by the shower curtains tested, are on California's Proposition 65 list of chemicals known by the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. Under Prop. 65, businesses must not "knowingly and intentionally" expose people to these chemicals without giving "clear and reasonable warning."

High levels of phthalates were also found in the shower curtains examined-which is a problem because phthalates are a pretty unstable chemical. Phthalates migrate in the shower curtain itself, eventually making their way to the surface. When they evaporate into the air, they cling to dust in your home. Phthalates are linked to reproductive problems, including premature labor in pregnant women, early breast development in girls, and sperm damage in boys.

The study also found that some of the chemicals lingered in the air for more than four weeks, which is a long time to be breathing in toxins. And the concentrations were also a concern. The total VOCs detected were 16 times the U.S. Green Building Council's recommended guidelines. Researchers did not look at the effect of heat and humidity on the shower curtains, but the authors did admit it is likely the heat and humidity would increase the levels of VOCs and other toxins being released into the air-making your showers all the more toxic.

Avoiding PVC Shower Curtains

Many retailers offer PVC-free shower curtains, but they aren't phasing them out completely. Look for shower curtains made with PEVA, or polyethylene vinyl acetate, a stable vinyl product that is not associated with any health problems and does not contain any hazardous air pollutants. Where can you get it? Many of Ikea's shower curtains are made with PEVA. (Ikea banned PVC in 1991, so it's a great place to shop for shower curtains.)

Read more about toxins in your garden hose

If you want to completely eliminate the health concerns associated with vinyl and plastics, you can install a rain showerhead and an organic cotton shower curtain, without a liner. Rain showerheads drop water straight down without too much pressure, eliminating splash. (And they're oh-so-calming; try it once and you may never want to go back!) If you can't live without a strong spray, your best option is to install glass doors rather than having a shower curtain. It's a little pricy, but consider it an investment in your health.

The post Are Vinyl Shower Curtains Toxic? appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

But then I started wondering where the term came from and if it was possibly a little more complicated than repurposing things. So I started digging, and this is what I found out about upcycling.

Upcycling is taking waste and making it into something that has equal or greater use or value. "Isn't that the same as recycling?" I asked myself. As it turns out, no. The term was first used by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their book "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things". McDonough and Braungart compared upcycling to the "downcycling" of recycling a plastic, for example, into a lesser grade plastic. To put it simply, downcycling reduces the quality of the materials, while upcycling maintains or improves the quality of the materials.

Read more about earth friendly ideas for used candy wrappers

Keen entrepreneurs have built successful businesses on upcycling. Marty Stevens-Heebner founded Rebagz to make handbags out of juice packs and nylon rice sacks. Joey Santley and Steve Cox founded ReSurf.org to upcycle broken surfboards into asphalt filler.

On a smaller scale, many of the handmade items sold on Etsy.com are made with upcycled items. There are coin purses made from sweaters, earrings cut out of vinyl records and an old travel case made into a clock, to name just a few.

And you can upcycle at home or at the office. Make an apron with the fabric from an old dress, turn a leaky rubber boot into a cute planter by adding a few extra holes for drainage, or transform a broken stapler into a modern paperweight with a little low-VOC spray paint.

Read: Keurig Coffee Pods Conundrum: What to Do With All That K-Cup Waste

Image: Will McElwain

The post What is Upcycling? appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

So you want to make the switch to green energy, but looking up info on solar technology is inducing flashbacks to high school science class, you're not sure what an REC is, and you haven't the faintest clue where to start looking for a green energy supplier in your community!

Relax. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has great resources for finding suppliers, and we've created a basic primer to guide you through the different types of green energy…

Click Here to read our full article on Planet Green.

The post How to Find Green Energy Anywhere appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Click here to read our full article on Planet Green.

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What is Climate Change?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, climate change is any significant change in temperature, rain or snow, or wind that lasts for an extended period ("decades or longer"), and it can be caused by natural factors or human activity.

But when people talk about "climate change" the focus is on human activity. So what are we doing that's so bad?

The two main culprits of climate change are burning fossil fuels and deforestation, though other human activities are also to blame.

Burning fossil fuels-oil, coal and natural gas-releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases sit in the atmosphere, trapping the sun's heat rather than letting it escape.

While plants filter the air by "breathing in" carbon dioxide and "breathing out" clean oxygen, deforestation has unfortunately left us with fewer trees, which means less carbon is filtered from the air. And we also know carbon isn't the only problem, so reforestation won't be able to stop global warming.

Greenhouse Gases

• Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels, trees and wood products, and can result from chemical reactions (it's released when we make cement, for example).
• Methane is emitted when fossil fuels are produced and transported, and when organic waste like food scraps and animal waste decays.
• Nitrous oxide is released when pesticides and herbicides are used in agriculture and when fossil fuels and solid waste are burned.
• Fluorinated gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are synthetic gases that are caused by industrial processes.
• Tropospheric ozone is created when UV light reacts with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, which are released when fossil fuels are burned. This ozone damages forests and crops and can damage living tissue-which makes it hard on humans. Smog advisories are actually ozone advisories.
• Black carbon (soot) particles come from burning fossil fuels.
• Halocarbons are used in cooling systems, fire extinguishers, as solvents, and in foam manufacturing; they also contribute to ozone depletion.

The Problem with Warming

As the level of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere rises, the Earth's temperature also rises. According to NASA, the planet's temperature has risen up to 1.4 degrees F in the past century-with a rise of 0.9 degrees F since 1975. By 2100 temperatures could rise another 2.5 to 10.4 degrees F.

This rapid warming would mean warmer surface temperatures in oceans, which would affect marine life, potentially killing species and certainly spreading disease more quickly. On land, animals and plants may see their habitats change dramatically, and many may not survive.

As for humans, warmer temperatures would result in changes in weather patterns, meaning flooding, drought and damaging storms would be on the rise. The melting of polar ice would cause sea levels to rise, affecting low-lying areas and resulting a potential threat to sources of freshwater. Tropical diseases would affect larger areas, and drought and flooding would affect crops.

And if you think this is a problem for future generations, take a look around the world today. In Asia, black carbon particles in the atmosphere absorb sunlight, heating the air and affecting the region's overall air circulation and precipitation patterns. This ultimately results in flooding in southern and China and drought in northern China. Closer to home, scientists are looking at whether global warming has contributed to an increase in Category 4 and 5 hurricanes in recent years.

More on Climate Change from Naturally Savvy

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Between those little spills and all the abuse our keyboards take when we're frantically hitting the keys just a tad too hard, it's no wonder so many end up broken. But when they inevitably die, don't be so quick to toss them.

There are lots of ways to upcycle a computer keyboard, from using the circuit sheet to make a wallet to a bracelet made from the keys. But I love transforming keys into magnets and pushpins.

Keyboard keys are recognizable yet still pretty neutral, so they can be used anywhere. They're great for posting pictures, notes and tests on the fridge and for having a little fun with magnetic poetry. They're also perfect for posting notes and memos in the office -especially if you're in either the computer or publishing industry.

You'll need:

Keys from a keyboard

Magnet(s)* or flat-headed metal pushpins

Non-toxic, eco-friendly glue

Scissors

*When it comes to magnets, stronger is better. The magnets will have to hold the weight of the key, plus one or more sheets of paper. You can get strip magnets, which are generally sold in a roll, or you can buy small individual magnets. Contact companies that supply the lettering for road-side magnetic signs, as these magnets are pretty powerful, and the cost is pretty low.

Directions:

Pop all of the keys off the keyboard (butter knives and spoon handles work well for this) and wash them to remove any dust and grime.

Cut the magnet into portions, so that they fit on the back of the key's center post with minimal over-hang.

Apply glue to the key and affix the magnet. To ensure your magnet will stay stuck to the key, place all keys upside down on a hard, flat surface. Place a heavy book on top of the keys until the glue is dry (it works like a clamp to remove air).

Let the glue dry overnight to ensure a tight, long-lasting bond, then stick 'em to any magnetic surface and have fun!

For push pins, simply glue one pin head to the back of the key and let dry overnight.

Note: If you're feeling really crafty you can make word/phrase magnets by gluing several letters to one larger strip of magnet. Just remember you only have one of every letter!

Difficulty level: Easy

The post Make Magnets From A Broken Computer Keyboard appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Many consumers worry about the health effects of bisphenol-A and phthalates, but plastics also pose are a serious threat to the environment.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, it is estimated there are more than 13,000 pieces of plastic floating on every square kilometer of surface ocean area, and oceanographers have identified a "plastic soup" of garbage floating just below the surface of the water in the Pacific Ocean, stretching from mid-way between San Francisco and Hawaii to the waters off of Japan.

For now, it ultimately comes down to personal choice. The recycling numbers on the bottom of plastic products identify the type of plastic the product is made with. Each plastic is composed of different chemicals including crude oil (with the exception of bioplastics), and some plastics are more likely to leech volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxins than other plastics. Using the recycling numbers, you can make informed decisions about what plastics you feel comfortable using, and which ones you'd rather just leave on store shelves.

#1 PTE (also PETE): polyethylene terephthalate

PTE is a lightweight plastic that can be made semi-rigid or rigid, so it has many applications. It is most commonly manufactured as a fiber (polyester), with plastic bottles accounting for almost all of the remaining global production. It is also used for food trays.

Health

• PET contains DEHA—di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate—which is an endocrine disruptor, and the EPA classifies it as a possible human carcinogen.
• Studies warn against the reuse of PTE containers, as they can leech phthalates after their initial use.
• Antimony, a toxic metal that can cause damage to the heart muscle, is used in the manufacture of PTE, and concerns remain over whether it leeches into food and beverages.

Environment

• PTE is easily melted down to make fibers, so it's often recycled to make carpets, fiberfill, and fabric for shopping bags.

#2 HDPE: high density polyethylene

High density polyethylene is a thermoplastic that can withstand moderately high temperatures, up to 230ºF, continuously. It is harder and has more tensile strength than low-density polyethylene. Milk jugs, Tyvek mailing envelopes, shampoo bottles, contamination suits and landfill liners are made with HDPE.

Health

• HDPE is generally considered a low health hazard for items with a short shelf life.
• Researchers studying water samples bottled in HDPE containers discovered the containers were responsible for elevated levels of barium and zinc. High levels of barium can affect the nervous system and cause cardiac arrhythmia, while excessive zinc can prevent iron and copper absorption.

Environment

• Between energy and raw materials, it takes 1.75 kilograms of crude oil to make 1 kilogram of HDPE.

#3 PVC: polyvinyl chloride (also called vinyl)

PVC is a commonly plastic, with flexibility ranging from rigid to elastic. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, is commonly added to PVC to increase elasticity, and some vinyl materials contain as much as 40 percent DEHP. PVC is used to make shower curtains, plumbing pipe, vinyl flooring and some cling wrap products.

Health

• PVC's main builing block, vinyl chloride, is classified as a carcinogen by the EPA.
• DEHP is an endocrine disruptor, and it may effect development and reproductive processes, particularly in male infants. The EPA classifies DEHP as a probable human carcinogen.
• A study linked PVC flooring and textile wall materials to a doubled risk of bronchial obstruction.
• A 1999 study out of Sweden linked PVC and asthma symptoms in young children, and a follow-up study examining possible links between environment and autism spectrum disordersindicated PVC flooring, and particularly PVC flooring in the parents' bedroom, may be a factor.

Environment

• Chlorine, a component of PVC, is very harmful to wildlife, causing deformities, reproductive damage and death.
• According to Greenpeace, PVC is one of the world's largest sources of dioxins, a group of extremely toxic chemicals. Dioxins are released during manufacturing in a byproduct, ethylene dichloride tars, which are generally dumped or incinerated. More dioxins are released when PVC is burned in residential or industrial fires or as a waste control measure.
• According to Greenpeace, less than 1 percent of PVC is recycled, due to technical difficulties involved in recycling and the associated high cost.

#4 LDPE: low-density polyethylene

LDPE is a lightweight plastic and is much more flexible than HDPE. Bread, frozen food and grocery bags, soda rings, plastic wrap, film for baked goods packaging, coatings on milk cartons and squeeze bottles are all LDPE plastics.

Health

• One of the safer plastics, LDPE is not considered a carcinogen or an endocrine disruptor.

Environment

• These bags can be recycled into new bags or plastic lumber products, but the cost of shipping it to recycling plants is high.
• Seabeds are littered with plastic bags near coastal regions.
• Birds and marine life often become entangled in soda rings and eat plastic bags.

#5 PP: polypropylene

Polypropylene is regarded as the most stable plastic because it has a very high melting point and is resistant to repetitive stress. Yogurt, margarine and other food containers, some cups and reusable food containers, thermal underwear and rope are all made with polypropylene.

Health

• It is not known to leech any chemicals, and is considered one of the safest plastics for human health.

Environment

• Polypropylene production produces several volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

#6 PS: polystyrene

Polystyrene comes in expanded form, which is often referred to by the band name Styrofoam, as well as solid form. Polystyrene is used to make a wide variety of products, including CD cases, disposable utensils, take-out food containers, packing materials, meat trays and bicyle helmets.

Health

• Studies suggest endocrine disrupting chemicals in polystyrene migrate from PS containers into foods when the containers are headed, in microwaves or otherwise.
• When burned, polystyrene releases toxic chemicals, including styrene monomer, benzene, other hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
• Research suggests styrene affects the central nervous system in chronically exposed workers.
• Benzene is a volatile organic compound, and a known carcinogen.
• According to the CDC, benzene exposure can harm bone marrow and the immune system, and it can cause a decrease in red blood cells that can lead to amemia. It has also been linked to low birth weights in animals.

Environment

• The cost of shipping and recycling expanded polystyrene (foam) is higher than making new PS from oil, so it's rarely recycled and mostly ends up in landfills.
• When burned, polystyrene releases carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which contribute to global warming.

#7 Other

All plastics that don't fit in any of the other categories, or are unknown (usually because they are unlabelled imports) are assigned the number 7. Included in this catch-all category are polycarbonate containers, which contain BPA, and bioplastics made from corn and other plants. Plastic bottle caps, lids, imported containers, polycarbonate baby bottles are just a few of the products that fall under the number 7 category.

Health

• These are miscellaneous plastics, so the health effects vary widely.
• BPA is an essential building block of polycarbonate plastics, and there is growing concern about the potential for this chemical to act as an endocrine disruptor and to impact reproductive health.

Environment

• Number 7 plastics are rarely recycled because they could contain any number of chemicals. Unless a company has their own take-back recycling program (such as Aveda's bottle caps program), you can pretty much guarantee they'll end up in landfills.

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