Plastic Sippy Cups and A Mother's Guilt

You probably all know about the plastic sippy cup broo-ha-ha going on in the plastic cup/utensil industry. I've had a late start looking into this, as it slipped my notice till recently.

My husband put me on to Google Reader and RSS feeds this weekend (yes, I'll soon plug an RSS feed into my blog and probably revamp the blog as well). So having noticed a blip of news about plastic baby bottles, I used my now set up Google Reader and Google itself to delve into the world of PLASTIC, specifically BPA's.

The good news is we have more space in the china cabinet (china being a flexible word, as in, there was some plastic in there.) The bad news is we have used the Avent Sippy Cups for our daughter since toddler-hood. Now that freaky part of my nature that gets all Medea-hysterical (but anti-Medea mothering) has sent up a wail of protest against all things that threaten my child, including my own ignorant actions. The Bapto-Catholic guilt rends the cloth of my soul and pulls the clouds down upon the sky.

Okay, the drama is over. I'm pissed. Enjoy the blip of language. Relish it. I'm enjoying the anger at whoever is in charge of consumer product review in this country. The agency upon agency upon agency that seems to have turned a blind eye to the dangers of Phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA), and Polybrominated diphenol ethers (PBDEs).

Now the anger turns inward, as it must with "I'm Not A Perfect Mother Guilt" ("oh, you knew plastic was evil, you so-called Mother, you!" Guilt-me says. "But not THAT evil!" I answer. "Oh, yes you did, spawn of the oil industry," Guilt-me retorts. "Spawn of the what?" I ask.) Enough! Enough!

Flush with information on Good Plastic Bad Plastic, I sorted our flexible china. Then, I got out an equally (?) evil plastic grocery bag and tossed the Bad Plastic into it. Ding dong the plastic sippies are gone, the hiking water bottles are gone, certain bowls, cups, lids, and straws are gone.

I said to myself, "Kick the dust off your feet and go ON!"

For those of you who were more behind than I on this matter, check here for useful information on the BPA plastics issue, which manufacturers and products are safe and which are not. The site says that the recycle numbers 1, 2, 4, and "most" 5's are okay. (Unfortunately, they don't say which 5's are okay and which aren't, but do not recommend tossing them. Hmmm.) They say 3's and 6's are the DEVIL and 7 probably is.

If you want to terrify yourself, follow their link to del.icio.us. It's better than watching a horror movie, alone, on a stormy night when the phone lines are down.

For those of you who want to worry about more plastics than just the BPA's, try this lovely look at a toxics review from Alaska.

Bon appetite. But with a glass or a lead-free, china cup, please.