Baby step: Stop heating food in plastic containers

During our first GreenGroup meeting, one of our many tangential discussions hit on plastics. Plastics that are unsafe, plastics that are safer, and the importance of not heating food or liquid in a plastic container. This latter point is one that I've read about several times -- how studies have found that the chemical Bisphenol-A, found in most plastics can leach into foods, particularly if heated. Bisphenol-A mimics estrogen and can cause all sorts of health problems. OK. This should have been enough to get me to change? Right? Wrong.

My kids love a warm cup of milk in the morning, so I have always just poured it into their plastic, unbreakable cups and popped it into the microwave. There have been times when I've thought, "I know this is wrong, but I can't trust them with a glass or mug, and I can't think how else to do it." So during our GreenGroup meeting I admitted this, and everyone offered great alternatives. First, heat the milk in a Pyrex measuring cup, then pour it into the cups. Take it a step further and buy metal cups, which are break-proof and safer than plastic. That was all I needed to hear -- advice from other moms. An easy change. No more plastic in the microwave at our house, and this weekend I'll be shopping for new kids cups. Thanks guys!