As I began to do research for this website, I read so much about plastics and how it’s used in our world. I sincerely believe that plastic makes our lives better in many ways, but as my brother in law used to say “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

In the spirit of trying to “moderate” our family’s plastic usage, I’ve decided to document changes we have made, are in the process of making, and ask for help for more creative ideas. Some are fairly obvious - like eliminating plastic water bottles! Some are not so obvious, but easy. Some are downright inconvenient - but worth every ounce of effort! Please post your comments and suggestions.

I think we can start with the obvious! We’ve eliminated all plastic water bottles in our home, and honestly - it’s been really easy. My three boys each have two bottles and make sure to have one handy for whatever sports they’re participating in. My husband keeps one at his office. I have three. (What can I say? I’m a woman and they’re like shoes! ) My only plastic bottle purchase in 5 months came in the Fort Meyers, FL airport - I was afraid they’d confiscate my Klean Kanteen, so I packed it and bought a disposable. I brought it home to throw in the recycling bin. To me, this is one of the great times when disposable would make sense. (I explained that to my son when he found the empty in my bag and scolded me!) I’m trying to keep a clean record!

My second change? I bought a yogurt machine. A little over the top? Yes, however, it’s pretty easy to make, very tasty, and my kids have a fresh understanding that yogurt comes from milk - not a plastic tube. It also helped eliminate some high fructose corn syrup from our lives.

I’ve eliminated our plastic food storage containers. I found glass containers last year and finally threw out all of our remaining plastics. All glass containers aren’t easy to find - you can locate them at http://www.thehomemarketplace.com/HomeMarketPlace/Default.aspx . They’re durable and a great alternative to the disposables!

I made the most difficult change today and it’s something that I’m quite sad about. We’ve had the most wonderful milkman for eight years. He’s kind and reliable, but can’t really offer me an alternative to the plastic milk jug. Every week, he’s filled my refrigerator with 4 1/2 gallons of milk - but I’ve been struggling with the plastic milk jugs and today I made it final. It’s been a wonderful convenience, but one that I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with. I’m going to look into glass and paper alternatives.

Do you have any ideas? If we all make small changes, we can make a big difference.

More coming…

With so much information about the safety of water bottles in the media in recent weeks, it has become very confusing to many consumers. - including me. I am approached with questions about water bottle safety and leaching on a daily basis. My usual response is honest - “I don’t know - I just choose not to take any chances.” I may be extreme, but as a family, we’ve been working to eliminate as much plastic as we can from our food packaging. It just seems to make sense. That’s why we only use our stainless and Sigg bottles.

We know that #7 polycarbonate is leaching BPA, and although it’s supposedly at “safe levels for human consumption” if the bottles are well cared for and not too old, anyone who has looked at what rolls around in the bottom of my kids’ swim bags or bat bags would know that these are constantly scratched, heated up in the car, sitting with water in them for days, and then found and used in a pinch. I eliminated the temptation of further use by sending them straight to the recycling bin the minute I started reading about the evils of BPA. As I’ve stated before, I’m really not interested in hearing what level of chemicals I put in my body are safe - I’d prefer to have none.

Reports state that bottles labeled with a 3, 6, and 7 are not safe at any level.

PET plastic bottles - used for disposable water bottles, pop bottles (soda for those of you outside Michigan), and sports drinks - are deemed “safe” for one time use. If you use it more than once, bacteria can grow and be a problem. If you wash it, the inside may scratch or it may heat up, releasing chemicals. Hmmmm….why not just use a safe, environmentally friendly alternative? Please follow this link to view The Today Show’s report on plastic water bottles. It’s quick and informative…http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24023514#24023514

I’ll continue to sort through the confusion and give the most up to date and reliable information that I can find. Please check back frequently!