On the one hand, yes, reducing exposure to various chemicals is probably a good idea. On the other, that's a hard road to walk down. So many things have so many chemicals in them which are harmless or even good for us in small doses that trying to avoid anything with a chemical in it is not only impossible but will drive us crazy. And there's so much in the world that we know is bad for us that we don't avoid (driving is a good example) that jumping at phantoms just makes us edgy.

I'm not suggesting don't drink from a glass or metal water bottle, but I hope you don't go on a plastic eliminating binge. Purge? Plastic purge, plastic eliminating binge. Anyways, one of those, because it might be bad.

okay, we will try to avoid plastics.

all my friends are hysterical over this (fb status updates: "i'm throwing out all my tupperware and lock n lock today!" and i've seen that npr link posted like three times). i feel like im the only one who feels everyone is being unreasonable.

im not getting rid of anything and will continue to use plastic containers and ziplocks.

sorry, world. call me stupid.

sigh. i've thought about switching to glass containers instead of plastic for my lunches, but they're just so freaking heavy for something i have to carry on crowded bus every day. i guess the smaller ones aren't so bad, but i usually bring a few cups of rice and vegetables. any suggestions on some lighter lunch containers that aren't going to either hurt my shoulder or kill me?

I am trying to make reasonable changes across the board without going crazy (literally and figuratively). Organic, non-GMO, less packaging all together, I do the best I can most of the time.

Good lord! One more thing I need to *worry* about! Thanks, but no thanks.

I do my best to avoid the obvious but just can't and won't live in a bubble.

I'm not sure what hydration system you use for your endurance rides, but two of my favorite bottles are polar and camel bak, which keep water/nutrition cold longer and are BPA free.

I think there are many more likely things out there that would harm us much more. No need to worry about this. I'll keep using plastic. Another thought - while you can control how you package your own food, it would be difficult to never buy food packaged in plastic, or stored in plastic at one point in time during it's creation... things I cannot control, I won't let myself worry about.

Yeah, I've hit my limit with this. I don't need more things to worry about. I do try to use glass (or other non-plastics) when heating in the microwave or for hot liquids; however, that's mostly for taste because I think the plastic flavors the food and beverages. I hate the way it makes my tea tastes if I use a plastic-lined to-go mug.

I go back and forth. I've switched out to mainly glass, which is pretty easy to do with just jars (although, holy h@$ll, I also have to make sure the jars don't have BPA in the lids). I understand why many would rather ignore this issue.

That said, to those that are trying to switch out their containers, do you have any suggestions about the following?:
-light aluminum tiffins or other lunch containers that don't have plastic lids and don't leak?
-definite BPA free jar lids?
-a good, not too expensive set of glass containers for fridge storage without plastic lids (i.e. I'm thinking of these: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/food-containers-storage/3-piece-glass-refrigerator-dish-set/s220500)
-and even if you do have glass containers, do you avoid plastic lids? What kind of lids do you put on them?
-silicon is a nice alternative to freeze things in/use as a splatter cover in the microwave. Do I need to be concerned about it?

Thanks for any tips!

File me in the "read the article and hit my limit" category. I always, always suspected this since way back in the 70's because my mom was against plastic for food. I suspected she was right, but denial was so much easier. So in my case, my limit means I'm in the getting rid of as much of my plastic food storage as I can. I ordered glass replacements for it all the very same evening.

If I had to take a lunch, I would look into stainless steel tifins or canisters or something, and then dump it into something else to microwave.

I am at that age where one starts to get weirded out by what ones hormones are doing anyway, so the less stress on my system, the better AFAIAC.

But then think of ALL of your food that is already "wrapped in plastic" (Laura Palmer fans, anyone?): sliced cheese, block cheese, cereal, yogurt, tofu, sausages, frozen items... As much as I would LOVE to stay away from plastics, how on earth can we?

I agree, it's pretty overwhelming to attempt to remove all plastic from your life. Like I said, plastic baggies and sport water bottles (even if they are BPA free) are pretty essential in my life. But I do think it's smart to limit my use of other plastics like food storage containers when glass containers are a fairly easy substitute. As for recommendations for glass containers that don't have plastic lids, I'm at a loss. I'd avoid filling them to the brim and not worry about the lids. Does anyone have any glass storage container favorites?

So much of this research is still preliminary, some of these studies return conflicting or contradictory evidence, and the fact that, if this were really as serious as some people claim, we'd all be dropping dead in the streets puts me firmly in the 'chill out, people' category.

I use plastic for food storage, I reheat my food in plastic, I do it all the time, and I've done it for just about my entire life. I'm perfectly healthy. So is my entire family, who also use plastic for everything food related. I don't have the time, money, or inclination to replace all my plastic with something else. I'd rather spend my energy concentrating on the things that have a much stronger scientific body of evidence behind them - eating a well-balanced, unprocessed diet, getting plenty of exercise, sleeping well, etc.

And going BPA free has its own problems. I've read studies that show that in lab rats, it is only the lower levels of BPA exposure that result in ill effects. In other words, those rats with no exposure are just as healthy as those at the highest levels. It suggests that the most dangerous thing would be to lower your exposure without eliminating it entirely. All too fishy for me.

ditto @katemcrugg

HeatherMichelle: Why is ALL food wrapped in plastic. That 30 day plastic free post I tried to comment on saying something to that effect.

Why can't I buy my cheese dipped in wax instead of plastic? I buy 1/2 pound blocks of cheese. I don't know how they'd keep other things fresh but it is kind of sickening how much plastic is in use and I find it nearly impossible to lower the amount I buy due to food.

Realistically, how can we avoid plastics in our food storage methods? I would love to toss the cheap Ziploc containers, but how else would I freeze foods or make them easily transportable to work (outside of the obvious tiffin usage)? I eagerly await the alternatives.

I have one round and one square set of Pyrex storage containers, and random plastic/Tupperware/Gladware containers. When the plastic ones wear out, they will be thrown away and likely eventually replaced with glass.

I mostly use the plastic ones to freeze stock, or make salad dressing; I try to avoid using the plastic ones to reheat something.

That said, I'm also finding canning jars to be a nice storage alternative in the cupboard (though I have my flours in old yellow tupperware and new OXO pop-top containers).

And on the water bottle tip, I've switched to Kleen Kanteen (stainless steel) and have been nothing but satisfied - I currently lug it to the gym, and plan to use it on my bike once the weather gets just a little warmer...

im pretty sure everything is slowly killing us

This is really depressing. I meant come on, didn't we all suspect something of the sort? The huge spikes in Austim and Breast Cancer are obviously coming from an enviornmental source that is fairly new. This research is knew and not at all conclusive but reminds me yet again why I try and minimize plastics for my kids.

Give me a wood toy anyday.

I use various sizes of canning jars and glass hermetic jars (metal clasp flippy kind) for kitchen storage and to take food to work. The lids I use are plastic (which isn't great) but are at least BPA free. I got the lids here:

http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/detail/TCL+1440036010

Do you know what a pain in the ass it is to carry around a glass water bottle at work? Or outside of work?

To be honest, none of these opinions/fears/inclinations/gut feelings matter unless you're either a polymer chemist or biochemist. Consult one, then you can at least know that your point of view is based on a somewhat intelligent foundation.
As a materials scientist who studied polymer reactions, kinetics, and thermal properties for the past 4 years, these articles make me shake my head in disapproval. It is clear that the American education system is in a sad state of affairs with everyone labeling things as "chemicals" and "organic" when in reality EVERYTHING is a "chemical" and any carbon-based molecule, including plastics, are organic molecules. Semantics aside, the general population has unfortunately come to accept a cynical, paranoid point of view when it comes to technological advancements that involve food and/or health. And worse, these views are usually generated without any conclusive evidence whatsoever, and without even questioning the source of information.
/rant

cOOller, I'm sorry, but the "everything is a chemical" argument is ridiculous. Of course everything is a a chemical, but that doesn't mean every chemical can be ingested on a daily basis for ones' entire lifetime and be perfectly harmless.
Your oversimplification is just as detrimental to the facts as the panic stricken lemming mentality of the general public.

Humans were never intended to eat petroleum products, or other crap cooked up in a lab from things other than what we should eat. It should surprise exactly no one that this stuff turns out to be bad.

And maybe you're perfectly healthy now, ny2midmo, but how about in 60 years?

And life expectancy has steadily been increasing. And quality of life - there are many many people who are active and independent well into old age, a far cry from 50 years ago. Yeah, plastic probably isn't great for us, but having access to an abundance of clean, disease-free foods that keep for long periods far outweighs the bad things that plastics do.

I use glass storage 90% of the time, but being worried about something that is so clearly a boon to humankind seems like a pretty first-world "problem".

I totally understand being overwhelmed and hitting the limit. But the point of the study and the story about it, and the NPR Morning Edition story today that followed up on it, is that even though BPA free is not enough and following recycling symbols is not enough, plastics can be made safely (EA free) and that's what the company in the stories (PlastiPure) is doing. This first story that you're linking to here looked at the problem, and this morning story looked at the solution. So keep reading!

teflon is apart of our DNA now

Certainly it is sensible to limit exposure whenever possible but I also agree that having food that is relatively free of bacteria is far more important, and is certainly a major factor in increased life expectancy. Most of the grooming and cleaning products we use are packaged in some form of plastic - think about toothpaste and mouthwash - and I would guess "chemicals" from plastic could easily be absorbed by oral tissues. So realistically to significantly reduce your exposure to these plastics would mean a whole new lifestyle. I am far more worried about the huge volumes of disposable plastics that are threatening to take over the earth!

A doctor friend recently told me about a patient of hers. He came in for some not-that-serious thing and ended up telling her he had been using "8 to 10 bags of heroin" (what is a bag??) for FORTY YEARS. I'm sure he wasn't in the best shape, but he wasn't dead and he was able to speak with her lucidly.

The takeaway for me from this conversation is that all the tiny things we concern ourselves with are probably not that big a deal after all. I seriously doubt that dude is concerned with BPA, but he's still kickin' it.

Most plastic is not biodegradable - it lasts forever and 10% of it ends up in the world's oceans (e.g., island of garbage in the Pacific). Switch to waxed paper and glass or at least use biodegradable plastic. The environmental devastation is also part of the equation.

I was recently in Egypt (during the revolution) and there are miles of what can only be described as a carpet of plastic garbage.

Let's get rid of plastic for both health and environmental reasons.

The benefits of avoiding plastic (if there are any at all) are unclear and probably don't warrant this much attention.
All this time and effort would be better spent worrying about diet and exercise.

It's not a big deal to switch to glass for storage, and limit plastic as much as possible. I did it 8 years ago, when I first read about this, and was pregnant with my first child.

I don't drive myself nuts with it, but just do what I can.

I've had cancer -- a rare genetic cancer. Both my parents had defective copies of a certain gene (or genes). A lot of these chemicals affect us on that level, and so we may not feel the effects of using these chemicals immediately, or even in the near future, but we well might down the road, or in our children. Deciding not to bother to change one's behaviour because of an anecdote about a guy who smoke a lot of heroin and purportedly seemed healthy enough, well... is not exactly a rational approach.

I have a story. Once, I went through an automatic carwash with nearly $200 worth of groceries in the bed of my truck. I just wasn't thinking. I panicked, but drove home anyway, expecting the worst. Guess what? I didn't have to throw a single item away. Cardboard boxes and paper labels, sure. But actual food products? They were all fine. Why? Because everything is packaged in plastic or made of plastic. Everything.

My alarm goes off in the morning. Clock casing is plastic. I check my cell phone--plastic. I check my email--keyboard is plastic. Eat cereal--both the milk and cereal are packaged in plastic. I brush my teeth--my toothbrush is plastic. Shower--everything is in plastic bottles. The handle of my razor is plastic. Deodorant--plastic tube. Drive to work--steering wheel probably contains plastic. Turn on the radio--plastic dials (and the inside of my vehicle bakes in the sun, so double plastic). Sign in at work--badge, scanner, computer, etc. all plastic. The pen I sign my name with--plastic. My chair at work--plastic. The straw in my drink and sometimes the cup--plastic. Scissors, ruler, tape dispenser, stapler--all plastic. Light switches, plugs, outlets, appliances--plastic.

I'm also betting that a lot of our shoes contain plastics or at least synthetic "chemicals." I see a lot of jewelry with plastic components. Watchbands, even watches themselves--sometimes plastic. Sometimes clothing itself is plastic.

I think it's a little ridiculous to worry about something that is literally everywhere. Maybe all these plastics will kill us one day. But even if a person could somehow live a miraculous, plastic-free life, he/she would still die one day.

So many preliminary study results do not hold up over time, people. This is not enough data for you to make big lifestyle changes over.

I agree with the poster above--put all this energy into exercising every day! We know for sure that that is going to give you a longer, healthier life, but nobody knows exactly what danger is involved in using plastic.

do you know what is a far bigger killer of Americans? Obesity, diabetes and heart disease. If you are currently overweight and can pinch a lot of fat around your stomach, you have bigger concerns than plastic leaking.

I store food and my lunch in rectangular glass containers but I was thinking about it one day and thought the lid is plastic!

One of my biggest concern about plastics is what estrogen-mimicking hormones are doing to our children--feminizing boys and pushing girls into precocious puberty, etc.
And these are just the plastics that are tested. New plastics are being developed all the time and the VAST majority of these new plastics that enter the US each year are NOT tested.

what about wrapping stuff in wax paper? or lining the inside of a plastic container with wax paper?
I don't use plastic containers in the microwave, only glass or ceramic. I prefer to drink from a real glass.
Doesn't it take time for the chemicals to leach from the plastic into the food? If so, then it seems that the less time your food is in a plastic container, the less leaching can occur. So carrying a container to work, dumping the food into a glass container to heat it up...that gives you only 4-5 hours of the food being exposed to plastic.

I love plastic and glass. I am allergic to metal and also hate the smell, taste, and sound of it.

This study has kicked my butt into gear in eliminating all plastics from my kitchen & bathroom. It's actually not that big a deal. I'd rather go through the pain in the a** of carrying around a heavy glass bottle instead of the pain in the a** of having cancer any day.

If anyone is interested in some of the solutions I'm implementing instead of using plastic, I'm writing about it here: http://plasticsans.blogspot.com

I also use a lot of glass too, but reading this article made me think- Does anyone else think it's ironic that we are worried about possible side effects of miniscule amounts of hormone-like chemicals leaching from plastic containers when millions of women take birth control with much higher amount of synthetic hormones- with proven negative side effects? Just sayin....