A recent question from Pearl on the Mommy Footprint fan page had me interested from the moment I read it. Thank you for asking about Teflon lined diaper bags Pearl! I had no idea that some of the many popular diaper bag options sold are lined with Teflon. Since reading Pearl’s question, I’ve spent a few hours researching the article from the standpoint “if I was to purchase a bag with Teflon lining, how would I dispose of this material at the end of the bags life?”. Well, I cannot find a way for an owner of a diaper bag to dispose of the Teflon after the bag’s use is over. Not only that, most articles about Teflon lined diaper bags think it’s okay to use this material since the bag won’t be licked or eaten from. I’m not a chemist or scientist but the problem with Teflon is when the material is heated. So why would you worry about that in a diaper bag? I go back to my initial argument about how you’ll dispose of the bag once it’s cracked and smelly? You cannot recycle the materials it’s made from so it’s going into the garbage. What happens to garbage? It gets incinerated. The toxic chemicals that teflon omits are called Perfluoinated Teflon Pollutants: PFOA and PFOS. You have no doubt heard of these compounds because environmentalists have been suggesting for years to not cook with Teflon frying pans because of PFOA and PFOS. Why are these chemicals such a big deal? They are some of the worst chemicals in the environment today because once they are released they never go away. They can be found in all humans (babies still in utero), whales, and polar bears in the arctic that have never made themselves eggs using a Teflon pan. This fact shows how destructive these chemicals are to the environment and to our children! These chemicals are causing infertility, tumors, thyroid disruption and weakened immune systems. Even if your diaper bag doesn’t end up in the incinerator – PFOA is released into the environment when produced. Like PVC, it is toxic from the time it’s produced and there is no way to dispose of it without causing further harm to the environment and human health.
It’s long been documented that DuPont who creates Teflon in their Virginia plant has had to compensate their employees for their elevated levels of rare cancers and birth defects with their children. Let’s take a moment to remember that there is a rule when trying to decide as a consumer if a product should enter your home. If something is bad for the environment – it is bad for human health. I’ve said this many time on Mommy Footprint and if there is a material or chemical that meets this criteria, it’s Teflon. So in my mind, it doesn’t matter if a baby or mom is licking the diaper bag because it’s lined with one of the most environmentally damaging materials in use today. Do I want this material in my home, on my shoulder, or close to my baby?
A few other random checkpoints came up while I was looking at different models of diaper bags. Many models talk about a ‘foam’ or memory foam that is inside the change mat for added comfort. Here is a Mommy Footprint test. What question as consumers do we always have to ask when a product has foam and it’s going to be near our baby? Synthetic foam is a highly flammable material so what needs to be added so it passes North American regulation? If you answered flame retardants you have been listening! I would mark this as another question to ask when purchasing a diaper bag with a change pad. Has the foam inside the diaper bag or change pad been treated with flame retardants? If they cannot answer this question, you’ve got your answer.
Lastly, a covering of scotch guard or antibacterial coating or protection on a diaper bag might be marketed as an amazing feature. Yes, children poo, throw-up, and more around a diaper bag, but doesn’t it make more sense to create a product that is washable rather than coated with chemicals to ‘protect’ against germs? Scotchgard has the same effect on the environment as Teflon by distributing PFOA into the environment with devastating consequences. We also know that products that are marketed as containing an antimicrobial agent – you are looking at nanoparticles that are largely unknown for health effects and destroying healthy and bad germs that it comes into contact with. I would recommend always avoiding these marketing tactics because chemicals that belong in hospitals for their strong level of antibac properties can contain triclosan and the concern over the rise in bacterial resistance in our children.
So thank you Pearl for asking me a question that in your heart you already knew the answer. I felt very emotional researching this topic because once again products geared to mothers, breast feeding mothers, and babies often contain chemicals that are extremely toxic to nature and health. I always like to give examples of where I would shop or point someone looking for safer alternatives in wet bags or diaper bags. Let me introduce an amazing woman that creates hand-sewn, one of a kind creations and bags…
Pip’ n’ Milly Creations is Fiona’s store and she makes diaper bags with lots of functional pockets from natural materials that are washable. I love that you can pick your own fabrics and work with an artist to create a hand-crafted work of art for a diaper bag! Working with an artist that can make you a diaper bag ensures you know the materials being used. A really easy cheat sheet when researching diaper bags to narrow down synthetic materials is to ask:
Does this bag contain:
~ flame retardants in the foam?
~ teflon in the liner?
~ PVC in the liner?
~ antibacterial or scotchgard on outer fabric?
If a company cannot answer these questions, you are not purchasing a chemical free diaper bag. Diaper bags cost a lot of money! Make it an important aspect of planning a baby shower or wish list for gifts and research the key items…not only for the effects that product will have on baby, but on the world they are inheriting!
Related Articles:
Antibacterial Products Heading Back To School
Car Seats and Flame Retardants
Is You’re Child’s Bed or Crib Toxic?
Self Cleaning Oven – Toxic for Humans Or Only Birds?
I love learning about companies that take a concept or product used in everyday life and create something magical and more eco-friendly for home life, school, or the office. The company O’BON has produced ‘the greatest pencil on earth’ and made it very child friendly with fresh designs that help educate kids about the environment and helping animals. These products have newly arrived to Canada and Green Planet Parties is proud to be carrying 3 of their products in the Crafty Fun section of their site.
O’BON is truly special because they’ve produced a pencil made from recycled newspapers surrounding the graphite stick. 2-3 times stronger than traditional wood pencils, parents can teach their kids that no trees were cut to produce these pencils. Now add the fact the pencils are perfect for children because they are instantly drawn to the Wildlife series designs. Check out these beautiful pictures courtesy of the Green Planet Parties site that showcase the fun animal print designs and great packaging:
I’ve been on the hunt for a year now to source color pencil crayons for my kids. Well looky looky. Not only do the 12 pencil crayons included in this pack work with incredible quality, they showcase an animal at the top and then carry the design and colors of the animal on the outside of the crayon and actual pencil color.
Both of these products have been such a hit in my house ~ ages 3-7 I’m proud to share. Nothing but good stuff here, from the message of helping our animals to teaching our children that unlike wood pencils, no trees were cut to produce them. Also interesting, the O’BON pencils don’t have the metal piece that joins the eraser to most traditional pencils This further eliminates waste because when is the last time you thought to remove this piece to recycle?
The price-point of the pencils and pencil crayons is also worth a shout-out because it’s so amazing! The 2 pack pencil sets are under $2 (perfect to complete birthday party goodie bags) and the pencil crayon colored set of 12 is $8.95. Both items are available to order online at Green Planet Parties, plus a 3rd item carried in the Wildlife series called the Animal Fact Book & Wildlife Pencils. Perfect for your upcoming spring party or special treat for some craft table magic.
With Earth Day approaching, I’ve started hoarding eco-activities and lessons for the month of April that I can participate with my kids. I was told about the Hancock Wildlife Foundation web site by an amazing preschool teacher and what an exciting activity it is for children to catch a ‘bird’s eye view (couldn’t resist) of eagles interacting courtesy of live eagle cams. The Hancock Wildlife Foundation that has setup these cams was founded by biologist David Hancock. The mission statement or goal of this foundation has such an important message with promoting the conservation of wildlife and its habitats through science, education, and stewardship. The fact that Bald Eagles are endangered is also a great conversation to have with your children about the importance of protecting our environment and the animals that live within it.
The Hancock Foundation has installed various live wildlife cams and it’s amazing to study these proud, beautiful eagles; it’s fascinating to watch them so close in their nest tending to their eggs, nest and each other. Check out these live streaming videos! The forum on this site is also packed with information, pictures, and live cams of other animals from Africa to Vancouver Island. A great computer activity if you are looking for a break from the Nick Jr. or Lego web sites and with April just beginning, it’s the perfect month to celebrate more earth friendly web sites for kids.
Some may say ‘freaky’ looking; I personally think it’s the most adorable sea animal ever! And sadly enough, I discovered it because their status on earth is ‘seriously threatened with extinction’ due to water pollution and destruction to its environment. Want a visual to help teach children about water preservation and helping our environment? Get ready…this creature is seriously cute.
Picture from Treehugger site:
There are several pictures on the Treehugger article about these animals and they look like they’re smiling in every shot! Their official name is the Axolotl salamander, otherwise known as the Mexican walking fish or Mexican water monster. The Axolotl has been listed endangered on the annual list from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but researchers now say it could disappear within 5 years. Millions once existed in lakes where Mexico City was built, but between draining lakes to create city growth and with pumping waste-water into waterways, things have changed for this animal.
According to the Yahoo News/Associated Press:
“If the axolotl disappears, it would not only be a great loss to biodiversity but to Mexican culture, and would reflect the degeneration of a once-great lake system,” says Luis Zambrano, a biologist at the Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM. The number of axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) in the wild is not known. But the population has dropped from roughly 1,500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere 25 per square mile this year, according to a survey by Zambrano’s scientists using casting nets.
When I showed the pictures of the Axolotl to my children they shrieked and thought it looked like an alien, but at least it got their attention. I think it’s adorable and thought it might remind us what cute little creatures are affected by our decisions with habitat destruction and water pollution. Show this to your children and see what they think.
Back in April, I wrote an article highlighting an eco-friendly project for kids – Kid Friendly Eco Project. The activity involved storm drain marking with fish decals to remind the public that water ways lead to fish. I was very excited to reserve my marking kit with the city, but because of a fish decal shortage, I only received it this week. I’m wanted to report back on the success of the activity.
Well, my sons and I loved marking the drains. Actually, there is nothing my boys didn’t enjoy with this project. I think I feel a paper route coming in their near future because they loved delivering the educational literature to the houses the most. Of course at the beginning of this adventure, hitting the fish decals with the mallet was pretty fun too. <smile>
The entire process of storm drain marking is wonderful for a family project. You put on a reflective vest, brush away debris from the road where you plan on putting the decal, then you pour the glue onto the road, peel and stick the fish decal, then pound it with a mallet approx. 100 times. When you see the roadway bumps coming through the decal, you’ve done a good job. These decals need 48 hours to completely stick to the road, so I’m really hoping people don’t lift them up before this time. I guess this is another wonderful thing about having children. (more…)
