Eco-smart Swaps

A Prevention magazine article on eco-smart swaps was recently featured on MSNBC that gave some great tips on everyday items that might be full of chemicals that are bad for you—and the Earth—and the alternatives that relatively easy to find. I found a few of them surprising!

For instance, they recommend skipping canned pasta sauce and sticking with fresh or jarred sauce. Apparently, the lining found in most cans contains a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) and it's especially likely to leach into acidic foods such as tomatoes or tomato sauce. You can also cut more by choosing tuna canned in water instead of oil because BPA is fat soluble, causing it to build up in the oil.

Another surprising swap: shower curtains! The article suggest you ditch your vinyl (PVC) shower curtain and choose a PVC-free plastic shower curtains, or ones made of nylon, cotton, bamboo, or hemp. A recent study by the nonprofit Center for Health, Environment & Justice found that in the 28 days after hanging, PVC shower curtains released 108 chemicals, some of which are hazardous—including toluene and phenol. And a 2002 study by EPA scientists found that vinyl shower curtains could emit phenol for more than a month! You can check out Ikea for PVC-plastic curtains but cloth or bamboo is eco-friendlier. Or go with a hemp curtain that requires no liner and is naturally mildew resistant.

For more swaps, check out the interactive article 9 eco-smart swaps that will boost your health and protect the Earth, too.