Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Safe Plastic Containers? Ask Chicky!

Dear Chicky,

I just started to read your book (and I subscribe to the blog) and I love it! I do have a question, though: I’m curious about plastic container’s safety if you don’t put them in the dishwasher or use them for hot foods. Is this ok? Also, should I be handwashing the lids from the glass containers? Can these leach chemicals too?

Thanks for your time!

Spastic about Plastic

Dear Spastic,

Though the debate is still raging about the safety of chemicals like Bisphenol A and phthalates, you’re definitely better off safe than sorry. Both chemicals have been linked with health issues like endocrine disruption and breast cancer, and those are just the chemicals in plastic we know about – who knows what others lurk in our plastic food containers, baby bottles and other items.

Since you’re not microwaving plastic containers or using them for hot foods, you’re definitely on the right track. BPA leaches out of plastics 55 times faster when exposed to hot liquids than it does under normal conditions. But, even when they’re not heated, they’re risky. Personally, I switched my plastic containers out for glass, porcelain and stainless steel just for peace of mind. (I’m in the process of getting rid of ALL the plastic in my life slowly but surely- ed.)

You may want to avoid polycarbonate and PVC plastic containers altogether – they’re generally marked with a number 3 (may contain phthalates) or 7 (may contain BPA) in a triangle on the bottom. Plastics marked with a 1,2 or 5 are considered safe. Check the lowdown on plastics safety and numbers here.

As for washing the lids of your glass containers, the best thing to do is use lukewarm water, whether hand washing or sticking them in the dishwasher. If you’re using your dishwasher’s energy-efficient settings anyway – turning off the hot air drying phase and setting the water to ‘warm’ – putting the lids in the dishwasher is just fine. Chances are the lids on your glass containers aren’t worrisome, since they’re most likely made of polypropylene, but caution isn’t a bad thing when it comes to your health.

Safely Yours,

Chicky

Have a question for Chicky? Email starre (at) eco (dash) chick (dot) com or leave your question in the comments section below. Cheers to curiosity!!

Ask Chicky: Clear Skies or Dirty Air?

 

Dear Chicky,

My boyfriend and I (we’re both in our early 30′s) have a bet: I say air quality is better than when we were kids, he says it’s worse. Who’s right?

–Itching to Be Right
Dear Itching,

Though it’s always fun to watch one half of a couple do the “I’m right and you’re wrong” dance, I’m sorry to report that nobody’s winning the bet on this one. You’re both right, depending on what kind of standard you’re using to judge air quality, and where you live.
Overall, air quality has improved in most parts of the United States, due to several decades of pollution rules and enforcement under the Clean Air Act. In the Southeastern parts of the country where population growth has exploded, there are higher levels of pollution than before (since housing wasn’t exactly planned around people riding their air-friendly bikes to work), but they’re still within the normal range on most days. Some cities, like Los Angeles, have made dramatic improvements in air quality, something that Angelenos notice when they step outside their doors and enjoy visible views. That’s the good news.

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Ask Chicky: Vermicomposting

Dear Chicky,
I went to a dinner party last week and the host had a tiny composter in her apartment’s kitchen; she said there were bugs inside that eat the food she deposits. It sounds gross, but I feel bad tossing all my leftovers in the garbage—how do these things work? Why don’t they smell?
—Curious about compost

Dear Curious Composter,
All compost systems rely on the same principle: stuff rots and then turns into dirt. If you do it right. The good news is it’s not that hard to replicate what nature does on a grand scale in your very own kitchen. Properly composted food is never smelly and can cut down on your trips to the garbage bin (and the inevitable filling of our landfills). In fact, if you get into it, you can compost up to 1/3 of your household waste.

What your friend most likely had was a worm composter, also called a vermicomposter. This kind of composting is great for an apartment because it doesn’t take up much space, is totally hygienic and the final product is humus. Not the middle-eastern bean spread, but the ultimate fertilizer for your organic container gardening.

The busy earthworms, called red worms or manure worms, (yes, they wiggle, but no, you don’t have to touch them) will keep your composter functioning and odor-free. These special guys eat up to their weight in food every day, and their excrement is the aforementioned humus. Their casts (a nicer name for poop) contain all sorts of good stuff like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, meaning that the humus they produce will make your garden grow. And on top of all that, once your scraps are devoured by the worms, all the nasty pathenogenic bacteria (the kind that can make you sick) are totally neutralized.

But there are some caveats; you can’t just dump all your leftovers in a vermicomposter, but fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, old bread, coffee grounds, shredded computer paper (no colored ink) and newspaper, and houseplant trimmings are all OK. Go light on the vegetable oils, dairy and meat; all these things take more time for the worms to digest, so don’t throw a big hunk of steak in your composter, no matter how free-range and organic it might be. Some people say small amounts of meat or bone will break down just fine, but it might take some experimenting. It isn’t complicated, by you will need to read up on the subject. You will need to keep the whole operation moist, and you can make your own or buy a composter ready-to-go at a host of websites and garden centers. The worms are also available online or from your neighborhood plant store. Try wormdigest.org, cityfarmer.com and cityknowlege.com.

Wormily yours,
Chicky