That Receipt Will Kill You!
After the SIGG debacle, which turned into the GAIAM debacle, it has turned to the war of bisphenol A-laden receipts. Yes, according to articles in the last month, receipts are a primary BPA source that all Americans are exposed to (as well as canned foods).
Miss the receipt-full-of-BPA news clips? Check here.
Really, this is annoying a bit.
Scare tactics abound us in the realm of living “healthy” and “green”. Media and many other message-pushers rely on fear to get you motivated. Have you seen the “Eat fruit alone or it gives you cancer” email? Or “don’t drink cold water or it will give you cancer” email?
Further, we begin to feel like “hey, what around me isn’t toxic?”
It reminds me frequently of a conversation with my best friend Sara (also on Twitter) where we discussed ~ when is enough enough? What all do we have to do in our daily lives to feel like we can breathe easily and safely?
Is avoiding nail polishes with formaldehyde, tolune, and phthalates enough? What about your vinyl accessories? Or the upholstery in your furniture, carpets, and car? What about the paint on your walls? Your drink bottle? Your deodorant? Your grocery bags?
And now, your receipts?
The loose-powdered BPA from receipts reportedly is much easier ingested and concentrated than that “locked” into polymers of can liners and water bottles. Meaning, wash your hands super frequently because otherwise you eat it easily as the BPA moves from receipt to hands to food.
What about sticking the receipts in your wallet or purse? Have you just transferred mega-toxins into (and onto) everything else you touch a hundred times a day and can barely wash out?
I mentioned last week that “no one gives” a hoot “about going green”, which I meant (in earnest) as a jab at deceitful companies such as SIGG and GAIAM.
The deeper issue is, however, it can be hard to give a hoot when it feels like a huge losing battle anyhow.
For instance, besides lousy water bottles and everyday receipts, you can find BPA in:
- ALL of your canned foods. Yep.
- Soda cans.
- City drinking water.
- Pizza boxes made of recycled cardboard
- Recycled paper
- Wine (fermented in BPA-resin lined vats)
- Beer (likewise)
Find more info on that here.
So, what is a girl to do?
Give up?
Take it all on and battle every frustrating piece of news we get?
Quit our jobs and lobby congress?
All I can offer is the reminder that you are not alone in your frustration and efforts. Together, we can hold our heads high and make differences where we can, forgive ourselves for the things we let slide, and resist temptation to give into the media pressure to scare you.
Stressing out frequently will kill you and your loved ones far quicker and more miserably than your receipts or your SIGG.
And as you keep living your life consciously and in stride, say no to receipts when you can (as a budding environmentalist, you prefer to save trees anyhow). Pay attention to what is in your food… and cosmetics… etc. Vote with your dollar and support companies you can believe in, who strive for progress.
Any suggestions? I would love to hear from you.
Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue
“Stressing out frequently will kill you and your loved ones far quicker. . .”
Well said! And thank you for saying it!
Well said, Ashley Sue. “Living your life consciously” speaks volumes about how we can muckle on, navigating through the choices that we have to make today. Waking up to what’s around us is part of the battle, having the courage to change our habits as consumers is another. But stand together, we do. With non-threatening discussion and encouragement from knowledgeable sources, such as yourself,
I take pause more and more when deciding how to best make my purchases reflect the value that I place in my health and my planet. And for me, today, this is enough. Thank you always for your insight.
Thanks, Cutie! That makes me happy!
[...] only wish I did not think about the BPA coating my hands (my purse, my pockets, etc.) every time I handle a receipt… and for quite a while [...]