Please Take Your Phthalates

This has been bugging me for over a week now. And how can it not be? It has been featured in the news, in the paper, in Time magazine, in Newsweek, in the Boston magazine, and now in the Whole Dog Journal too. The dangers of plastic.

Suddenly our world has realized that this simple, pliable, and convenient substance that we live with everyday is leaching toxins into our body. Just think about how many things you come into contact with on a daily basis that uses plastic. Do you drink out of a water bottle? Do you use a plastic coffee mug? Did you lunch come packaged in plastic? Oh, and does your dog have plastic toys? Perhaps you have vinyl floors?

Aaaaah. This is why I am writing about this on my blog. The reason WHY we know that plastic is bad for us is because it is tested on animals. The reason WHY we know that plastic is leaching phthalates into our bodies in toxic levels is because of our animals. We now know that phthalates mimick hormones in our bodies and disrupts our development. WHAT?!?!

So now the question is, if the public is getting the word about the dangers of plastic to humans, are they also getting the word out to pet owners?

Apparently vinyl is just about the worse type of plastic there is. I have now chucked every piece of soft, floppy, vinyl toy out of Miss Precious' room, right into the trash. I turn every piece of plastic I can find over to check the little number inside the recycling triangle to see if it is a 4 or 5 (the safest kind of plastic). If it's not, good-bye. None of her food touches plastic.

But what about my other furchildren? Granted most of their toys are plush. But occasionally someone may give them a plastic chew toy and did you know that some of those ingestible bones they sell have plastic in them!?! Does everyone know that? Do you use glass, stainless steel, or earthenware for your pets' food bowls? Does you kibble bag come lined in plastic?

I could go on and on (you know I could) but I think you get the point.