Comments on: Confession of an Anti-Plastic Activist Caught Red-Handed With a BPA-Lined Can

By: Mom2Babes

Mom2Babes — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 13:31:02 +0000

My apologies for any typos. Also, I suppose I should mention, I live in Pennsylvania, USA.

By: Mom2Babes

Mom2Babes — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 13:27:58 +0000

Hello, I’m just a new guest to this site; but I felt I had something to add to the comments. edenfoods.com for Eden Organic products. They’re the company my family and I use for our canned materials. They’re very transparent in their business practices and products, compared to most other companies. I buy some of their items in bulk, as they can be hard to find locally. They do not use BPA in their linings; and they explain the vegetable based substitute they use. It was something used widely some time ago; but BPA, being cheaper, became the replacement for, obviously, many companies. The ingredients are amazingly better than mainstream choices like Bush’s or Campbell’s (I’ve found). Compare nutritional information from three cans: EdenOrganic Garbanzo Beans–Bush’s Garbanzo Beans–Bush’s low sodium Garbanzo beans; and you’ll see what I mean. Are Eden Food’s products more expensive? Yes. Most definitely. Is paying a few extra cents worth it? YES! For the health of my family, esp. my children; and to stretch the muscle of my purchasing power. I refuse to by Campbell’s (at the very least) canned products, or any other canned goods that do not specifically state BPA free lining, and explain. I’m just a tiny voice in an enormous consumer/marketing concert. But, perhaps, more and more tiny voices will join me; and the big companies will truly hear. We’d rather know what we’re buying; and we’d rather choose the most natural options. There is a company that cans tuna with BPA free lining. I can’t recall the name; and I don’t have any in the cupboard at this time. The white albacore is like 3.50 a can. I usually only buy small quantities of this for my kids’ lunches on occasion. But, generally, I prefer to purchase frozen seafood items, or catch fresh fish locally and freeze them. If you hadn’t already, edenfoods.com might be a web site worth a little exploration. (No, I’m not some spokesperson for them. They’re canned options just happen to be the best I’ve found, aside from my own veggie garden canning. And I thought I’d share after reading the above.) BTW, don’t feel guilty. My grandparents house is stocked with food items and containers that make me cringe (she esp. likes to reuse plastic food containers—like coolwhip tubs—as her “reusable” storage stuff for fridge and freezer!). Sometimes, it’s just everywhere.

By: BethTerry

BethTerry — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:23:17 +0000

Hi Karen. I haven’t heard of plasticizers in glass. Do you remember where you read it? Could you please send me a link?

By: greenphillyblog

greenphillyblog — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:06:57 +0000

Thanks for your honesty! I’m actually ‘coming out’ with my dirty not-so-green habits post soon! But yes, it’s definitely impossible to be perfectly green/plastic free and I’m glad you wrote about your experience! (and if everyone tried being green “most” of the time, we’d be a LOT better off!

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:42:33 +0000

I have read, but do not have proof, that there are plasticizers even in glass. I bought some new Ball canning jars, and have noticed that when I have something that is semi-hard in there, like lard, which I try to get out with a spoon, that the side of the jar “gives” when I press against it with the spoon. I’m thinking glass doesn’t normally do that . . . which makes me think that there might actually be plasticizers in the glass. Which is disappointing, because my main reason for using glass is to avoid the plastic.

By: MarieG

MarieG — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:08:27 +0000

I am so glad you posted this! I think we all have these guilty little secrets that are in our lives and let’s face it, we live in a modern world and were brought up in one. There are things from our “former lives” (before we became, minimalists, green, plastic-free, whatever) that we have already been tainted with and there is no going back. We can’t miss what we have never had, but that is the problem, we have already had them. So, we do our best, but no one is perfect. When I was studying to be a yoga instructor my teacher told me a story about the Swami who taught her and how she found him one day sitting on the beach eating a bag of Doritos! I love that story and it reminds me of yours. We learned how healthy being a vegetarian is, junk food is bad, etc. etc. and he was eating Doritos. We are all human and it is good to be able to admit it.

MarieG LifeSImplyBalanced.com

By: BethTerry

BethTerry — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 07:36:38 +0000

@Mandy Mullen HI. The problem is that every can is going to be lined with something. Tomatoes are corrosive, so there must be a lining. Some companies are finding alternatives to BPA, but there is not enough information to know if the new linings are any safer. Can you find tomatoes in glass?

By: judith

judith — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:50:19 +0000

As long as we keep trying and keep motivating other to try.

By: Mandy Mullen

Mandy Mullen — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:40:53 +0000

I’m new to this blog and so glad found it too. Know exactly what you mean about about trying, and failing, sometimes spectacularly, at becoming plastic free eg forgetting my cloth bags when I go supermarket shopping.
Question: I am trying to find canned tomatoes that are BPA free (in Australia). So far no luck. Every time I open a can I’m greeted with that white lining – so disappointing and unnecessary. Any advice would be appreciated.

By: dora_g

dora_g — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:21:14 +0000

you should try this recipe for cream of mushroom soup (http://www.thewickedgoodvegan.com/2011/11/22/vegan-cream-of-mushroom-soup/). it’s amazing, much better for you, and it tastes SOO freaking good. and best yet, the only ingredients i can’t find in bulk for it (you probably could in northern cali) are the fat (i use coconut oil) and the wine. oh, and wild planet foods sells tuna in a glass jar. the jar looks small, but it actually packs a lot of tuna in it, probably because they don’t bother packing it with all the other crap that’s in the can.