BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Environment Lead in reusable bags!

It's probably smart that they are wearing gloves (I'm temped to do it myself as a customer). I haven't seen that in any stores. Ever since reading these articles, I keep looking at the cashiers in the stores and hope they are OK.

This article I just wrote for Natural Living will answer some questions too!



www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67650.asp

Thank you for writing the article!

This is an upsetting issue for me. Even though the risk may be small, it isn't one I want to take for my daughter.

It's only been a week or so since I have reverted back to plastic and I am already getting overrun with them. I have to find reusable bags without paint in them soon. (I found a place online that sells plain bags and I plan to order them tonight.) While I will find uses for these plastic bags, it will take me months to get through what I have accumulated so far.

Any suggestions as to what to do with the reusable bags I already have that have a high likelihood of having lead paint in them?

Most grocery stores have recycling bins for plastic bags. Check with the store manager.

Thanks. If I get too overrun, I will recycle them. I try to find uses for them if I can (car trash bags, place for a stinky diaper, etc.) first though.

Also, check EcoBags online at ecobags.com - they are GOTS certified and use organic cotton so they are safe for reusable totes!

Lead in bags article

Apparently the lead is not just in the paint as I thought earlier. At least some has been found in the fabric. According to this article the concerns are relatively minor. But still... And lead builds up over time.

The article on the top gives specific information about bags from Target, Harris Tetter, Foodlion & Lowes

I am thinking taking my bags I am not keeping back to the stores and insist that the stores find a way to dispose of them.

Protecting Kids From Lead

This article has interesting information about keeping lead levels down in kids. I never knew most of this. For example, you are not supposed to use hot water to cook with. I guess it has more lead. ???

If your home has lead plumbing a tiny bit of lead may leach out into the water when it is held in the pipes for a while.
As for lead in dust, I wonder about that. Lead was phased out of house paints many years ago, so unless you live in an old house that hasn't been repainted in 50 years that shouldn't be a problem. And it is equally as long ago that lead was taken out of gasoline...before then automobile exhausts would deposit lead along roadsides on sidewalks and plants. I guess there might still be some lead in roadside soils.
Decorative low-fired (earthenware) ceramic imports that are brightly colored shouldn't be used to contain food, lead is a cheap ingredient in bright pigments and leaches out into food. But high fired (stonewear and porcelain) ceramics are lead-free, if they had any lead to begin with it would have burned away in the high temperature kiln.
I love my collection of plain heavy cotton shopping bags, strong and ugly, they work fine with no worries.

That's true... but some times recycling products is better than going for reusable products!!! At least there is low chances of getting lead and other chemicals in them, harming our body!!