BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Environment Lead in reusable bags!

I had been using reusable shopping bags because I thought it was helping the environment. Today I find out that at least some contain lead! Not only is that a danger to the environment, but to my family.

Scary stuff. Guess I will have to go back to plastic bags until I know that the reusable ones are safe again. Not sure what to do with the ones I already have-hate to put that possible lead in the landfill.

Article about lead in reusable bags

How interesting - why is there any lead in these bags?

"...asking suppliers to make reusable bags with less lead..."

The article really doesn't say how much lead was found or whether it is just in the printing or the material. I imagine it is just the paint. Reusable bags should be washed on a regular basis anyway which would probably reduce it. I don't eat anything straight from the bag so my concern is pretty low. It's definitely a good thing to keep an eye on though.

Hey Moe! Yes I even have a thread going about washing recycle bags and my heart sank because I am a true advocate of trying to erraticate the plastic so hence the thread and the lead! Oh why? Yup I too eat nothing directly from the bags themselves and do wash regularly but I am hoping that that will be enough and that I am not doing more harm than good. I'll follow that sotry as well thanks1

Mary Caliendo

I don't know. When I turned on the news last night they were just finishing up with the story. So I looked it up last night.

They should be able to make lead free bags. Lead is very serious. I am very concerned about this problem.

I don't know if washing would help. It may make it worse by exposing more of the lead (if it's in the paint or underneath the paint, over-handling or washing may cause it to chip away and expose more lead). I don't know really know though with bags; I am just guessing from what I know about toys. Toys with lead in them (and yes, even new toys are found with lead in them all of the time) are a problem as they get older and the paint starts to either chip or rub away.

Lead isn't anything to play around with. I'm concerned that the food may absorb the lead, not just stay on the surface to be washed off. I know our bodies absorbed a lot of lead from the air when leaded gasoline was used.

I have a young child so any lead is a big concern. Just the fact that lead is used in bullets and my husband is a police officer is enough for doctors to been concerned enough to have her tested (this was before we started using reusable bags).

I hope the concern is actually small and I am overreacting. However, until they are showed to be lead free, I think I will go back to plastic . I don't know what to do with all of the bags I have now though. I don't want to throw them in the landfill if they may have lead (concern mentioned on the news), but I don't want them around my house either.

When stores start certifying that they are lead free, I will buy new lead free ones.

NY Times article

The NY Times article (link above) says a little more about it. Apparently it is the paint. And it is mostly bags made in China.

The Times article also explained that the paint could chip off. I don't know if that is just the paint on the outside ( a few have paint on the inside).

I think the stores that made them should take them back and find a "safe" way to dispose of them.

I was reading along with this article that there is a chemical in the register tape that is hazardous as well - BPA. We need to be careful about everything that we touch these days.

The rules here in this country were stringent at one time but I guess there is a breakdown in enforcing rules on imported materials or perhaps enforcement in general. (not necessarily about the register tape but products in general)

here is an article about that - I didn't originally read it at this site.

artical about register tape

Wow, that's crazy. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

I see many store clerks and workers wearing gloves these days. There are many chemicals on the merchandise we purchase which could cause people to break out in rashes or illness.

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!!

I found some awesome nylon bags with no paint- so no lid. They are also machine washable. 6 of them fit into a tiny pouch but they unfold and are big. I also got one by itself that folds up into a tiny pouch for my purse. They are also very strong. I love them. They cost a quite a bit more than the ones in the grocery stores but they are so much nicer!

If you want to go green and be safe, make your own tote bags re-purposing items found around the house or buy your own (made in the USA) fabric.

Martha Stewart always has great ideas, below are some links to instructions and patterns for tote bags on her site. I could only post a few because of the URL restrictions, scroll through and you will see some great ideas.

If you purchase bags, I would suggest only buying plain bags that are Made in the USA. I won't buy those store brand tote bags. I would never pay to be a walking advertisement for any business, especially when there are so many other options.

Mesh Bag

Denim Tote - made from old jeans

Tote made from pillow case

T-shirt Tote