If you have found your way to Glimja, you may already know that some plastics can release harmful chemicals. That is why we work to help you as a customer reduce your use of plastic as much as possible to minimize your exposure to potentially dangerous substances.
However, some of the products we sell in our webshop do contain plastic, but these are plastics free from substances that are currently known or strongly suspected to cause environmental and health problems. Below you can read more about some different substances in plastics that we recommend you pay extra attention to.
– Explore our range of plastic-free kitchen products –
PVC
PVC is found in many products, such as plastic flooring, electrical cables, printed T-shirts, plastic tablecloths, and soft plastic toys. PVC causes environmental problems during manufacturing, use, and disposal. The problems during use are mainly related to plasticizers used to make the plastic flexible. Plasticizers are continuously released from the plastic and can cause diseases.
There are well-founded suspicions of reproductive disorders in both women and men. The EU has banned several plasticizers, but those still allowed are not free from suspicion. In healthcare, there is a general phasing out of PVC products in many places. When PVC plastic is burned, dangerous chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and dioxins are released. Many municipalities have introduced a total ban on PVC flooring in daycare centers and institutions. A tip is to avoid plastics and printed clothing that feel a bit "sticky," as they often may contain PVC. The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation advises avoiding PVC entirely – there are usually alternatives. All toys at Glimja are completely free from PVC.
PVC plastic is marked with the number 03.
Phthalates
Phthalates can be found in various soft plastic products such as sandals, pencil cases, erasers, condoms, and plastic gloves. They are also present in vinyl, cables, PET bottles, medical materials, floor mats, building materials, plastic packaging, clothing, sticky printed T-shirts, and toys. Phthalates are suspected endocrine disruptors and are linked to the development of several chronic diseases such as allergies, obesity, neuropsychiatric disorders, genital damage, and reproductive disorders in both women and men. The phthalate and plasticizer DEHP is often used in perfume as a fragrance fixer. Glimja only sells low-toxicity toys without phthalates. Our skincare products are also completely free from phthalates and DEHP, which are among the phthalates banned in products for small children.
Phthalates can be found in plastics marked with the number 03.
BPA
Bisphenol-A (BPA) was created in 1936 as a synthetic hormone and was introduced in the late 1980s as a strengthening component in polycarbonate products (PC). BPA is often used in plastics such as pacifiers and baby bottles to make the plastic transparent and shatterproof. Other products containing BPA include disposable plastic cutlery, canned food, receipts, plastic packaging, plastic food storage containers, sports water bottles, and sports equipment. Even aluminum bottles can have a BPA plastic lining on the inside.
BPA is an endocrine disruptor, and Swedish experts believe BPA may be linked to obesity, diabetes, and a range of mental illnesses. Sweden has banned BPA in pacifiers and baby bottles, but even if the baby bottle is BPA-free, the plastic can still leach harmful chemicals that absolutely should not be in children's milk, formula, or porridge. BPA-free plastic bottles are also not a guarantee that the bottle is toxin-free, according to new research. Toxic substances are released to a greater extent when the plastic is exposed to heat, for example through hot liquids and food, in microwaves, and dishwashers.
If you want to feel really safe that your bottle does not release BPA, you should choose a water bottle made of stainless steel or glass. If you are looking for a 100% plastic-free baby bottle or water bottle, Pura's stainless steel bottles are the right choice for you! Klean Kanteen and Lifefactory are examples of manufacturers of baby bottles and water bottles in stainless steel and/or glass, which you can order here at Glimja. All are a good choice for those who want to avoid BPA. In the webshop, you will also find water bottles and insulated bottles made of stainless steel and glass.
BPA can be found in plastics marked with the number 07.
Polystyrene
Polystyrene or styrene plastic is used in packaging and disposable items such as disposable plastic cups, cutlery, plastic straws, toys, kitchen appliances, computers, yogurt containers, plastic model kits, insulation material, styrofoam, and in napalm. Styrene is used in expanded form in foam plastic, for example in meat trays at grocery stores. It is very cheap in its pure form and therefore very common.
Styrene is a hard and stiff material with good electrical insulating properties. It is highly flammable and burns quickly. At Glimja, you will instead find non-toxic and environmentally friendly straws made of stainless steel or bamboo and cutlery made of bamboo.
Polystyrene plastic is marked with the number 06.
Flame Retardants
Flame retardants can be found in car seats, furniture, clothing, computers, TVs, strollers, mattresses, and even stuffed animals. Flame retardants are used to prevent materials from catching fire easily and to reduce the spread of fire. Some flame retardants can be harmful to health and the environment. The substances classified as flame retardants vary in their environmental impact; some are banned in Sweden, while others are allowed. The main measure to prevent flame retardants from entering nature is to recycle products containing flame retardants properly. Brominated flame retardants accumulate both in the environment and in human bodies. They may cause birth defects, have hormone-disrupting effects, and cause cancer. Our comforters are completely free from flame retardants!
Fluorinated Substances
Highly fluorinated substances are used, for example, in the impregnation of paper and textiles, in cleaning products (e.g., floor polish), waxes, car care products, fast food cartons, baking paper, baking molds, and certain types of fire-fighting foam. They are also used in the workshop and electronics industries, for example as auxiliary chemicals in coating processes.
Due to their surface-active properties and resistance to heat and chemicals, highly fluorinated organic substances have become widely used in chemical products and materials to create smooth, water-, grease-, and dirt-repellent surfaces.
The substances' special surface-active properties also contribute to unusual behavior in biological systems. Instead of accumulating in fat tissue like many other environmental toxins (such as DDT and heavy metals), they bind to proteins and accumulate in the liver and blood.
The two most studied fluorinated substances are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOS and PFOA are bioaccumulative, reproductive toxins, and toxic to aquatic organisms. The properties of PFOA are not fully understood, but the substance is likely reproductive toxic and possibly carcinogenic. PFOS has been detected in samples from a wide range of animal species, even far from industrialized areas. Very high levels have been found in top predators in various environments, such as Arctic polar bears, Arctic foxes, sea eagles, and mink in the USA, and seals in the Bothnian Bay. Both PFOS and PFOA have been found in the blood of the general population, both in Sweden and worldwide. Both are extremely persistent.
Sources: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Kemi.se, Chemical Detective, REACH, Conscious Consumption, EU Information.
Original post written by Sara Mårtensson, founder of Lapland Eco Store, which since 2021 is part of Glimja.
