People have been chewing on substances made from plants, grasses, and resins for a long time. The Ancient Greeks chewed mastic gum, made from the resin of the mastic tree. The Chinese used ginseng plant roots and the Mayans and Aztecs used chicle, a natural tree gum, as a base for making a gum-like substance. But modern-day chewing gum was mainly commercialized in the United States where the American Indians chewed resin made from the sap of spruce trees.
Read MoreTeflon is a registered trademark and a brand name owned by Chemours (a spinoff of Dupont), and is best known for the Teflon pans and cookware, although it is used on a range of products. Its popularity is due to its characteristics like easy clean, nonstick, repellency and durablity.
Read MoreThere is growing concern about the safety of all the personal care products that we put on our skin on a daily basis. Scientists are paying particular attention to endocrine disruptors, chemicals that mess with the hormones your body’s endocrine system regulates, and the diseases that are linked to these, like brain disorders, reproductive issues, obesity and cancer. But what about tampons and other feminine hygiene products? It seems that these should be on the growing list of potentially hazardous personal care products.
Read MoreEveryone who has kids probably has a plate or two made of melamine. Melamine is an organic, flame retardant industrial compound created by combining melamine resin with strengthening materials. It is virtually unbreakable, inexpensive, lightweight and comes in many different colors and designs. But it is not recyclable.
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