Plastics are labeled in a classification system called the Resin Identification Code. It is the number printed on the bottom of most (not all) plastic bottles and containers. Resin is synonymous with polymer or plastic. The system was developed in 1988 by the US-based Society of Plastics Industry to facilitate the recycling of post-consumer plastics, which does not mean that the product is actually recyclable.
Read MoreMost band-aids are made of plastic. The adhesive sheet of a band-aid is usually made from either PVC, polyethylene, or polyurethane. It is a single-use plastic item, but unlike other single-use plastics, band-aids can’t be replaced by a reusable item. Polyurethane is, like all plastics, petroleum-based and is the same toxic compound found in chemical-laden mattresses.
Read MorePhthalates are a group of chemicals (including DEHP, DINP, DBP, DEP) used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and PVC (vinyl). They can be found in hundreds of consumer products, from toys to electronics, from flooring to shower curtains and from lotions to body wash. Since phthalates do not chemically bound to the plastics they´re added to, they continue to be released long after you´ve bought them. Children are especially vulnerable to exposure to phthalates because they put so much in their mouths and because they have developing nervous and reproductive systems.
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