 EnviroCitizen.org knows that you naturally want what's best for your child. In fact, your body was genetically designed for you to have a strong need to protect your child from harm. When it comes to sippy cups, it's very important that you do your research. Because many sippy cups are made of plastic, you run the risk of having some nasty things being leaked into the contents of the sippy cup, which your child then drinks.
One of those nasty things is Bisphenol A or BPA. It's been in the news a lot lately and many sippy cups are now advertised as being BPA-free. This is good news because BPA is bad! It's an endocrine disruptor, which means that it can mimic the body's own hormones. Studies have shown that infants and toddlers are particularly susceptible to its effects, which often results in interference with brain development and behavior. In 2007, a group of experts concluded that the average level of exposure in humans was proportionate to the exposure that caused laboratory animals to suffer harm. BPA is also now linked to an increase risk of obesity, breast cancer, thyroid problems, reproductive problems and prostate cancer.
BPA is also an environmental contaminant. It interferes with nitrogen fixation and harms fish and other animals over time. It can affect reproduction in animals, impair development and cause genetic aberrations. An easy way to avoid BPA is to flip the sippy cup over and look at the recycling label on the bottom. If there's a “3” in the middle of the recycling indicator, it contains BPA. If it contains any other number, you're safe. The recycling logo is more formally known as the Resin Identification code.
BPA isn't the only concern when it comes to sippy cups. Plastics are made from fossil fuels and there are a whole lot of chemicals in plastic. When liquid is put into these plastic sippy cups, the chemicals absorb into the liquid. Instead of worrying about these chemicals, one option is to not use any plastic sippy cups and opt for a stainless steel one. Stainless steel won't leak harmful chemicals into the liquids that your toddler drinks and it is much more durable than plastic. Many companies make high-quality, stainless steel sippy cups—Foogo Thermos, Kleen Kanteen, Sigg, etc.
Foogo Thermos is great because their line of products includes sippy cups, cups with straws and food containers, allowing you to get rid of plastic altogether! Kleen Kanteen has long been popular with environmentalists, so you know they're a great, reliable choice. Sigg, a high-quality Swiss company, makes great products and donates 1% of their profits to environmental causes!
In the end, it's important to understand what else you're giving your child when you hand them a plastic sippy cup. With so many questions regarding what is and isn't in the products out there, EnviroCitizen.org suggests choosing the tried and true products that we know will not harm our children—like stainless steel sippy cups!
To purchase a BPA sippy cup, look through EnviroCitizen.org's inventory of stainless steel, BPA-free sippy cups and storage containers.
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