Question from Carol

As I was searching online for products to re-do our kitchen, I came across Green Planet Paints at one of the stores. It sounds good. What do you think?

Debra’s Answer

What a great find!

While I haven’t yet tried these paints myself, on paper they look great…zero VOCs, plant based (soy), and a beautiful palette of natural colors that come from mineral and clay pigments instead of petroleum.

I’m going to try these paints.

Let us know how you like them!

Add Comment

Question from Dawn

Has anyone found information about the new Pampered Chef white ceramic-coated cookware? I called the company two weeks ago to get more information, and was referred to the Test Kitchen. I left a voice message there, and have not heard back.

The rep who transferred me to the test kitchen told me the same thing a PC consultant sent me: “Features & Benefits: Aluminum cookware is attractive and lightweight for easy handling. The interior of the cookware features a white ceramic easy release coating that allows for easy release of foods and for quick clean-up. Plus, the white color makes it easy to monitor food and delicate sauces. The 4 mm thickness allows for even heat distribution while minimizing hot spots and reacts to temperature adjustments quickly. The cookware features riveted stainless steel and silicone handles making them secure and durable. Silicone handle diffuses heat and makes for a soft and comfortable grip and features a hanging loop in handle which allows pans can be hung for storage. Cookware can be placed in oven to 400°F (200°C). Lids feature a stainless steel, tempered glass construction with a silicone handle; this allows you to cook and look. Lids are dishwasher safe and oven safe to 400°F (200° C).This gives cookware versatility; food can be started on the stovetop and then finished in the oven. All pieces have a shaved aluminum rim and base for increased durability. Hand wash to optimize the maximum life of the cookware.”

I wanted more information on what “white ceramic easy release coating” means. If I hear back from the test kitchen I will post again.

Lisa’s Answer

Updated January, 2020:  I do not recommend ceramic coating.  You can read more in my Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware.

Question from Stacey

I have recently read that recycled paper products contain BPA. I switched to recycled paper towels and toilet paper, and even paper plates, thinking they contained less chemicals, but now worry about the BPA in the recycled paper. What are we to use? I use Seventh Generation paper products but think they must be tainted since they are recycled. I am contacting the company…I feel nothing is safe! Thanks so much!

Debra’s Answer

That’s right, BPA is found in virtually all recycled paper.

I understand how you feel. On March 1st, our local water company started adding fluoride back into our water supply. I have a water filter that removes fluoride to nondetectible levels, but I went out to lunch and thought, “All this food is prepared with fluoridated water…” I just didn’t want to eat.

The way things are today, we can’t escape toxic chemicals 100%. What needs to happen is they need to stop being used. It’s possible, we have the technology, it’s a matter of making the choice. Most people still don’t understand there is even a problem.

You actually don’t need to use paper towels or toilet paper. I use cotton towels. And there is such a thing as a bidet, which requires no toilet paper. There are separate bidets, and also bidet sprays that can be added to your toilet. I haven’t really explored this option myself, so that’s about all I can tell you about that.

Add Comment

Question from Bonnie

I have a friend who recently purchased a foam mattress from a company called CertiPUR-US. It claims to be a green item with very little off gassing. I have an older mattress in my guest room and was thinking about replacing it. Any info on them?

Debra’s Answer

CertiPUR-US certifies polyurethane foam that is advertised by various retailers as “certified nontoxic foam.”

CertiPUR-US is a registered certification mark of Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam. The Alliance itself has no website.

The Polyurethane Foam Association describes the Alliance as “A voluntary testing, analysis and certification program developed by members of the global foam industry in response to an increase in substandard imported foam products.”

And on a promotional piece published by the Alliance, it says “The Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam is a joint program of The Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry and the Polyurethane Foam Association.”

So this is not an independent third party certification program, but rather the industry certifying itself.

This CertiPUR-US “certified nontoxic foam” is a petrochemical polyurethane foam that has been tested and certified by an independent lab to meet specific standards for “physical performance, indoor air emissions and environmental stewardship.”

CertiPUR-US does not perform the independent lab test themselves, but instead directs manufacturers to a CertiPUR-US approved laboratory. Then the signed application and all test data are sent to CertiPUR-US for review and certification. www.certipur.us/pages/for-foam-suppliers/#how

www.certipur.us/about-our-seal/

The CertiPUR-US emissions criteria are:

• Made without ozone depleters
• Made without PBDEs
• Made without mercury, lead and heavy metals
• Made without formaldehyde
• Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Low VOC emissions (less than 0.5 parts per million)

Their website (www.certipur.us/about-our-seal/) explains the CERTI-PUR claims as follows:

* Made without ozone depleters

“Ozone’s presence is important in our upper atmosphere, where it provides a shield from the sun’s radiant energy. The Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987, mandated that industries eliminate ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the year 2000. U.S. foam producers were well ahead of schedule in complying with this regulation. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, CFCs are still used to manufacture foam. The CertiPUR-US label prohibits the use of any CFCs, or other ozone depleters, in the foam manufacturing process.”

NOTE: US manufacturers don’t use ozone depleters, so any US foam qualifies

* Made without PBDE flame retardants

“These controversial fire retardants have been linked inconclusively to chronic illness in cats and humans. Some PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) were used in foam to meet certain state flammability requirements, but those PBDEs were effectively banned in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January 2005. U.S. foam producers no longer use PBDEs. Laboratory testing verifies that CertiPUR-US certified foams are made without using PBDEs.”

NOTE: PBDEs are no longer used by US foam producers at all because they were banned by the EPA in January 2005. This certification does not guarantee that there are no fire retardants, only PBDE is disallowed, which is not even legal to use any more. Even if they add more single flame retardants to their list, the field of chemical flame retardants is broad, and any of these chemicals could be present in the foam.

* Made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals

“Though not common components of foam chemistry, heavy metals in food (mercury in fish) and in the home (lead paint in children’s toys) have made the entire heavy metal family an area of concern. CertiPUR-US laboratory testing subjects material extracted molecular analysis capable of detecting even trace amounts of heavy metal content. CertiPUR-US verifies that registered foams are made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals.”

NOTE: heavy metals are not commonly used to make foam

* Made without formaldehyde

“Like heavy metals, formaldehyde has never been used as a raw material in foam. Formaldehyde has been labeled as a cause of poor indoor air quality. The absence of formaldehyde in foam is verified in CertiPUR-US-certified foam by a small chamber emission test.”

NOTE: formaldehyde has never been used as a raw material in the making of foam

* Made without phthalates are prohibited for certification.

“Phthalates (pronounced ‘thal-āts) are mainly used as a softening agent in the manufacture of some consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (2009) eliminated the use of seven specific phthalates for use in children’s toy and child care items. CertiPUR-US goes a step further by requiring detailed laboratory analysis of foam extractions and prohibiting the use of phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in all CertiPUR-US certified foams.”

NOTE: Only the prohibited phthalates are prohibited for certification. This certification does not guarantee that there are no phthalates, only the seven regulated phthalates are disallowed.

* Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a major component of air pollution. VOC emissions from household products are also a concern for indoor air quality.CertiPUR-US certified foams are tested using a small chamber test standardized by ASTM International. In the test, foam samples are conditioned for 72 hours after which emissions of total organic compounds are measured. Results of this test verify that CertiPUR-US compliant foams can be identified as low emission.

NOTE: Low emission does not mean “no emission.”

So pretty much every foam manufactured in the USA could be certified.

My conclusion is that this certification gives consumers a false sense of security that the CertiPUR certified polyurethane foams:

1. are certified by an independent third party certification program, to
2. meet a higher standard than other foams manufactured in the USA.

But in fact, it’s the polyurethane foam industry certifying that the foams that carry the seal meet a standard for which any polyurethane manufactured in the USA could qualify.

Question from Jennifer Abromowitz

Hi Debra, I am planning plaster walls for a bedroom addition. I am intending to plaster over wallboard rather than use wood lathe (which is usually fir and aromatic, or metal – which I don’t like to surround myself with).

Wondering if wall board contains any chemicals, mold inhibitors, paint etc. What about the joint compounds used to mud it? Are there any preferred products from an Environmental standpoint?

I have been told that drywall is exactly the same stuff as plaster, so why plaster? Is this true? It doesn’t feel the same to me. Is there a preferred kind of plaster to use for plastering – that is plastering over drywall (ie do you just buy Plaster of Paris or are the options all the same?)

Last I have been told that plaster will not stick on regular wall board without a toxic vinyl acetate glue…but that I could use blueboard without the glue. Is blueboard usually ok? It is supposed to be basically wall board with a rough texture skin that plaster adheres better to. Any advice? Thanks

Debra’s Answer

OK. I understand that you want plaster walls. I can understand that. I have old plaster walls in my house and they are beautiful. And they don’t need to be painted.

I applied colored plaster on my bathroom walls, which already had wallboard. I had to apply a “sanded primer” so it would stick. I got the primer from AFM Safecoat. And then I used plaster from American Clay.

Wallboard is made from gypsum, with a paper cover. It may contain performance additives, but if you get just regular wallboard, it should just be gymsum.

Blueboard is standard wallboard with a blue paper cover that is specially treated with a form of aluminum to hold plaster. There is no offgassing, but it does create a dust hazard when cutting. If you want plaster walls, this is probably the easiest way to go.

There are three types of plaster:

I think I answered all your questions.

Add Comment

Question from LLB52

Does anyone know where to buy affordable organic towels? Mine are worn out and everywhere I look they are very expensive. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t have an answer offhand, but I’ll tell you what I would do to find the least expensive organic towels.

Google has a “shopping” feature where it will tell you prices. Here are the results for organic cotton towels

If this link doesn’t work, just type “organic cotton towels” into google and look for the shopping feature.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and it will let you shop by type ie washcloth, hand towel, bath towel.

Add Comment

Add Comment

Question from Gustavo R

Hi Debra! When I moved to my house 10 years ago, I had the hardwood floor sanded and then varnish was applied. The brand of the varnish was “Synteko”. I googled it and found a Data Sheet ( http://www.nam.synteko.com/DataSheets-Classic.pdf ) of this product, but I can’t be 100% sure that the ingredients of the varnish are still the same of the one applied 10 years ago, as they might have changed. But I’m pretty confident it had at least urea/formaldehyde, as I had to stay out of my house for a few days because of the strong smell. I wish I had read your book by then and this varnish would’ve never been applied. Now that I know about the dangers of these chemicals, should I be concerned about off gasing and health problems that might arise because of this varnish? Or after 10 years, there’s little to be concerned about? Many thanks, Gustavo

Debra’s Answer

Yes, pretty toxic during application, but the solvents evaporated long ago. It’s highly unlikely there is any outgassing going on now.

Add Comment