France has become the first country in the world to ban disposable, plastic cups and dishes.

The new law, which passed last month, requires all single-use cups, plates and other dishware sold in the country to be compostable and made at least partly of bio-sourced materials. Businesses have been given until Jan. 1, 2020 to comply.

A ban on plastic bags has been in place since July.

The decision to do this was made based on environmental considerations—France currently throws away more than 4.7 billion plastic cups every year. But it will also reduce exposure to toxic chemicals in plasticware as well.

Manufacturers, of course, are opposing the law, asserting that lower-income families regularly use disposable tableware because they can’t afford reusable tableware. I can’t agree with that argument. I once was living in a rented apartment by myself and I had one fork, one spoon, one knife, one plate, one bowl, one cup, and one glass. That’s all one person actually needs. Anyone can obtain these for practically nothing at any thrift store.

I think this is a good move, but we also need to consider the use of disposable products altogether. It is possible to have a society where everything is reusable and biodegradable. We don’t need plastic at all. Indeed, as a species we survived perfectly well without it until the twentieth century (the first plastic was bakelite, invented in New York in 1907).

ASSOCIATED PRESS: France to bid adieu to plastic dishes with controversial ban

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Question from Mimi

Hello Debra,

This is an area in need of change!!

We have been staying hampton Inns for many years and have always called before to ask them not to use fabrezee and any fragrance in the rooms.

For a couple of years we found most of the rooms to be at least ‘liveable”

But, for the last two years we have traveled Florida panhandle, and up and back on the I 77/ I81 corridor from Fl to NH…and had some horrible experiences.

At the Hampton Inns in Florida and Virginia.. the one in Tallahassee reaked so badly that we had to leave the property at 3 AM and drive for more hours to our home,because my husband and I were getting sick. it took us two weeks to recover.

We contacted the customer service department many times and they just kept referring us to one new person after another . Yes, they compted the room, but that means nothing when you have a whole night without sleep and have a full drive the next day!

We are very upset about this!!! There are so many of us out here wanting to travel and having chemical sensitivity.

Can you recommend a hotel chain or group that would identify which hotels have nontoxic options as of Sept 2016.

We support your work and will spread the word .. thank-you for any info you can give us! And keep up the good work. More of us need to join in and change this!

Thank-you Mimi

Debra’s Answer

I totally agree with you!

I have a page about travel on Debra’s List.

I just went there and unfortunately found that the Safer Travel Directory website is no longer there.

And I searched online for anything new. Nothing. Old links broken.

I read that Hyatt Hotels and Fairmont Hotels are offering hypoallergenic rooms, but that was an old post, so I don’t know the current status. Would you contact these chains and see what the story is, and let us know?

We really need some improvement on this. Let me think about what we can do.

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Last year there was a big change in the furniture world. A California law went into effect that allowed furniture manufacturers to make and sell upholstered furniture—such as sofas, loveseats, and chairs—without toxic fire retardants. That’s certainly good news!

The problem is that while the fire retardants are gone, most of the affordable sofas and chairs are still made with synthetic materials and toxic finishes like stain repellants.

Less toxic to be sure…but not toxic free yet.

Since January 1, 2015 the CA labeling law has required all upholstered furniture (couches, sofas, loveseats, and recliners) to have a label that states whether or not harmful flame retardant chemicals were added to the product.

I could have told you this last year but didn’t, because it only applied to upholstered furniture manufactured after January 1, 2015. Stores were still filled with furniture manufactured before this date.

Now, furniture manufactured since the beginning of 2015 is more widely available.

If you are buying upholstered furniture, what you want to look at is the “law label.”

And now I’m going to send you over to an article that has a very clear explanation of how to find the label, the three different labels you might see, and how to find the information about flame retardants—complete with pictures.

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Want to Avoid Toxic Couch Chemicals? Just Look for New Label!

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I know a lot of you are concerned about toxics in products from China.

Here’s a website that recently came my way via Q&A comments. I’m pulling it out and making a post so we can all find it easily.

Campaign to Halt the Import of Chemical-Emitting Smelly Plastic from China

If you know of any other sites with specific information about toxics in products from China, please post a comment with the name and link.

Thank you.

Debra 🙂

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FDA has found residues of the weed killer glyphosate even in a food that is not produced with the use of glyphosate: honey.

All of the samples the FDA tested in a recent examination contained glyphosate residues, and some showed residue levels double the limit allowed in the European Union. There is no legal tolerance level for glyphosate in honey in the United States.

According to the FDA records, samples tested by an FDA chemist showed these residue levels:

Sue Bee is marketed by a cooperative of American beekeepers as “pure, all-natural” and “America’s Honey.” Customers “can be assured that Sue Bee Honey is 100% pure, 100% all-natural and 100% American,” the Sioux Honey Association states.

The obvious recommendation is to choose organic honey, but I’m not sure it has less glyphosate. What is becoming more and more evident is that glyphosate is now widespread in the general environment, and not limited to GMO foods.

The good news is that honey has a tremendous amount of nutrients and inherent healing qualities. Of all foods, honey is the food most likely to have the ability to counteract the negative affects of glyphosate.

I would still choose organic honey.

THE HUFFINGTON POST: FDA Finds Monsanto’s Weed Killer in US Honey.

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This week, researchers, public health advocates, government officials, and industry spokespersons will meet at National Institutes of Health (NIH) to celebrate 25 years of scientific research on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

Here is a good commentary on what we’ve learned about this chemicals, and where we need to go to learn more.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS: 25 years of endocrine disruptor research – great strides, but still a long way to go.

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An interactive version of this graph can be found here (scroll down the page).

A new study came out this week that gives us more data than ever about what types of toxic chemicals are found in household dust and amounts.

The fact that household dust contains toxic chemicals is not new—but this study is the first to make a comprehensive assessment of consumer product chemicals of concern in the dust found in US homes, provide a picture of the toxic chemicals in the home, estimate potential exposures for children and determine heath threats.

The study identifies 45 chemicals from five chemical classes—phthalates, phenols, flame retardants, fragrances, fluorinated chemicals—that were measured in dust in US homes.

Some phthalates, fragrance, flame retardants, and phenols were consistently found in 90 percent or more of dust samples across multiple studies.

The articles below do a great job of explaining the problem, but fall short on giving workable solutions.

Here’s my advice.

1. All the things you are already doing to reduce your use of chemicals in your home that you are learning on this website are also reducing toxic chemicals in your house dust. So keep finding toxic products in your home and continue to replace them with nontoxic products.

2. Get an air filter that removes both particles (dust) and gasses (chemicals. Check out my recommended brands at Debra’s List: Air Filters.

Find out what’s in your indoor air and take steps to improve it. This could make a big difference in your health.

CBS NEWS: Household Dust is Laced With Toxic Chemicals, Study Finds
a news story

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Not Just Dirt: Toxic Chemicals in Indoor Dust
an analysis

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Consumer Product Chemicals in Indoor Dust
the study

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Toxic Dust: The Dangerous Chemical Brew in Every Home
another blog post about toxic dust

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Abstract

Mobile phone usage has become an integral part of our lives. However, the effects of the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted by these devices on biological systems and specifically the reproductive systems are currently under active debate. A fundamental hindrance to the current debate is that there is no clear mechanism of how such non-ionising radiation influences biological systems. Therefore, we explored the documented impacts of RF-EMR on the male reproductive system and considered any common observations that could provide insights on a potential mechanism.

Among a total of 27 studies investigating the effects of RF-EMR on the male reproductive system, negative consequences of exposure were reported in 21. Within these 21 studies, 11 of the 15 that investigated sperm motility reported significant declines, 7 of 7 that measured the production of reactive oxygen species documented elevated levels and 4 of 5 studies that probed for DNA damage highlighted increased damage, due to RF-EMR exposure. Associated with this, RF-EMR treatment reduced antioxidant levels in 6 of 6 studies that studied this phenomenon, while consequences of RF-EMR were successfully ameliorated with the supplementation of antioxidants in all 3 studies that carried out these experiments.

In light of this, we envisage a two-step mechanism whereby RF-EMR is able to induce mitochondrial dysfunction leading to elevated ROS production.

A continued focus on research which aims to shed light on the biological effects of RF-EMR will allow us to test and assess this proposed mechanism in a variety of cell types.

PUBMED: The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on sperm function.

The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on sperm function Full PDF

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Question from Jody

Hi Debra,

Do you know of any health concerns related to infrared heaters? I am considering installing this:

http://biosmartsolutions.com/shop/heating/on-wall-heaters/bio-1500owa-onwall-heater-and-airpurifier/

Thank you. Jody

Debra’s Answer

This looks fine to me as a heater.

However, the “air filter” is only a UV lamp and negative ion generator. This removes some particles and no gasses, but does kill bacteria and viruses and other micro-organisms.

The same caveat applies to this heater as to all others: the paint may emit odors when the heater is on until the paint is fully outgassed. But when outgassed, this heater should be fine.

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Question from Bonnie

Dear Debra,

I had wanted to buy a new 2016 car until I smelled the chemicals. I was shown a 3 year old prior leased car as I would still have warranty and thought I detected new car smell, but less. When my friend was talking with the salesperson I decided to find where the 2016 odor was coming from – It is from the AC vent!

I can not put charcoal pads on that. I saw you mentioned a filter – does it sit in the car with me or does it get installed into the car?

I would rather have a very old car, but I am concerned financially I may not be able to cover repair costs.

How well does the filter work? What year car do you think is safe from offgasing.

Do you think some models are more safe than others? Foreign cars can last many decades – so I rather take an old car.

I checked some and the seats are squashed, but a friend said a upholstery shop could replace them.

Would like to give a big thank you for the suggestion you gave me many years ago about the sleep number bed. The odor is not detectable with the charcoal blankets. It was the only bed I could use due to a medical problem. THANK YOU.

Debra’s Answer

You are very welcome.

The filter I have used in the past is from E.L. Foust It’s 160AN Auto/RV Air Purifier. It plugs into your cigarette lighter and sits on the floor on the passenger side. I found it to work very well. You plug it in and turn it on.

I try to purchase cars that are at least five years old. I manage to find used cars with low miles.

The car I currently have was only two years old when I bought it. It still smells like a new car. Mostly I drive it with the sunroof open so the fumes can escape.

Yes foreign cars last longer than American cars. Larry just bought an old Prius. They can last more than 200,000 miles.

Right now the choices seem to be 1) old and outgassed 2) use an air filter 3). Reupholster.

If you think the smell is coming from the AC, use the air filter.

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