Which cup? - BPA free etc

peachespeaches

I have recently read about BPA in plastics. I think I had heard of it before as some of our bottles said BPA free on them. I looked into it and saw that the BPA children's cups were really expensive eg £8 each, which is a bit much when you have 4 kids.

I should explain before someone says "all your kids dont need a non spill cup". My 7 year old is autistic and prefers a particular kind of cup. The 1 and 2 year old DO need non spill cups and the 4 year old can manage an open cup but understandably will drink out of her sibs cups as they are allowed them in the living room.

I had used the tommee tippee ones for years as DS1 likes these and you used to be able to buy replacement spouts. These are now discontinued. I have recently tried cheaper cups eg poundworld but have trouble with the valves and end up taking them out.

Which cup do you use for your young children? Is it BPA free and economical? I will have to buy at least 4!

pinkclouds

In general, BPA-free plastic is slightly opaque/cloudy and has PP (polypropylene) marked on it somewhere.

On the flip side, if it is very clear/transparent, tough/hard or brittle and has PC (polycarbonate) marked on it then it is *not* BPA-free.

Lots of cups and bottles are BPA-free. I don't stick to any one brand - I just look for whatever is non-drip/non-spill and reasonably priced at the time.

peachespeaches

Im not sure of the reliability of this info, but I heard on a utube type thing that if it said recycling code 5 (arrows round it) and PP it was OK. I also found this information: QUOTE

Health and Safety Concerns About Plastic, Meaning of Recycling Codes

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rate or flag this pageBy Jeffrey Poehlmann





The Truth About Plastic

Ever since the word was given deeper cultural meaning in the film "The Graduate," our society has had a growing fascination with and reliance upon all things plastic. It is an unavoidable component of many parts of daily living for most people in the United States and urban centers worldwide. Our food and water is packaged and shipped and consumed from plastic containers and many studies have shown that the chemicals from these containers may leach into the food or liquids they hold, eventually entering and being absorbed by the human body. While there is some controversy about how much is absorbed and how detrimental this is to the individual, it is hard to deny that plastic may pose a health threat to the consumer, even if all the data is not yet conclusive. Here is a breakdown of the latest information on plastics as a safety concern.
First of all, the plastic bottles and containers that are used for packaging food should all be labled with a recycle code. This is a number (between 1 and 7) that is surrounded by a small graphic of three arrows pointing at one another in a triangle. These numbers tell the recycle center what kind of plastic the container is made of and they also tell the consumer whether there is a known potential health hazard. Bear in mind that simply because there is a known "potential" health hazard, it does not mean that you are going to be immediately ill if you find you have been using a product in that category. In fact, for some of the chemicals to leach out of these "dangerous" plastics, the container must have been heated with the food or liquid inside; sometimes the level of heat required is greater than the boiling point. However, we should all be aware of what we are using and what it may mean. Likewise, simply because there are no "known" health hazards does not mean that a plastic is always going to be completely safe under all conditions. The point here is not to frighten, simply to remind us that when dealing with artificial chemical products we must always be open-minded and educated.
The following plastics have no known health hazards:
Code 1: Polyethylene Terephthalate, or PET / PETE
Code 2: High Density Polyethylene, or HDPE
Code 4: Low Density Polyethylene, or LDPE
Code 5: Polypropylene, or PP
The following plastics do have known potential health hazards:
Code 3: Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC / Vinyl. This material, used often in flooring and shower curtains, as well as household water pipes (primarily for evacuation only - they should never be used to bring fresh water into the home), used to be used in cling wraps. The plastics industry is adamant that the type of PVC currently used in cling wraps does not contain the phthalates that are known endocrine disrupters. However, these phthalates may still be present in PVC bottles and toys. There was recent information that many baby teethers were also made from PVC, due to its soft flexibility. PVC or vinyl items should never be given to a baby or child who may put them in his or her mouth.
Code 6: Polystyrene, or PS / Styrofoam. As well as being another endocrine disrupter, styrene is also believed to be a carcinogen. This plastic is used to make some types of disposable forks, spoons and knives and also the "foam" cups such as those sold under the name Styrofoam. Hot liquid can cause the styrene to leach out of these products, as can fatty oils or alcohol.
Code 7: Other "resins" and Polycarbonate, or PC. This one has been hotly contested by the plastics industry because of the high heat required for the endocrine disruptor, Bisphenol - A (BPA), to be released. However, BPA is a primary component of PC plastics and is a verifiably dangerous compound. PC is largely used for water bottles of the type used for delivery services (multi-galon containers) that fit on the "water cooler" at home or office. Many clear baby bottles are made of PC and there is much in the news about the controversy of these bottles not being labled with any code so that consumers cannot tell what type of plastic is used. With baby bottles, this is a real concern, as many people boil the bottles with formula or milk inside them. PC is also used in food cans with a plastic lining. Whenever possible, it is recommended that these plastics not be exposed to high temperatures. The plastics industry insists that they are completely stable under most conditions but some studies suggest that leaching still occurs.
Suggested alternatives include using glass bottles when possible and avoiding plastic toys when there are other alternatives, especially with regard to teething. However, as recent recalls of toys due to lead paint content have shown, even the "safer" wood products may be dangerous if they have not been tested or come from a reliable source. Many imports, especially from large exporting countries like China, have not been as rigorously controlled as they should have been, though industry does seem to be making efforts to monitor these imports more thoroughly. The fact is that many people are becoming more educated and informed about the health issues created by an economy driven more and more by convenience and cost savings. Organic items are becoming more popular and their availability is more wide-spread.
Unfortunately, it may take generations to fully understand the implications of new technologies or chemicals that we have come quickly to rely upon. There is no need to panic, but we should be cautious and we should remain as informed as possible because it is not merely ourselves that we should be concerned for: these are issues that could affect our children and their children in an ever increasing manner.

pinkclouds

peachespeaches wrote: »

Im not sure of the reliability of this info, but I heard on a utube type thing that if it said recycling code 5 (arrows round it) and PP it was OK.

To be honest, I've no idea what the different recycling numbers mean! I just remember that when the BPA thing came out in the news, there was a big deal about all the polycarbonate baby bottles being recalled in America. Polycarbonate has been so popular because it is shiny, clear and shatterproof so it looks nice. The "safe" BPA-free plastic looks a bit grubby in comparison! I also remember the Dr Brown's brand started bigging up their glass bottles that people might not have previously considered buying.

Anyway, the really important bit is not to overly heat up the bottles (whatever they are made from) because it is the temperature that causes the BPA to "leak" out.

peachespeaches

We used Dr Brown bottles which I am sure said they were BPA free (in the leaflet) even though they were clear plastics not glass, might have got this wrong as it was a few years ago now. But I bought Dr Brown for the colic issue!

If the above information is correct, and I have seen the codes etc on one or two sites then the gist is this.

Dont buy clear cups, use the coloured slightly cloudy plastic ones.

If it says 5 on it and PP, look on base it doesnt have BPA in it and its safe or no known problems at least.

Avoid codes 3, 6 and 7 surrounded by recycling arrows. These are the plastics with problems.

If you dont like being ripped off paying extra to "ethical consumer" type sites who will charge you £8 for a drinking cup that is BPA free, go to POUNDWORLD. At the moment they have Humphrey's corner two handled cups in pink which are code 5 and cloudy plastic i.e. BPA free. They also have Disney Winnie the Pooh ones with no handles which are code 5. I have thee cups and they are fine, but they are of the valve type, and I tend to take the valve out and put up with the fact that if its tipped up it drips.

I find the non spill type cups with valves in are just a trap for germs even if you dishwash or take out the valve and clean it with your fingers. I suppose soak in Milton would do the trick though. Also the valve type cups are supposed to have some sort of problem re tooth decay but I dont know how this works, something to do with how they suck through them.

I have loads of old style tommee tippee cups and they are now going to be consigned to the sandpit for summer play!

snugglepet20

Avent Magic Cups are BPA free and I find them the best as they never leak and the tops are screw on so they don't get yanked off. They are about £2.50-3.50 if memory serves but well worth it as they last years. They are available in small and large versions and in various colours, they also come apart easily for a thorough cleaning.

money_saving_diva

I use tommee tippee first cups (they have no valve but the top flips down to stop leaking when not in use) My son is in a good habit of putting the top up and down. (They do say the cups with valves can cause tooth decay.) I am not sure if they are BPA free but I thought the BPA only leaked into bottles/cups when heated? I don't put hot drinks in plastic cups for my son anymore as he has all his milk cold now.

When I used bottles with him I hadn't heard about BPA or BPA free bottles. I had bought the same bottles for the baby we are due to have in June but I did buy some BPA free bottles when I saw them on offer and I think I will use these as I use a microwave to sterilise the bottles and they will get hot with the milk etc.