On December 11, 2018, Whole Foods Market made a dramatic announcement. Effective immediately, all prepared food and bakery packaging that tested positive for long-lived, potentially toxic chemicals were removed from its nearly 500 stores. The company said: “We’re actively working with our suppliers to find and scale new compostable packaging options.”
Safer cleaning in the age of the novel coronavirus
Now that we are spending more time at home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, many are wondering how to safely and effectively clean house to prevent infection. We are fortunate that our partners at Women’s Voices for the Earth have done the research, which we’ve adapted into three safer cleaning tips.
Eight reasons to actually celebrate on National Teflon Day
Today is National Teflon Day—but that is NOT cause for celebration. It is one of the worst “holidays” we can imagine because it’s the anniversary of the accidental invention of the first non-stick chemical that would eventually become Teflon in 1938. Since then, chemical companies have invented many other chemicals in the same class—per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). And these chemicals, which are used for stain, grease, and water resistance, have gone on the market with little to no testing, ending up in everyday products and contaminating our food, air, water, and bodies.
Although the Trump administration has fallen down on the job of protecting us from PFAS, public health advocates have worked alongside Congress, states, cities, and retailers to pick up the baton and run with it. And we’re making good progress!