Did you know: One hot drink every day is estimated to create 10.5 kg of waste each year into our landfills

We all enjoy our daily ritual of a good cup of coffee, but most disposable cups are not recyclable. They are often impregnated with toxic dyes and have a polyethylene coating which makes them hard to recycle. The Karma Kup has been designed and developed to address these problems and they are BPA FREE. But, what are the dangers of BPA?

BPA or Bisphenol-A is a chemical used to make plastic and other products, and there is an abundance of evidence that it is toxic for humans and animals. BPA is an estrogenic, meaning it mimics estrogen in the body and binds to estrogen hormone receptors. When it is ingested, BPA can influences endocrine response—essentially, it alters hormone levels in both women and men. And, if you know anything about hormones, you probably know they affect just about everything, including brain function (concentration), nervous system activity (sleep and energy levels), sexual function (sex drive and ability to reproduce), metabolism (insulin health and fat burning), and organ function (heart and liver health). Indeed, research has linked BPA exposure to weight gain and obesity, disruption of the neurological system, cancer, problems with sexual health and reproduction, and cardiovascular disease. 

Exposure to BPA is particularly bad for infants and young children, and a new widely publicized study links BPA exposure during gestation to behavior problems in young girls. Researchers have called BPA “a serious public health problem because of its widely detected presence in the human body.” In 2010, the U.S. FDA even reversed its classification of BPA as safe, noting that it has significant concerns about health risks. Never an organization to move quickly, the FDA’s current position is that there is” concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.” The FDA has funded a number of research studies since their January 2010 stand on BPA, and is shifting to “reduce human exposure to BPA in the food supply” because of the “substantial uncertainties” regarding the effect BPA has on human health. Indeed, BPA is clearly a toxic chemical for animals, and although research on humans is still emerging, it doesn’t take much common sense to know that it should be avoided.

It’s difficult to limit exposure to BPA because it is used in making food and beverage containers (plastic bottles and metal cans), carbonless receipts, medical equipment, the coating of CDs and DVDs, cars, sports equipment, and dental sealants, to name a few products. BPA molecules will leach out of the plastic when exposed to high temperatures or acid/base substances, and are present in our everyday environment in enormous quantities. Most individuals are exposed to BPA by ingesting it in contaminated food or drinks, but you also may come in contact with it from handling BPA-containing products, such as receipt paper from places as ubiquitous as the gas station and the grocery store.

Three simple things to do to limit your exposure to BPA 

1) Drink from a BPA-free Water Drink Bottles. Stainless Steel Water Bottles are a good choice.

2) Don’t eat out of plastic containers (even BPA-free ones because there’s concern with toxicity from all plastics). NEVER microwave a plastic container because under high temperatures is when BPA is most easily transferred from plastic to food. Use glass containers

3) Don’t take receipts unless necessary. Almost half of paper receipts contain BPA and there’s evidence that cashiers have very high BPA levels. Say “no thanks” to receipts.

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