Annaka Harris | Plastic Alternative Recommendations

After reading the recent Mother Jones article “The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics,” I started to take health concerns about plastic more seriously. Previously, I figured that the problem of BPA had been addressed, and that as long as products were free of this toxic ingredient, our sippy cups, bottles, and containers were safe. However, it turns out that even more hazardous chemicals are being used in the production of plastics, and when the same guys (literally) who tried to help protect the tobacco industry are now helping protect the plastics industry, we know we have a problem. I’ve spent some time looking for alternative products for our children, and I thought others might benefit from my research and trial and error. Here are the products I’m currently using:

*Last updated on June 27, 2015

Baby Bottles

I like to use Dr. Brown’s glass bottles at home and Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottles when I go out. I discovered that Medela nipples and collars fit Dr. Brown’s glass bottles. After the infant stage, I don’t use the full Dr. Brown’s system, so I switch to Medela nipples. You do have to use Dr. Brown’s caps, however, for storage or mixing formula. Evenflo glass bottles also work with Medela nipples.

Purchase Dr. Brown’s glass bottles

Purchase Evenflo glass bottles

Purchase Medela collars and nipples

Purchase Dr. Brown’s caps

And Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel bottles are a wonderful lightweight option for the diaper bag! They have an ingeniously designed cap that presses against the holes in the nipple to prevent it from leaking.

Purchase Klean Kanteen baby bottles

Sippy Cups and Water Bottles

The OrganicKidz cup is designed to be used in stages, from bottle to transition cup, but I use it only as a sippy cup to take out. Even though the whole thing is dishwasher-safe, I hand-wash the bottle, because I’ve found that the painted dots melt in the heat of the dishwasher. It’s the perfect size, has handles, comes with a stainless cap that can also be used as a cup, and doesn’t leak! The only problem is that it’s hard to find and is often sold out on Amazon. I got mine at our local pharmacy.

Purchase OrganicKidz Baby Grows Up

My new favorite sippy cup is the Green Sprouts glass cup. It comes with both a straw spout and transition nipple, and both are made of silicone (including the internal straw!). The only downside to this cup is that it only holds 4 oz. I use it for water when we go out, and I use the OrganicKids cup (above) for milk. Another upside is that the caps are exactly the same size as the OrganicKids cup, so all of the tops, spouts, and caps are interchangeable.

Purchase Green Sprouts Glass Sip ‘n Straw Cup

I also discovered Pura in my research, and I was really impressed with this company. I prefer the OrganicKidz cup, because my daughter still needs the handles and I like the little cap/cup, but these are also fantastic:

Purchase PuraSippy

And for my older daughter to take to school, I like these straw cups by Thermos. The straw spout is made of silicone, but the internal straw is made of plastic (the company is successful at concealing this fact on their packaging and advertising, which is annoying). I toss the internal straw, and my daughter inverts it to drink, as you would with a traditional water bottle.

Purchase Thermos Foogo straw cup

I also like this water bottle by EcoVessel because the mouthpiece is protected when it’s not in use. Like the Thermos cup (above), I toss the internal plastic straw. Of the products I’m recommending, however, this is the only one that must be washed by hand.

Purchase EcoVessel

Home Food Storage, Glassware, and Flatware

I use old-school Pyrex for food storage at home:

Purchase Pyrex glass storage

And WeanGreen glass storage containers are great for baby leftovers:

Purchase WeanGreen

These Steeltainer containers are great for packing in lunch boxes. They are leakproof, and the divider moves to create compartments of different sizes:

Purchase Steeltainer container

I also like these Thinkbaby bowls for lunch boxes or for packing snacks. The plastic outer shell is unnecessary, so I recycle the shell and use just the metal bowl with the plastic lid: