Near the start of summer, our features reporter got an e-mail touting CVS Pharmacy products that would make life easier for busy moms.
Why am I talking about this now? It took me a while to calm down.
See, the product that caught my eye is Playskool's Wash or Toss Cups. They're sippy cups for kids that a poor PR lauded the cups, writing that you can "wash 'em or toss 'em without guilt since you can pick up a 6-pack for $4.49."
Oh, so if it's cheap enough, it's OK to consume unneeded resources and throw plastic in landfills. Nothing says, "I love my baby," like adding garbage that will still be there for your baby's baby's baby.
I became incensed. (It was that kind of day.) I vented.
Then I learned that if you need plastic cups for your kids, this isn't a bad choice.
First, the cups are recyclable, of course.
Second, the cups are "designed to withstand repeated washing and last much longer than a single use." This means moms can buy them and keep using them.
But won't washing them in hot water release all of the terrible plastic-y badness that we're learning to keep our kids away from?
That's the third thing: These beauties are apparently BPA-free.
PlaySkool's No-Spill Cup and Wash or Toss Cup don't contain bisphenol A. What's with bisphenol A? The short version is that even U.S. National Institutes of Health and U.S. National Toxicology Program panels agree that BPA could have neural and behavioral effects on kids. So cups and bottles with BPA might not be the best bet. These don't have BPA. They're made by Luv n' Care, which also makes Nuby infant feeding products.
Go ahead and buy these cups. Use 'em and reuse 'em and reuse 'em. When you do have to ditch them, toss them in the recycling bin.
So I got all worked up, and likely panicked a PR person, all for nothing. When will I learn to research first and panic later?
I use cups similar to these for my daughter but I didn't even think to look to see if the cups I use can be recycled. I haven't seen these at the Wal-Mart or Target near my house so I may have to find my closest CVS and pick these up. Cups like these are pretty sturdy and can last quite a while. We still have some (cups not the sippy lids) from when our 5 year old was a toddler. While I like the traditional sippy cups better, you pay almost $6 for 2 so to pay less and get over twice as many is a lot easier on the wallet. And then you're not upset when the kid throws their cup out of the cart and you don't notice until everythings in the car!
CVS is the only source for these specific cups, but if you find similar ones, a quick Internet search should tell you whether they're recyclable and BPA-free.
I figured these would hold up well, but I never guessed they would be a chemical-light option.
And when kids chuck them in public places, whoever finds them can pop them in the recycling bin. (The PR person says the recycling logo is on the bottom of each of the CVS Playskool cups, so even random cup finders would know they can be recycled.)
And the CVS ones are indeed affordable.
When will I learn to research first and panic later?
Good question!