Beyond Paper and Plastic:

1. Beyond Paper and Plastic: A closer look at Recycling and Environmental Toxins

2. Who we are:

3. Health and the Environment “For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death.” -Rachel Carson, 1962

4. The Theory of Multiple Hits While exposure to just one contaminant or toxin may not cause serious illness, exposure to many different toxins from various sources over a period of time is more likely to result in illness.

5. Exposures at home: Cleaning & Personal Care Products, Plastics, and more

6. Household Cleaners Loaded with “fragrance” Contain hazardous chemicals Major source of indoor air pollution

7. Switch to Green Cleaning: • MUST BE BIO-BASED • No Petrochemicals • NO PETRO-DYES IN PRODUCTS  • No blues, greens, yellows or any other color unless provided by natural means • NO ARTIFICIAL PETRO-PERFUMES  • No pines, mints, vanillas, lemons unless provided through natural means

8. Non-toxic Alternatives Baking soda White vinegar Lemon juice Club soda Liquid castile soap

9. Safe Lawn Care SAFE LAWN CARE Facts: • Lawns cover more than 30 Million Acres • 67 million pounds of pesticides are applied to lawns in the US each year • Use up to 10 X more chemical pesticides per acre than farmers use on crops

10. Think About It….. WHAT GOES ON YOUR LAWN…. GOES… IN THE RIVER www.pesticide.org

11. Personal Care Products The average teenager girl uses 17 products a day The average adult women uses 12 per day The average adult male uses 7 per day

12. No Safety Standards! “FDA has no authority to require testing of personal care product ingredients for safety before they are sold” -- (FDA 1995) “…a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA.” (FDA 1999) www.safecosmetics.org

13. Ingredients to AVOID Phthalate (fragrance) Parabens Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate Tricolsan Triethanolamine (TEA) & Diethanolamine (DEA) Glycol Ethers

14. Plastics to Avoid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) #3 Polystyrene #6 Polycarbonate #7 - BPA

15. Pharmaceuticals A five-month-long Associated Press investigation found pharmaceutical drugs in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas from Southern California to New York City, which provide water to 41 million Americans.

16. Proper Dispose of Pharmaceuticals • Take unwanted prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash. • Make wet ingredients dry and dry ingredients wet. • Don’t flush drugs down the toilet unless the label or patient information specifically instructs doing so. • If available, take advantage of community or pharmacy take-back programs.

17. HHW and the Environment According to the U.S. EPA, the average American home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds of what is considered Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) SO WHAT CAN ONE DO? • The best method is to not produce the waste at all. • Become an educated consumer. • Buy only what you need. • Use less toxic alternatives. • Give away unused portions to friends or neighbors. • Bring HHW to a HHW collection event.

18. SW PA HHW Task Force The SW PA Household Hazardous Waste Task Force’s mission is to facilitate the proper collection and disposal of household hazardous waste and minimize its generation through education in Southwestern Pennsylvania. First Collection Event: Saturday, May 1, 2010Allegheny County Location: North Park Swimming Pool Parking Lot

19. Pharmaceutical Collection • Saturday, May 15, 2010 – 9:00 am – 1:00 pmHampton Township Community Center 3101 McCully Rd.Allison Park, PA  15101 • Participant Fee: $3/participant flat fee – cash only • Acceptable Items: Prescription, over-the-counter, and veterinary medications. Prescription medications include both controlled and non-controlled substances.

20. Thanks! for letting us provide you with this important information.