Green to Grow (www.greentogrow.com), a leading Los Angeles-based manufacturer of BPA-free baby bottles that provide a safe alternative to polycarbonate products containing Bisphenol A (BPA) - a chemical currently banned in Canada, Minnesota, Connecticut and under scrutiny in several European nations - is urging the public and California Assembly members to support the Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797). Introduced by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica), the bill was passed by the California State Senate on June 2, 2009 despite aggressive lobbying by industry groups and will go before the Assembly on September 8 for a final vote.
In support of this landmark legislation, Green to Grow has donated 1,000 baby bottles and 3,000 nipples to the St. John's Well Child & Family Center in Los Angeles, which serves as a primary source of health care for more than 100,000 underserved and low-income residents. Launched in 2007 with a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility, Green to Grow produces baby bottles from PES plastic, which is free of BPA, phthalates, lead, and PVC, and also manufactures and distributes gift sets, silicone nipples, and a line of organic cotton totes and accessories.
Green to Grow co-founders, husband and wife Michael Ritterbrown and Shelley Aronoff, announced the company will continue to donate baby bottles to charitable organizations that serve families in need and support their efforts to educate families about safer alternatives to polycarbonate plastics.
"Whether we like it or not, the BPA controversy has become a matter of economic and social justice," said Green to Grow Vice President Shelley Aronoff. "Many national retailers such as Babies 'R' Us, Walmart, Target, Safeway, and Whole Foods have already stopped selling products containing this proven neural, developmental, and reproductive toxicant. Sadly, unless legislation banning BPA is passed, many families who lack access to these specific retailers will continue to unknowingly purchase polycarbonate baby bottles, sippy cups, and other products sold at discounters and local merchants that continue to sell products that contain BPA.
A synthetic estrogen that can disrupt the human body's own hormones, BPA has been linked to a variety of serious health problems by over 220 scientific studies and is thought to be particularly harmful to babies and young children. In the face of mounting scientific evidence that even extremely low levels of BPA can impact health, state legislatures across the country have acted to ban BPA from plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, as well as in the lining of infant formula cans. Congress is also considering federal regulation, and 22 states and municipalities are currently reviewing legislation to regulate the chemical.