Nov 19th, 2008 · You'll soon be seeing volunteers for The Salvation Army out with their red kettles, asking for donations. They've had trouble before because so many people only have plastic on hand. Now, five bell-ringers in El Paso County, Colo., will be the first to accept credit and debit cards along with coins and bills. So if you just never seem to have any spare change on hand — consider that excuse a ghost of Christmas past.
Sep 17th, 2008 · The Food and Drug Administration defended Tuesday the controversial compound found in plastic baby bottles and in food packaging. A major study has linked bisphenol A to possible risks of heart disease and diabetes.
Sep 16th, 2008 · Adults with high exposure levels to BPA, a common plastics chemical found in everything from baby bottles to food containers, were more than twice as likely to report having diabetes or heart disease. The study's findings will be discussed at an FDA hearing Tuesday.
Aug 29th, 2008 · As soon as Barack Obama's speech was over, scavengers got to work. More than 80,000 people had jammed Denver's football stadium to watch Obama make history by becoming the first black man to be nominated for president by a major political party. Speech-goers picked up anything they could get their hands on — political signs, plastic cups and confetti.
Aug 22nd, 2008 · Despite the slow U.S. economy, consumers are putting their cash into all things green. New York-based Eco-Bags makes reusable shopping bags. Sales doubled last year; they're set to do so again this year. One small company is profiting from America's growing distaste for the plastic bag.
Aug 17th, 2008 · Airsoft guns are the hottest new type of toy replica guns. They shoot lightweight plastic BBs and are designed to look as real as possible — so real that police, teachers and parents often can't tell the difference.
Aug 1st, 2008 · Americans spend millions on beauty products, trendy clothes, and plastic surgery. Is America obsessed with beauty? That's a question filmmaker Darryl Roberts explored in his new documentary, "American the Beautiful." Farai Chideya speaks with Roberts and model/actress Gerren Taylor, who was at the heart of this film.
Jul 29th, 2008 · Federal lawmakers are moving toward a ban on using certain chemicals called phthalates in children's toys. Phthalates are chemicals that are used to make plastics more flexible.