Six reasons we love Goodbyn lunch boxes

Six new colours, six reasons we love Goodbyn...

(1) In our house, Goodbyn are the only lunch boxes we have bought for two years, which I feel makes them great value. The children have used theirs every day for school for two years and they are still going strong.  The plastic is sturdy but flexible, and there are no hinges to break.

There is no need to buy a new kids lunch box each year. The kids can apply Goodbyn stickers to refresh the design they want on their lunch box.

(2) Only one lid to keep track of - and it always seems to come home (unlike the 10 or so other containers in my drawer whose lids have disappeared, or vice versa).

How to close the Goodbyn lid? First, push down firmly on the two horizontal ridges across the middle, then pinch together all around the outside edges. Once the kids get the knack it is easy.

(3) The kids love packing their own lunch - what more do you want in the mornings? :-) For some reason they enjoy filling the little compartments and making their lunch look all creative and neat. They seem much more motivated to pack their own (or, is that because they want to sneak extra treats in...?)

(4) The layout of little compartments makes it easier for me to pack the lunches when I need to! It breaks things down into five sections that require less brain power to fill - sandwich here, fruit there, some dip there, crackers here and a sweet treat there. Done!

(5) Goodbyns are made from food-safe plastic, no PVC (unlike most soft lunch boxes), no lead, no BPA, phthalate-free and its made in the USA.

Rather than a faceless manufacturer, we know the story behind who makes them and who is accountable for the safety and environmental performance.  Goodbyn makes public their product testing results

(6) There's something about Bento boxes and a plastic wrap-free lunch!  Lunch seems much more appetising when it is not squished inside sweaty plastic wrap, but rather laid out in the Bento system. The Japanese have served food in this way for centuries after all.

Six new fruity colours now available in Australia in Goodbyn original and Bynto sizes, plus ice packs, three types of stickers and replacement bottles.

Visit here to see all of Biome's lunch boxes.

Continue Reading..

BPA Free news

Pictured here: LifeFactory glass bottles with silicone covers

As reported on Channel 10 news tonight, 5 July 2011

Channel Ten news tonight aired an informative story on the dangers of BPA and how to avoid BPA.   Read more about our Biome store and the choices featured in the Channel 10 news story.  Founder of Biome Eco Stores and environmentalist Tracey Bailey, spoke in the news piece.  Link to the Channel Ten story.
We have all heard about BPA in the media lately and know that this dangerous compound is found in some plastic containers and drink bottles.  Make a difference in your and your family's health by choosing the safest water bottles and drinking containers available on the market today.

At Biome Eco Stores we have only ever offered safe, non-toxic choices including BPA free, PVC free and also free from lead and phthalates.

This post contains some thoroughly researched, credible sources that we have found on BPA.

The quick summary?  Good old-fashioned glass is the safest choice for any form of drinking vessel, drink bottle, storage container or cooking vessel.  This may not seem the most practical choice, but Lifefactory glass bottles are made from toughened glass and come with a silicone cover to help protect them from breakage.
What is BPA?


Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans and to make hard and clear polycarbonate plastics.  Here is a summary of the Environmental Working Group study in 2007 which found BPA in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods.

The use of BPA is widespread, as is its permeation into the environment around us including drinking water and human breast milk.  BPA can leach into food from the protective internal lining of canned foods and from consumer products such as baby bottles and water bottles, polycarbonate tableware and food storage containers.  The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle, than the age of the container.  (Source: National Toxicology Program).

This Z recommends article explains the great advances made away from unsafe polycarbonate bottles that contained high levels of BPA, but calls for putting BPA-free into perspective.  Canada was the first country to ban BPA from baby products, followed by several US States.  It is still allowed to be used in Australia.

How do you limit exposure to BPA?

• Avoid polycarbonate #7 and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) #3 plastics, especially for children’s food or containers used for heating.  Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA.  Some #7 plastics are now free from BPA, so look for the packaging that also clearly states BPA free.
• Do not heat or microwave food in any type of plastic container – use glass or ceramic instead. Heating plastics to high temperatures promotes the leaching of chemicals.
• Reduce your use of canned foods – canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels of BPA
• Use glass baby bottles and glass bottles for drink bottles.
• Use high quality reusable bottles from trusted brands that publish results of quality control and testing.

Which water bottles and containers are safest to use?

In most cases, the old rule “you get what you pay for” is a good starting point.  There are many cheap metal water bottles in stores to meet the consumer demand for moving away from plastics.  We recommend only choosing an established drink bottle brand that you know and trust, that openly publishes independent test results, and that can be held accountable should there be a problem.

Metal bottles can still leach toxins, whether an aluminium bottle with no lining at all or an unsafe lining, or a stainless steel bottle leaching nickel – particularly if there has not been a tightly controlled and monitored approach to the manufacturing.

At the end of the day, you and your family are the ones who drink from the bottles and need to feel comfortable with whichever choice you make.

Biome offers only choices that are the best quality, reputable and free from all harmful things!

Glass water bottles
Lunch boxes
Sandwich wraps
BPA free baby bottles
Stainless steel bottle
Water bottle

Continue Reading..

Lunch boxes - easy & healthy

Biome loves gathering great ideas from our customers and we also love giving them a little prize for their help. Our last Facebook promotion was to post three unique ideas for food to pack in healthy lunch boxes & we'll include two free Kids Konserve Kozy sandwich wraps with your next online order or in-store purchase.

Here are some of the ideas for lunch boxes we received.
Savoury

• Rice Paper Rolls filled with vermicelli, bean shoots, grilled chicken and coriander
• Salad Pita Pockets
• Vegie sticks with Homemade Coconut Dip
• Cold toasted sandwiches with cream cheese and tuna
• Leftover cold quiche shapes (cut using shape cutters)
• Homemade mini meatballs
• Antipasto selection
• Rice Balls rolled in Turmeric
• Rissotto cakes
• Popcorn
• Wholemeal lavash wraps with chicken, avocado, lettuce and tomato
• Sandwich with marinated tofu and lightlty fried pumpkin slices
• Leftover meal in a thermos lunch jar for lunch
• Tuna, avocado or vegetable sushi
• Rolypolies (flat bread rolled up and cut like pinwheels with any smooth simple filling - like vegemite, hommus, cream cheese)
• Homemade yoghurt with crushed berries swirled through
• BBQ sauce or fruit chutney on a wholegrain roll
  
• Seaweed strips
• Cucumber and hommus
• Red capsicum and snow peas
• Homemade pizza slices cold 
• Raw kale chips

Sweet

• Snowy Fruit Balls - dried apricots, dried peaches dried apple rings, sunflower seeds, raisins blended then rolled in coconut
• Apricot Fruit Bars covered with Rice Paper
• Dates spread with peanut butter, rolled in coconut and chilled
• Pumpkin & yoghurt muffins
• Sugarless date, rolled oat and banana slice
• Organic dried sultanas and apricots bought in bulk and divided into reusable snack containers
• Fruit kebabs
• Homemade iced tea
• Melon balls - a mix of watermelon, cantelope and honeydew scooped with a melon baller
• In summer, frozen banana, grapes and orange pieces
• Dried banana chips and dehydrated pineapple
• Sweet pistachio Lara bar

Thank you to all the great biome Facebookers that provided us with these great lunch box ideas.

Now, what to pack the lunch in? 
All of the kids lunch box available at Biome are safe, from BPA, lead, PVC and other toxins.  We also help make it easy to pack a waste free or 'wrapper-free' lunch with reusable lunch box containers.  Try a stainless steel lunch box.

The all-in-one Goodbyn lunch box with 5 leak-proof compartments and one lid has been trialled by us and makes it so easy to pack a waste free lunch.

Reusable sandwich wraps are a great way to reduce plastic wrap waste and avoid toxins in some plastic wraps - and even save money.

And one that has been very popular with the adults are the Bento boxes this great company also have a recipe book available for more ideas.

Find all these options on our website or you can come see us at the Biome eco stores.

Continue Reading..

Kids Konserve raises the safe lunch bar

Like many of our customers, we're always on the search for reusable, waste-free lunch packaging that is free from toxins too.  Our team are "wrapped" with Kids Konserve for both adults and children. 

Ainsley says: "Kids Konserve is a brand I am so excited about. It's an aesthetically pleasing eco friendly product that is fantastic quality and free of all the yucky stuff."

"It's not only a great range for children but something any young at heart adult would find just as useful when packing your own lunch from home."

"A great plus with this range that I don't see in too many other brands is the containers with safe-plastic lids are leak proof so you can take salads with dressing or dips and not be concerned about a big mess."

"The Food Kozy that's perfect for sandwiches is also a fantastic reusable alternative to plastic wrap, foil and snap lock bags."

Tracey says: "the kids have already given Kids Konserve a great work out.  The insulated thermos jar has opened up a whole new set of lunch option - banana smoothies are the top request at the moment."

"I'm pleased with the bottles for the kids too because they are the only leak-proof stainless steel bottle for kids with a pull top spout we know of."

Customers are also loving the new lunch packs which include a beautiful recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, stainless steel bottle, Food Kozy and two leak proof stainless steel food containers.

FREE ONLINE SHIPPING OFFER

To celebrate the launch of the full Kids Konserve range in Australia, we are offering free shipping when you include any Kids Konserve item valued over $10 in your order.

Offer expires, midnight Friday 25 June 2010.  Excludes shipping of Bokashi and over-size items.

Green Goods by Biome distributes Kids Konserve in Australia.  We welcome wholesale inquiries.   Please see Kids Konserve Wholesale 

Kids Konserve is also stocked by Eco Essentials, Everything Free.  For more stockists see Kids Konserve stockists

Continue Reading..

Baby bottles by Dr Weil offer excellent features

The Dr Weil Baby range of glass and safe, BPA free baby bottles and sippy cups is now available at Biome.

Weil Baby includes glass baby bottles, safe plastic BPA free baby bottles, sippy cup and bottle brushes and covers.

What makes these bottles and sippy cups special:

• patented venting system that works effectively to reduce colic
• made from toxin-free, BPA-free ultra-safe Tritan plastic and glass
• bottle starts as a baby bottle, but change the teat and add a handle and it becomes a sippy cup
• leak-proof
• made in the USA
• focus on reducing carbon footprint in manufacturing, recyclable packaging and products

While breastfeeding is the most beneficial for baby and mother, it may not always be possible. The Australian Breastfeeding Association can provide support if you need.  When bottles are needed, choosing BPA free plastic and glass is safest for baby.

Read reviews on Weil Baby:  Essential Baby from Australia; Cool Hunting; Momgadget

Browse the full Weil Baby range at Biome.

Video about Weil Baby and Tritan plastic

Key Baby CEO Steve Schmidt describes how a partnership with Dr Andrew Weil, to produce a safe, clear baby bottle using Eastman's Tritan copolyester came to life.  Talks about what sets Tritan plastic apart from other baby bottle materials: can be boiled to sterilise without breaking down, dishwasher durability is superior, crystal clear and its the only BPA free bottle produced totally in the United States.

Who is Dr Weil?
Dr Weil is a world-renowned leader in the field of integrative medicine. He is founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, author of numerous books, columnist for Prevention and TIME magazines and a frequent guest on Larry King Live and Oprah.

Dr Weil explains "every product and every manufacturer that licenses my name is actively engaged in making the world better for all of us.  Through these ethical business practices I hope to encourage the transition from a consumptive economy to a restorative one. A restorative business is one that provides a valuable product that a sustainable world needs, displacing unsustainable products in the process. I personally make nothing from products to which I license my name. I donate all of my after-tax profits from royalties from sales of Weil Baby products directly to the Weil Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting integrative medicine through training, education and research."

How the AirWave™ Venting System works:

• Threads on both the ring neck and the bottle securely connect the nipple assembly to the bottle.
• Sealing ring on the nipple seats in the bottle neck and positions the nipple in the correct orientation.
• Four protrusions within the bottle neck provide a means for air to enter the bottle
• The flexible inner ring of the nipple rests against the inside surface of the bottle neck. This allows air to flow into the bottle but prevents fluid from leaking out
• NOTE: The patented AirWave venting system is designed to work with a moisture lock. Adding moisture to the inside of the nipple prior to attaching the nipple /ring combination to the bottle will assure a smooth fit and prevent leaking. The AirWave system will work without adding moisture, however extra care should be taken to ensure the inner flange of the nipple does not stick or get caught on the top of the bottle. The ring should not be over-tightened. A snug “medium tight” application will allow for best venting results.

Continue Reading..

More about BPA and SIGG

This is our third post on the issue of reusable water bottles and BPA. The two earlier articles explain more about SIGG & BPA and the exchange program.

Are SIGG bottles safe?
While SIGG should have been more transparent about the fact its bottles prior to August 2008 contained BPA in the manufacturing, the bottles are still safe based on independent tests that show no leaching of BPA or other toxins.

When most people purchased their bottles in 2008 and before, it was on the understanding that the bottles did not leach BPA or any toxins--and that has not changed.  It was only in 2009 that SIGG said the new bottles were BPA free.

Is this a product recall? 
The exchange program being offered by SIGG and retailers is not a recall, because the bottles are not unsafe.   SIGG promoted the bottles as not leaching BPA or other toxins, and this is still the case.

SIGG has explained that while BPA was an ingredient in the lining, it was manufactured in such a way that it was polymerised, essentially locking in the ingredients.

See more details on the exhange program below.  The program will end soon, as SIGG worldwide has already ended the program.

What is BPA & how is it used?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans and to make hard and clear polycarbonate plastics.  Here is a summary of the Environmental Working Group study in 2007 which found BPA in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods.

Its use is widespread, as is its permeation into the environment around us including drinking water and human breast milk.

BPA can leach into food from the protective internal lining of canned foods and from consumer products such as polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles.  The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle, than the age of the container.  (Source: National Toxicology Program).

This Z recommends article explains the great advances made away from unsafe polycarbonate bottles that contained high levels of BPA, but calls for putting BPA-free into perspective.

Canada was the first country to ban BPA from baby products, followed by several US States.

How to limit exposure to BPA?

• Do not heat or microwave food in any type of plastic container - use glass or ceramic instead. Heating plastics to high temperatures promotes the leaching of chemicals.
• Reduce your use of canned foods - canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels of BPA
• Avoid polycarbonate #7 and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) #3 plastics, especially for children's food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. 
• Use glass baby bottles.
• Use high quality reusable bottles from trusted brands that publish results of quality control and testing.

Which bottles are safest to use?
In most cases, the old rule "you get what you pay for" is a good starting point.  There are many cheap metal bottles in stores to meet the consumer demand for moving away from plastics.  We recommend only choosing an established brand that you know and trust, that openly publishes independent test results, and that can be held accountable should there be a problem. 

Metal bottles can still leach toxins, whether an aluminium bottle with no lining at all or an unsafe lining, or a stainless steel bottle leaching nickel - particularly if there has not been a tightly controlled and monitored approach to the manfacturing.

Klean Kanteen and Nathan and Thermos are long standing, high quality stainless steel bottle brands.

At the end of the day, you and your family are the ones who drink from the bottles and need to feel comfortable with whichever choice you make.  More about SIGG on this blog.

Continue Reading..

SIGG CEO says sorry

Saying "sorry" does not solve all the problems, but it is a significant step in the healing process.  We are happy that conscious consumers are being heard and not treated as pawns in a chess game.

Since hearing of this issue we have questioned SIGG to fully understand why.    Here is the link to our first post What did SIGG say about BPA? with information about the Exchange Program for bottles with the old lining.  You can check which lining your bottle has by looking inside - the new liner has a dull, pale yellow appearance while the old liner is a shiny, copper bronze.

While SIGG was not fully transparent, prior to 2009 SIGG only ever said that its bottles did not leach BPA or other toxins, as the independent test results show--and that remains the case.

Along with many others we have expressed our deep disappointment and we were pleased to see SIGG's recognition of those sentiments in the sorry statement.  Biome continues to support SIGG, selling only water bottles with the new BPA free lining.   We feel let down for everyone who chose to do the right thing for their health and the environment.  We are still stocking SIGG because:

• We appreciate SIGG's acceptance of what they have done wrong and their commitment to the "no questions" exchange program.
• We have always relied on SIGG's statement that the bottles did not leach BPA and the independent tests still show this.
• We believe that the bottles with the new lining are genuinely free from BPA and harmful chemicals (there is now Government regulation relating to BPA in some countries, so it would be dangerous to mess with that).
• SIGG's safe, high quality reusable bottles are still a far better alternative for health and the environment than cheap plastic or metal bottles.
• While they made a big mistake in not being transparent, we have faith in the 100 year history of this reputable Swiss company and the other aspects of their operations that are environmentally-responsible.

As an alternative to SIGG, we have also been offering for some time, high quality stainless steel bottles from Nathan, Klean Kanteen and SIGG.

Statement by SIGG CEO, Steve Wasik, as appeared in The Huffington Post on 7 September 2009
"I am writing to apologize.
As Chief Executive Officer of SIGG, a leading maker of reusable water bottles, I made a mistake when I decided not to announce that our old bottle liner contained trace amounts of bisphenol A. I learned about the liner's content in 2006, when there was debate in the scientific community about the effects of BPA. Scientists lined up on both sides of the issue: Some said BPA posed potential health risks, others said BPA was perfectly safe.
With the issue still very much undecided, SIGG decided to develop a BPA-free liner to eliminate consumer concern about our products. To be sure that BPA did not leach from our bottle liners, we commissioned independent scientific studies and asked the labs to rigorously test our bottles and bottles made by other companies. We urged them to put all bottles through tortuous conditions. Those tests reassured us because they showed SIGG liners leached no BPA. We posted those studies on our web site to provide consumers the information about product performance that seemed to me relevant at the time.
Today, the debate continues. Scientists are still split on the issue. But the consumer environment has changed. Because of the all the conflicting data, a growing number of people have decided to eliminate the concern from their lives by avoiding BPA. Given the situation, I recently decided that we had to tell everyone that bottles manufactured with our former liner (prior to August 2008) contained trace amounts of BPA.
We were right to make the announcement. But I was wrong to have waited this long. One of our primary goals at SIGG has been to help reduce unnecessary waste and to educate people on the environmental benefits of using a reusable bottle. With that objective in mind, SIGG has been labeled a "green" company.
Unfortunately, I am still learning to be a green CEO. When I took this position, I naively assumed that "green" meant being a steward of the environment. In 2007, SIGG became a member of 1% For The Planet and we have donated 1% of all of our sales to environmental organizations like The Sierra Club and Stop Global Warming. However, being a green company also means being held to the highest degree of corporate transparency.
Some executives learn this because they have grown up within the green movement. I have learned this by reading hundreds of emails from SIGG consumers. Some feel angry. Some feel betrayed. All feel disappointed because they were passionate advocates of our bottles.
People have written to explain why they are concerned about BPA. They have written about their personal stories, their intimate worries and their very honest anger. I have personally responded to hundreds of these notes, apologizing for my mistake, offering new bottles to make amends, realizing that my decision caused people real discomfort.
SIGG has been around for 100 years. Yet, we are still a small company with 127 employees worldwide -- about 90 of those working in our Frauenfeld Switzerland operation. SIGG is not a typical modern corporation and it doesn't have a typical relationship with its customers. People have trusted SIGG and my decision breached that trust. I wish I could turn back the clock and fully disclose the BPA content in our liners. What I can do is make sure that I personally never again compromise SIGG's good name and proud Swiss heritage.
In the next few days, we will announce the first steps in our path to full transparency. These will include some very specific things we will do to make sure we are the honest, green company that our customers expect us to be. We will:

• Post details about the contents of our bottles: the new liner, the cap, the bottle itself. And we will make the information as transparent and understandable as possible.
• Make it easy for consumers to exchange their old bottles for new, BPA-free SIGGs.  

[Biome customers can contact Tracey on info@biome.com.au for details on how to exchange your bottles with old lining.  The program will only be offered for a short period of time.  Read our first post on this issue What did SIGG say about BPA?]

• Unveil an independently managed grant program to help fund BPA and chemical research that will help eliminate confusion and concern about this issue. While we have moved away from BPA in SIGG products, it continues to be used in countless products that we all use each day. If it poses a real threat, we want to help curb its use.

When people buy "Swiss made" products, they are buying quality and peace of mind. I realize that my actions compromised SIGG's relationship with our loyal customers. I pledge to try to rebuild the hard-earned trust you have had in SIGG. I sincerely hope you will allow me to prove myself."  Statement ends.

SIGG also offer stainless steel water bottles made from high quality stainless steel.

Continue Reading..

What did SIGG say about BPA?

I have landed back into Brisbane after a wonderful escape around Darwin and Kakadu to be confronted by the reality of managing an eco and ethical business! A few days ago, the CEO of SIGG announced that SIGG water bottles made prior to August 2008 did contain trace amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA), but that the independent test results still stand that show there is no migration or leaching of BPA, phtlalates and other toxins from the lining. In other words, the bottles are still safe. Here is the link to the SIGG CEO's statement

Bottles manufactured since August 2008 have a new liner that is BPA free. It is a powder-based, co‐polyester coating that is also more eco-friendly as its application generates little waste and uses no organic solvents or VOCs. You can check which lining your bottle has by looking inside - the new liner has a dull, pale yellow appearance while the old liner is a shiny, copper bronze.

Prior to this year, Biome has informed customers that while SIGG would not reveal what the lining is made from, the bottles are safe based on independent tests showing no leaching of BPA. We were concerned they would not give full details, but we (and many reputable sources like treehugger.com "SIGG bottles now BPA free") trusted them and the test results.

With the 2009 range, we started saying that the lining is BPA-free, because for the first time SIGG stated this to be the case.

When asked by many sources last year SIGG did not give a straight answer to the question about whether the lining contains BPA. Our belief is that a "sustainable" company must be 100% transparent and disclose full ingredients so that consumers can make their own informed choice. Even if the bottle is safe, we have the right to make the choice.

What can you do? This is not a product recall, because the bottles are still safe and still do what they claimed to do.  Should you have a SIGG bottle with an old lining and are not comfortable to use it, the Australian distributor and Biome will replace the bottle with a new one. To do so, please contact us by email on info@biome.com.au or visit/telephone our stores to discuss the return - 07 3368 3009 (Paddington) or 07 32219842 (City).  We commend SIGG's Australian distributor for not hesitating to do the right thing to resolve this.  If you have any other concerns or comments, please email Tracey on info@biome.com.au.

Biome will continue to sell only SIGG water bottles with the new BPA free lining and their stainless steel range, plus Laken aluminium bottles with a BPA-free lining. We also offer Klean Kanteen and Nathan stainless steel bottles which have no lining. Should you be choosing stainless steel, you still need to be very careful about the quality of the bottle. Choose bottles from a trusted brand that controls the factory and makes their bottles from high-quality, sanitary grade 18/8 or 304 stainless steel with a low nickel content. There are many cheap choices on the market that are purchased "off the mass production shelf" and branded.  sigg bottles

LATEST NEWS :: please see this subsequent post SIGG CEO says sorry 

Continue Reading..