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Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

Hellmann's Mayonnaise We’ve always been a Hellmann’s Mayonnaise family.

Mom used Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, so when I started buying my own groceries, I bought Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, too. I can’t imagine a chicken or roast beef sandwich without it. My egg salad and potato salad can’t be duplicated without it. I don’t know any other mayonnaise or salad dressing that even comes close.

I was thrilled to read that Hellmann’s Mayonnaise is now made with cage-free eggs. Good, I thought. Hellmann’s is concerned with quality. Cage-free eggs are better eggs.

So, I would never even consider switching brands.

Until now …

For some unknown reason, Hellmann’s decided to switch from a glass bottle to a plastic bottle. I continued to buy the large, 64 ounce bottle at Sam’s Club, only because it was a number 1 recycled plastic. But, the mayonnaise started smelling and tasting like plastic. We use part of a bottle, then I throw out over half. I’m afraid the plastic bottle is leaching chemicals into the mayonnaise.

One of my rules is to never choose plastic if there’s another option. But, I don’t see another option with Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. I only find it in plastic bottles now, no matter which size bottle I check.

So, this time, when I bought a new bottle of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, I transferred it to glass bottles. I’m still skeptical about the plastic that it’s been stored in, but there was no plastic smell in the newly opened bottle. I’ll pay close attention as we use the mayonnaise. If it starts to smell like plastic, even in the glass bottles, I’ll throw this out, too. And I’ll be shopping for a new brand of mayonnaise.

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Do you love Hellmann’s Mayonnaise?

Leave a comment with your experience and opinion of plastic, recycled bottles.

Marilyn Kvasnok

What Do the Recycle Numbers Mean?

Jun 30th, 2012

by Marilyn.

2 comments

Recycle Numbers Chart

Recycle Tips

Don’t choose plastic if there’s another option.
Don’t re-use plastic bottles. They’re meant for a one-time use. Several uses can allow the chemicals to leach into food and drinks.
Use stainless steel or glass instead of plastic.
Limit the use of plastic wrap.
Never use plastic wrap in the microwave.
Never cover hot food with plastic wrap. Consider using a plate as a cover. Or use a glass bottle with a lid.
Recycle plastic bottles to keep them out of the landfills.
Buy concentrated, non-toxic cleaning products. You’ll pay less and recycle less plastic. Non-toxic products are safe for your family, your home and the planet.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Earth Day 2012

Apr 22nd, 2012

by Marilyn.

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Earth Day History

The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was concerned with the environment after the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Twenty million people celebrated that first year. Today over 500 million people participate in Earth Day events.

How Can You Celebrate Earth Day?

• There are many Earth Day events planned … or plan your own.

• Learn to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

• Only use non-toxic, green cleaners that are safe for your family, your home and the planet.

How dangerous can chemical cleaners be? Just take a look at these statistics.

• Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.

• Common chlorine bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning.

• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners, are found at levels 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.

• A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the “acute one-hour exposure limit” for glycol ether-containing products set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

• Common cleaners give off fumes that can potentially increase the risk of kids developing asthma, the most common chronic childhood disease.

• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children under five have increased more than 160% from 1980 – 1994.

• Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food, or air.

• If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you generate more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste).

Resources:

•To find out what’s lurking on your shelves, go to the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine Household Products Database. You can search almost any brand of cleaner you use, find out what’s in it, and uncover its links to health effects. Or search by chemical ingredients (see list below for some examples) and discover what brands contain it. The information may shock you.

Chemical ingredients to look out for:
Sodium hydroxide
Hydrochloric acid
Butyl cellosolve (2-Butoxyethanol)
Formaldehyde
Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)
Ammonia
Sulfamic acid
Petroleum distillates
Sulfuric acid
Lye (potassium hydroxide)
Morpholine

• Watch the Toxic Brew Video.

• I recommend Shaklee’s Get Clean products.

Celebrate Earth Day every day!

Marilyn Kvasnok

Earth Day 2009

Mar 26th, 2009

by Marilyn.

3 comments

Earth Day is April 22, 2009. Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than one billion people every year. Earth Day is April 22nd, but there will be events and celebrations all thru the month of April.

I’ll be participating with LightsOut Ohio by turning off my lights for at least one hour on Earth Day. This event is organized by the Sierra Club’s Portage Trail Group. Workplaces, schools and households are invited to join us by switching off non-essential lights for at least one hour on Earth Day. It’s a simple step toward making daily energy saving choices.

Earth Day Network has all the info you need to get involved. They coordinate all the Earth Day events worldwide. Making a few simple changes in your lifestyle can have a significant impact on the environment.

Living Green.
Simple things that make difference:

Turn out lights that aren’t needed.
Turn off computers at night or when not being used for several hours.
Refuse plastic bags at the checkout.
Bring reusable bags with you to the store.
Recycle paper, plastic, aluminum and glass.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL).
Turn off the water when brushing teeth.
Turn the heat down a few degrees.
Turn the air conditioner up a few degrees.
Do not use styrofoam cups, plates and containers.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL)

Mar 22nd, 2009

by Marilyn.

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I finally bought a package of compact fluorescent light bulbs. They’re more expensive than incandescent bulbs – As much as 2-4 times as much. But, they last longer and use less electricity. So, they’re more efficient and better for the environment. I’m slowly replacing bulbs as they burn out. Before long, I’ll have an all CFL home.

According to EnergyStar, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 20% of a home’s electric bill is spent on lighting. Using CFL bulbs can reduce that by 75%. So, if your electric bill is $100, $20 is for lighting. Using CFL bulbs can reduce that to $5, saving $15 a month.

There’s only one problem with CFL bulbs. They contain a little mercury. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict guidelines to follow if a CFL light bulb breaks. The danger lasts long after the cleanup procedure, so read and follow the instructions.

Because they contain mercury, compact fluorescent light bulbs need to be disposed of at a recycling center. Home Depot has a recycling program.

The Common Craft Show has a plain English video explanation of CFL bulbs.