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"In the last several years, in an attempt to avoid the waste that comes with using and discarding cheap single use plastic bags, many of us have been making the effort to bring our own totes with us when we go shopping. Many retailers, particularly supermarkets, have been selling inexpensive reusable bags branded with their logo right at the check-out counter. Now, some of these products, particularly ones manufactured in China, have been found to be contaminated with lead. New York Senator Charles Schumer has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate and ban reusable shopping bags that contain higher than acceptable levels of lead. So what are we supposed to do in the meantime? So far, most of the bags that have been tested contain less lead than is allowed by the current federal standard so they appear to pose a pretty low risk. The chief concern is that lead from discarded bags could seep into the soil and water supply and create environmental problems. While the bags are under investigation, we recommend that you choose reusable cloth bags over plastic ones and bags that are made in the United States. And it&amp;#039;s certainly prudent to avoid reusable plastic bags if you have young children in the home. Another way to protect kids from lead is to poceed with caution if buying jewelry as holiday gifts. A recent Good Housekeeping Research Institute investigation found jewelry for children that contained well above the government&amp;#039;s limit for lead in children&amp;#039;s products as well as cadmium. Our advice: Avoid purchasing any inexpensive trinkets for children, even if they&amp;#039;re marked &amp;quot;sterling silver.&amp;quot; Our Green Good Housekeeping Seal is one tool you can use to make environmentally friendly choices when you go shopping. Look for it on beauty and cleaning products. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a3227/lead-found-in-resusable-shopping-bags/>