Vinyl is scary.

So there I was, staring in shock. Evil thing; Made of carcinogens and widely sold and available to the public.
My shower curtain.
My poisonous shower curtain made of PVC.

Now, if you don't know, all plastics are damaging to the environment and our health, but none so much as PVC, which stands for Polyvinyl Chloride. Most commonly referred to as "vinyl", the toxins in it are noted to cause cancer, damage the immune system, contribute to infertility, and mess with hormones. And with known alternatives to nearly all uses of this nasty material, it is appalling and distressing that it is still sold and used in clothing, construction, upholstery, kid's figurines, pool toys and... shower curtains.

My first reaction was to cry. I thought to all the times where my son, Kellan, 3 months old at the time, had brushed his beautiful, unpolluted skin up against this vile material. I cringed when I thought of the potential effects.

So I dove into research. I found multiple alternatives such as nylon shower liners, PEVA (a less dangerous plastic alternative) and a liner made of hemp fibers.  I was especially intrigued by the hemp one, but the cost in a low income home just wasn't in the cards, being that hemp shower liners can cost upwards of 60 bucks! 

I expressed my concerns with my fiance, Matt. He was supportive of my newfound green conversion obsession, however, he had just become unemployed and dishing out even $20 on a nylon curtain was out of the question. We came to a compromise and decided on the PEVA one, with an average price of 12 dollars, we purchased ours at Target for $9.99!

So if there's anything I can make you understand in my first post, it's this:
ANYONE can go green-
Whether you're well off or scraping pennies. And going green doesn't happen in one day; it's a process. It takes work. But make one small change a day and you may one day find yourself to be one healthy, eco-friendly, earth-preserving Greenie! It's what I aspire to be, what I'm working towards- for my child, for this earth.


For a better understanding on PVC:
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/usa/press-center/reports4/pvc-the-poison-plastic.html

For examples of PVC shower curtains and curtain liner alternatives:

This is the PEVA one I purchased : http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/186-0434426-2909237?asin=B002WK2TJQ&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B002WK2TJQ&CPNG=home&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B002WK2TJQ&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

Nylon : http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=13294119&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping

Hemp : http://www.amazon.com/Bean-Products-Organic-Shower-Curtain/dp/B0019VJEJM