Around the internet right now, you can read many testimonials from people who have successfully returned their used Avent bottles, breast pumps, and other baby feeding equipment to Toys-R-Us for store credit. They claim that no receipt is necessary, and no questions are asked. In my experience, this is not entirely true.
BPA is the reason that people are rushing to dispose of their Avent products. BPA (Bisphenol-A) – sometimes indicated by a number 7 on products – is a chemical used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastic. This plastic is used in non-disposable water bottles, in the lining of canned foods, and in many baby feeding products because it’s very strong and impact resistant. The problem is that scientists believe that BPA leaches out of plastic when it’s heated, and is now detectable in most people’s bloodstreams. It’s thought to cause dangerous hormonal changes in children, possibly leading to cancer, obesity, early onset of puberty, and attention deficit disorder.
The FDA and American Plastics Council insist that BPA is safe, but many recent scientific studies seem to support the theory that it’s not. Canada has banned BPA from baby bottles, and the city of San Francisco has also banned it from certain products. However, the FDA has taken no action, because, according to spokesman Mike Herndon, “At the present time, FDA has no reason to change its opinion that the dietary exposure to BPA … is safe.”
It would seem that Toys-R-Us disagrees. They’re working with manufacturers to transition their inventory of baby bottles and other baby feeding products to be BPA-free in all stores nationwide by the end of 2008. Though there has been no official recall, rumor has it that some Toys-R-Us stores have taken the proactive step to voluntarily recall baby bottles made with BPA, by popular manufacturers such as Avent, Dr. Browns and Playtex. Supposedly they’re giving store credit for products they carry, even if they’re used, no receipt required, and no questions asked.
Internet stories of people triumphantly leaving Toys-R-Us with huge store credits for their used baby bottles abound, and in some areas of the country, they may actually be true. However, I took my used Avent bottles and manual Avent Isis breast pump to my local Toys-R-Us yesterday, and spoke with two department managers, and the store supervisor. When I asked about the voluntary recall, they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. They called Toys-R-Us national headquarters, and were told that no, there is no voluntary recall. Then, they called the main store in our state, and were told that only Babies-R-Us is accepting the bottles, and will only exchange them for glass bottles. No store credit. This fact is not widely known, nor advertised.
So…given this bewildering set of conflicting facts, I would suggest that if you have baby feeding products containing BPA, you should call your local Toys-R-Us or Babies-R-Us and ask if they’re participating in the recall. Be advised that you should talk only to the store supervisor. I called first, and the employee I talked to said yes, they were participating, but when I got there, they were singing a different tune. In the end, they gave me $20 in store credit for my 4 bottles anyway (but not the breast pump) simply because they were embarrassed that I drove 20 miles to their store after being given erroneous information.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what to believe about BPA, but I’m really disappointed that Avent products seem to be one of the worst BPA offenders. I absolutely loved my Isis manual pump, and the Avent bottles were our favorite. I’m sad to give them up, but if our last frozen embryo does become a baby, I take issue with feeding him or her toxic chemicals.
I pray that the health of my children has not been affected by our unwitting use of BPA products. I feel like I should go through everything in the house and throw out all the #7 plastics.
Sheesh…what next?
