(1888PressRelease)
September 26, 2009 - SAN FRANCISCO – Despite a ferociously fought lobbying battle, California’s Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797) failed to garner the needed votes to ban the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) from food and beverage containers designed for children aged three and under.
In response to this legislative defeat, Green to Grow founders, husband and wife Michael Ritterbrown and Shelley Aronoff, announced the company will address this economic and social injustice to underserved communities by donating more than $5,000 worth of BPA-free baby bottles to San Francisco’s Compass Community Services.
California State Assembly Member Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) will present the donation on behalf of the Los Angeles-based leading BPA-free baby bottle and accessories manufacturer, on Tuesday, September 29 at 1 PM at the Compass Community Services facility at 995 Market Street, 5th floor reception area in San Francisco.
Vice President Aronoff, and President Ritterbrown have been supporting BPA-free legislation in spirit and in action since founding Green to Grow in 2007. Through its focus on environmental and social responsibility, and in support of SB 797, the Los Angeles-based company has recently donated $20,000 worth of BPA-free baby bottles and nipples to non-profit organizations and community health clinics that serve low-income families across California. These organizations share their commitment to educate families about safer alternatives to polycarbonate plastics.
“I take this issue personally,” said Aronoff. “Green to Grow was founded on the belief that all infants and children deserve to use safe feeding devices, not just those whose parents have access to these products. Many larger retailers such as Walmart, Target, Babies R’ Us, Safeway, and Whole Foods have, on their own initiative, phased out BPA in products for infants and young children. They’re responding to parents’ demand for safer alternatives.”
“But due to a lack of transportation and resources, low income families are often left to shop at local discount retailers, where products containing BPA may be the only option on the shelf. I’m not comfortable with the fact that my son is protected from the harmful health effects of BPA while others less fortunate than I have children who are feeding from devices that leach a toxic chemical into their food. I believe it is my responsibility, as a citizen and a business owner, a mother and a caretaker, to do my best to protect all families, regardless of their income level.”
Green to Grow’s donations are part of its ongoing outreach philosophy in which it gives back to communities in need while helping to educate them about issues related to their families health and the environment. In addition to its Compass donation, Green to Grow has also created the Bottles to Babies initiative, which uses the Green to Grow web site as a vehicle to connect customers who are no longer using their gently used baby bottles with local non-profit organizations and women’s shelters that accept new or gently-used baby bottle donations. Green to Grow’s Bottles to Babies initiative is truly a grassroots effort. With the help and support of its customers, Green to Grow is in the process of developing a national database of donation drop off locations.
Green to Grow has always committed to seeking environmentally sound solutions and considers the environmental impact of every business decision. The company uses 100% recycled paper and soy inks in all of its packaging and printed corporate materials and has partnered with 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate one percent of its annual sales to environmental literacy education in the K-12 curriculum.
The decision to launch Green to Grow with a line of BPA-free plastic baby bottles grew from the founders growing knowledge and research on the potential dangers presented by polycarbonate plastic, which contains the hormone disruptor bisphenol A—a neurological, developmental, and reproductive toxicant—and from their frustration over the lack of options in the market. The founders believed concerned parents like themselves would welcome safer alternatives. In their efforts to ensure the highest level of quality and safety, they have their bottles tested for BPA, phthalates, and lead at laboratories in the U.S. and in Europe.
About Green to Grow
Founded in 2007 by husband and wife Michael Ritterbrown and Shelley Aronoff, Green to Grow is an eco-friendly and BPA-free baby bottle and accessories manufacturer and distributor based in Los Angeles, California. Committed to providing parents with safe feeding options for their families, all Green to Grow products are free of BPA, phthalates, lead and PVC. Green to Grow manufacturers and distributes a line of BPA-free plastic baby bottles, glass baby bottles, silicone nipples, starter/gift sets, organic cotton baby cloths, totes, and accessories
For more information, or to schedule an interview with Green to Grow Vice President Shelley Aronoff, contact Renee Cooper at Christie Communications: (805) 962-1347 or rcooper ( @ ) christiecomm dot com dot
Renee Cooper
Christie Communications
(805) 962-1347
rcooper ( @ ) christiecomm dot com
Shelley Aronoff
Green to Grow
(323) 257-4769
shelley ( @ ) greentogrow dot com
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