Probably the #1 comment I get from friends and family regarding my baby registry inventory is to make sure the bottles I register for are BPA-free. BPA is Bisphenol-A. I found the below useful description on the Mommy Auctions blog.

"Bisphernol-A is an additive used in the production of epoxy and polyvinyl carbonate (PVC: the type of plastic to be feared). It’s scientific name comes from it’s base molecules: two of phenol and one acetone (yep, like your favorite nail polish remover). It is in most of the clear hard plastics, so a fairly accurate guideline in guessing whether your favorite plastic has BPA in it is that most opaque or colored plastics are BPA Free, as are the soft plastics like bottle liners. BPA begins to seep out of plastics and contaminate whatever they hold. It used to be believed that this only happened if the plastic was scratched or heated, but recent reports show that BPA leaks in even the newest plastic. About 2 years ago, scientific reports began to emerge that linked BPA to problems in the endocrine, reproductive and metabolic systems. These problems included prostate and breast cancer, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, fertility issues and diabetes. There are preliminary findings that show that a folic acid supplement can counteract the effects of the chemical, but nothing is proven in that area yet."

I recently learned that Babies R Us (the baby-Vegas strip mall store that I loathe) is accepting all old used bottles for store credit as an exchange policy for new BPA-free bottles. No proof of purchase is necessary. I was perfectly comfortable disliking this store for its mass marketing appeal, then there they go being good corporate citizens using the profits they've made from selling useless things like diaper wipe warmers to expecting first time moms. I guess its good old retail chain karma, you sell over-priced rainbow colored plastic toys and baby accessories so that you can refund plastic accessories. I am thinking of opening a store that sells wood toys and accessories, though I don't know how well I'd do with wood bottles. Hey, wine is made in wood casks. Maybe I should jump start a new movement to store breast milk in wine casks. My breast milk is bound to have traces of cabernet in it anyway.