A leading US polycarbonate baby bottle maker has become the first to settle a lawsuit over failure to tell consumers its products contained bisphenol A (BPA). In this landmark case, Philips Electronics Corporation North America reached the settlement last week as part of a multi-district class action. The settlement found that Philips had an obligation to disclose that it was using BPA in its baby bottles and sippy cups. There are similar pending cases against other companies.

Italy is the first country in the European Union to ban non-biodegradable, plastic, single-use, polyethylene-based bags.

The ban began in shops across Italy on 1 January, with only biodegradable, cloth or paper bags to be offered.

Italians use 20 billion plastic bags a year - more than 300 per person.

Supporters of the ban say plastic bags are an environmental hazard which use too much oil to produce and can take decades to break down.

The law for a gradual ban on plastic bags was originally proposed in 2006.

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This blog has reported on a wide range of medical studies that have pointed to various general health and infertility-related problems caused by exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA). Now, a new study led by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), suggests that this harmful chemical may damage a woman's ova before a baby can even be conceived, much less born. The UCSF researchers studied a small subgroup of 26 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) — looking specifically at the impact BPA had on the success of the procedure.

Following the European Commission's decision to ban bisphenol-A (BPA) in the manufacture of baby bottles in 2011, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has begun to consult UK companies and interested parties in the food industry on draft national regulations on the implementation of the European Directive. While many countries in Europe and across the world have banned BPA from children's food containers, the UK has not as yet taken any steps to ban the chemical.

It's not hard to find playthings for your little ones on the market. But if you're looking for the best quality range of products then look no further than Ann-Claire Petit. This Dutch company makes beautiful crocheted toys. Every item is hand made, using stunning colour schemes and natural materials. Much of the crochet work is done in Asia where the women have passed on their handiwork techniques from generation to generation.

A report in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives provides a reason why women who wait find it more difficult than before to get pregnant. A research study on mice shows that mothers that had received the highest doses of BPA early in life had fewer total pregnancies, with just 35 percent of them delivering six or more litters over the eight-month study, compared to 76 percent of the BPA-free mothers. The upshot of the study is that not only is it important to consider the health consequences of BPA exposure, but the level of exposure matters too.

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What great news to end the year with.

The EU has announced a ban on the use of BPA (bisphenol-A) chemical from plastic babies' bottles from June 2011. The commission cited fears that the compound could affect development and immune response in young children.

This news is very welcome - the concern over the use of BPA has been gaining momentum - with six US manufacturers removing it in 2009 from bottles they sold in the US.