Announcing that it would remove chemicals of concern from its baby products by 2013, the personal care giant Johnson & Johnson is following through on a commitment it made after relentless pressure from health and environmental groups.

Major chemical companies have been seeking to block the addition of several new categories of chemicals proposed under the Toxic Substances Control Act by the EPA that the agency says could be a threat to humans and the environment.

You can find a lot of nasty stuff in plastics used to package our foods, such as water bottles. The most notorious is BPA - short for Bisphenol A - a compound used to make plastic, which has been linked to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and neurological disorders in fetuses, infants, and young children.

Not to mention all this plastic is polluting our planet by clogging up landfills and floating around our ocean, like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch; a giant island of trash and plastic roughly the size of Texas in the North Pacific Ocean.

But one Washington, DC supermarket is doing its part to cut out plastic, banning water bottles from sale in its six regional supermarkets.

MOM's Organic Market has launched its “Battle the Bottle” campaign, kicking plastic water bottles out of stores. And instead MOM's will be installing water filtration machines in stores, allowing shoppers to refill their own bottles for free, but only up to one gallon. The filters will be up and running in a few weeks.

A spokesperson for MOM's said, “Societies are truly addicted to plastic, much in the way we are addicted to oil.

MOM's campaign is in support of DC's anti-plastic push. The city already adds a 5-cent tax on plastic bags, which has slashed their use dramatically.

I shop with the reusable bags and when I moved I used any plastic bags I did have for box stuffing. I'm a genius!

Image credit: Ozville

McDonald’s has voluntarily recalled approximately 12 million Shrek Forever After collectible glasses (above)—sold since May 21 at the chain’s U.S. restaurants—because they contain high levels of cadmium.

The premium incentive (aka McBribery) was designed to accompany the Shrek Happy Meal promotion (right), which launched last month as a tie-in with the new Shrek 3D movie.

You can thank California Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) for bringing the issue to light. She had been informed last week by anonymous sources that high levels of cadmium had been detected in the glassware, and she alerted the chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission tested the glasses and confirmed they contained cadmium.

All four designs—Puss ’n’ Boots, Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey—are affected by the recall. Refunds will be available beginning Tuesday. Consumers with questions may also call McDonald’s at (800) 244-6227.

“Although McDonald’s did the right thing by recalling these products, we need stronger testing standards to ensure that all children’s products are proven safe before they hit the shelves,"  Speier says. “Cadmium is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children.”

Photos (top to bottom): Consumer Product Safety Commission, McDonald’s