http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html
Which Plastics Are Safe?
Adapted from Green Remodeling, by David Johnston and Kim Master (New Society Publishers, 2004).
The news about plastics has been pretty alarming lately, causing some of us to go dashing for the water bottles to see what kind of plastic they are—and find out if we’ve been unwittingly poisoning our children and ourselves with chemicals leaching into the water from them.
If you’ve been concerned, here is a handy chart that identifies the good, bad, and OK plastics and where they are found. Find out here:
1 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Used to make soft drink, water, sports drink, ketchup, and salad dressing bottles, and peanut butter, pickle, jelly and jam jars.
GOOD: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
2 High density polyethylene (HDPE)
Milk, water, and juice bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash, and retail bags.
GOOD: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
3 Polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Most cling-wrapped meats, cheeses, and other foods sold in delicatessens and groceries are wrapped in PVC.
BAD: To soften into its flexible form, manufacturers add “plasticizers” during production. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when in contact with foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly found in PVC, is a suspected human carcinogen.
4 Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
Some bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles.
OK: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones, but not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.
5 Polypropylene (PP)
Some ketchup bottles and yogurt and margarine tubs.
OK: Hazardous during production, but not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones. Not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.
6 Polystyrene (PS)
Foam insulation and also for hard applications (e.g. cups, some toys)
BAD: Benzene (material used in production) is a known human carcinogen. Butadiene and styrene (the basic building block of the plastic) are suspected carcinogens. Energy intensive and poor recycling.
7 Other (usually polycarbonate)
Baby bottles, microwave ovenware, eating utensils, plastic coating for metal cans
BAD: Made with biphenyl-A, a chemical invented in the 1930s in search for synthetic estrogens. A hormone disruptor. Simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer studies. Can leach into food as product ages.
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73 comments
add your comment »is there a site to go to that has good plastics??
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Switch to glass. Plastic is obviously bad, aluminum gets these weird white dots. If you want a great alternative, check out our reusable glass water bottles at www.livinglavidaverde.net. I am very active, but bring this with me everywhere, bike riding, beach, work and have encountered no problems. I love my glass bottle. Come and check us out!
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Switch to glass. Plastic is obviously bad, aluminum gets these weird white dots. If you want a great alternative, check out our reusable glass water bottles at www.livinglavidaverde.net. I am very active, but bring this with me everywhere, bike riding, beach, work and have encountered no problems. I love my glass bottle. Come and check us out!
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Greetings,
Would appreciate advice on good blenders with at least 3HP that does not have jars made with polycarbonate. I have been searching but most jars are made with polycarbonate which i understand is bad plastic. Thanks for advice.
Karen
(reachkarentan@gmail.com)
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Plastic bottles are a growing problem in our landfills and oceans. We felt that something needed to be done……and now.
We felt that plastics made from crops that could be producing food, wasn’t the answer. Many reports indicate that in addition to causing our food process to rise, the equipment and chemicals used to produce food based bio-fuel may be increasing pollution.
We knew that there wasn’t going to be one “fix it all” answer and began to wonder if anything was ever going to be done. The problem was growing every day, more bottles were being manufactured and more bottles were accumulating in places where we didn’t need them.
We were wondering if “Earth Friendly Bottles” would ever be available?
That’s why we decided to do our part and started ENSO Bottles. We are partnering with other companies to offer a PET plastic bottle that will biodegrade, compost or recycle.
Our bottles can be produced in a clear or colored version, however, clear version isn't quite as clear as current PET plastic bottles but then again that's one way to identify our earth friendly bottle.
ENSO is trying to achieve sustainability with our plastic bottles. Our goal is to make bottles that won’t have the adverse impact on our environment and are made from non food bio-fuels.
We haven't started making them from bio-fuel but that’s high on our agenda and hopefully will be something we can offer in the future.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Plastic bottles are a growing problem in our landfills and oceans. We felt that something needed to be done……and now.
We felt that plastics made from crops that could be producing food, wasn’t the answer. Many reports indicate that in addition to causing our food process to rise, the equipment and chemicals used to produce food based bio-fuel may be increasing pollution.
We knew that there wasn’t going to be one “fix it all” answer and began to wonder if anything was ever going to be done. The problem was growing every day, more bottles were being manufactured and more bottles were accumulating in places where we didn’t need them.
We were wondering if “Earth Friendly Bottles” would ever be available?
That’s why we decided to do our part and started ENSO Bottles. We are partnering with other companies to offer a PET plastic bottle that will biodegrade, compost or recycle.
Our bottles can be produced in a clear or colored version, however, clear version isn't quite as clear as current PET plastic bottles but then again that's one way to identify our earth friendly bottle.
ENSO is trying to achieve sustainability with our plastic bottles. Our goal is to make bottles that won’t have the adverse impact on our environment and are made from non food bio-fuels.
We haven't started making them from bio-fuel but that’s high on our agenda and hopefully will be something we can offer in the future.
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What are we supposed to use?? How do we know? Things aren't labeled as having PVC or the other harmful chemicals.
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PLA (corn resin plastic), though it has developed some environmental/social quandaries, does not contain BPA either. Check one PLA water bottle out here:
http://www.thegreatergreen.com/giftsandsundries/newwavecornbottle.html
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Patti, where did you get your information on dioxins in plastics?
Please see this information from an expert at John Hopkins for the truth(There are no dioxins in plastics, freezing works against releasing chemicals):
http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/halden_dioxins2.html
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DO NOT THROW THE OLD PLASTIC AWAY....I know as a conserned Mom my self my first reaction is get this plastic that is hurting my children out of the house...well yes but first we need to know where to take it. If we put it in the trash it is just going to a land fill where it will be rained on and the chemical will be leached out into our ground water that will eventually lead right back to our house (kinda reminds me of Deet) So we need to find a way to recycle it...and by the sounds of it not all plastic is recycled, so we put it in a box and store it (out of reach of our children) and find a way to make sure it is recycled or a scientific way to remove or nutrilize the chemical. Any Ideas?
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