PLASTICS

What Do The Numbers Mean? These numbers tell you which plastics are considered safe and which are not safe There are seven numbers you will find on plastic containers, reflecting seven different types of plastic available in the market The number is a resin identification code associated with the type of plastic used in the container

Plastic #1 Polyethylene terephthalate PETE or PET Usually clear Most disposable soda & H 2 O Considered generally safe Known to have porous surface…allows bacteria & flavor to accumulate Best not to keep reusing Picked up by most curbside recycling programs

Plastic #2 High density polyethylene HDPE Usually opaque Considered safe Low risk of leaching Picked up by most recycling programs

Plastic #3 Polyvinyl chloride PVC Tough plastic Not safe to cook food near Contains chemicals that interfere with hormonal development Rarely accepted by recycling programs Food wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes

Plastic #4 Low density polyethylene LDPE Considered safe Not often accepted by curbside recycling programs Grocery bags, squeezable bottles, bread bags, some food wraps

Plastic #5 Polypropylene PP Considered safe Increasingly being accepted by curbside recycling programs Yogurt cups, medicine bottles, straws, ketchup & syrup bottles

Plastic #6 Polystyrene, Styrofoam PS Increasing evidence indicating #6 leaches potentially toxic chemicals Food containers, egg cartons Difficult to recycle, most programs won’t accept it

Plastic #7 OTHER Polycarbonate, BPA!! Modern plastics from iPods to computer cases Baby food bottles, stain resistant food containers Leach BPA into hot beverages, bad for human hormones

BPA You may recall there was a big scare recently over BPA plastic leaching chemicals into water bottles and baby feeding bottles, after studies showed that BPA mimics estrogen and interferes with hormone levels BPA= bisphenol-A

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