Safe Plastics Chart
May 30, 2008
LOOKING FOR A STRAIGHT FORWARD GUIDE TO WHICH PLASTICS ARE SAFE AND WHICH ARE NOT? Read More Here…
There is A LOT of talk these days about plastics. The hot topic of course is which one’s are safe, and where are these un-safe plastics lurking. You may be surprised.
Here is the run down on plastics and what each number represents, print and use this chart as your personal “cheat sheet”.
|
Safer or Unsafe |
Found In… |
Chemicals of Concern |
|
#1 Plastic
SAFER |
Bottled water, juice, and soda Containers for prepared foods, and cooking oil, mayo etc. Boil-in-The-Bag Pouches Microwave Food Trays |
– |
|
#2 Plastic: AKA: HDPE SAFER
|
Cloudy Baby Bottles, and Sippy Cups. Bottled Drinks
Bottles for Laundry Detergent, Motor Oil, etc.
|
– |
|
# 3 Plastics AKA: PVC
NOT SAFE!
|
Soft squishy toys (i.e. “rubber duckie”) Shower Curtain Liners Some Food Storage (i.e. cling wrap, baggies) Children’s Lunch Boxes Gel Filled or Soft Plastic Teethers Anything that releases that “gassy” smell when you unpack it.
|
|
|
# 4 Plastics AKA: LDPE
SAFER |
Cloudy Baby Bottles, Sippy Cups etc. Dry cleaning bags, grocery store bags Food storage containers, “squeezable bottles” |
– |
|
#5 Plastics AKA: PP
SAFER |
Cloudy Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups Some Food Storage Containers Beauty products (i.e. Shampoo etc.) |
– |
|
Plastic #6 AKA: PS (Styrofoam) UNSAFE! |
Carryout food containers Cups and dishware Styrofoam Packing Materials |
|
|
Plastic #7
AKA: PC or “Other” Plastics UNSAFE! * There is one exception, please see next column. |
Clear Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups Toys * Note “Bio-Based” plastics (i.e. Corn Based plastics) are also labeled #7 and are O.K. to use. |
(AKA BPA) |
What Can You Do?
* Read labels and steer clear of “unsafe” plastics that can leach such as #3, #6 and #7 plastics.
* Be an advocate. For example, if your local coffee shop is using #6 lids to “protect” you from spilling your hot drink, ask them to up the ante and switch to a #5 lid.
As you can see, these plastics vary, and some even overlap in their uses. The good news is, is that manufacturers are on to consumer demands for safer plastics, so you should be able to find the product you are looking for pretty easily, you just have to know what you are looking for.
If you are interested in some safer plastics, please visit our following links to enter the online store.
- For SAFE (BPA FREE) BABY BOTTLES please click HERE.
- For SAFE (BPA FREE) FEEDING SUPPLIES please click HERE.
- For SAFE (BPA FREE) TOYS please click HERE.
- For SAFE FOOD STORAGE please click HERE.
- For SAFE COOKWARE please click HERE.
FIND OUT MORE:
Interested in finding our more about plastics?
Check out our following articles by clicking on any of the BLUE links below.
* SAFE BABY BOTTLES
* FEEDING BABY BPA FREE
* BPA FREE BABY TOYS
* HEALTHY COOKWARE and FOOD STORAGE
Thank you for supporting this site. I hope that the above information has provided you with the tools to make safe and healthy choices for you and for your family.
If you have any other questions and would like to email me, please do so at anytime at:
pregnancyandbabyinformation@gmail.com
10% of all of the net proceeds from www.pregnancyandbabyinformation.com go to various charities to improve children’s health and to protect the environment. Please support our site by visiting our online retail store, or by visiting our advertisers. We thank you for your support!
TERMS and DEFINITIONS:
BPA: Otherwise known as Bisphenol-A, is a common plasticizer, which is found in PVC (the soft plastic, or #3 plastic), and polycarbonate plastic, the clear shatterproof plastic, which is often used in water bottles, and baby bottles. BPA has been linked to:
* Reproductive Harm
* Obesity
* Cancer (breast and prostate)
* Hormonal Disruptions
* Possible Neurotoxicity
Lead: Lead is often used in plastics as a stabilizer to extend the life of the plastic. Lead is a neurotoxin, which accumulates in soft tissues and bone. Prolonged exposure can damage nervous connections and has been linked to disorders relating to:
* Blood
* Brain
Phthalates: Phthalates are another common plasticizer, which are found en-mass in everything from nail polish to body lotions, i-pods, to soft plastic toys so it is more of a challenge to avoid them. Phthalates are added to plastics (such as PVC toys…i.e. “rubber duckie”) to make them soft and flexible. They are also found in Synthetic “Fragrance”, otherwise known as Diethyl Phthalate or DEP (i.e. air fresheners, scented candles, cosmetic “fragrance”, household “fragrance”). Phthalates have been identified by the CDC as a cause of concern for links to:
* Birth Defects
* Allergies
* Damage to the Liver and Testes
Plasticizers: Vice versa of what’s said above. Plasticizers (such as Phthalates) are added to make plastics softer and more flexible. When you smell that “gassy” smell, those are the added plasticizers hard at work to make your shower curtain fold up in a neat little square, or that “new car smell” we all enjoy so much.
PVC: Otherwise known as Polyvinyl Chloride, often contains Phthalates to make the material more flexible. PVC is found in a variety of everyday items (i.e. shower curtains, the garden hose, etc.). When you smell that “gas” like smell come out of the plastic, it’s most likely PVC. The concern here is that PVC contains additional chemicals, which can leach out of the toys, bottles, etc. Vinyl, traditional soft gel teethers, or bath toys such as rubber duckies, waterproof books, bathing dolls etc. are all prime examples of PVC toys and should be avoided.
Styrene: Otherwise known as Styrofoam is “plastic foam”. High exposure to Styrene (1000 times greater than those found in the natural environment) has been found to have adverse effects on the nervous system such as:
* Change in Color Vision
* Slow Reaction Time
* Balance/Concentration Problems
To name a few.
The EPA has stated that Styrene is a “suspected” carcinogen, as well as “suspected” toxin for:
* Gastrointestinal
* Kidney
* Respiratory Systems
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