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Shopper’s Guide to Plastics & Food: Alternatives to the Problem Plastics
Allison Sloan and Pamela Lundquist
The Green Guide #88/89Sunday, July 01, 2007
These simple steps will help you reduce the use of plastics for food packaging and storage.
Reducing Your Risk of Exposure to Chemicals from Plastics
These simple steps will help you reduce the use of plastics for food packaging and storage. Since plastics are more or less unavoidable in certain instances, you may wish to use only these less toxic plastics: #1 PETE, #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP . While these plastics may also leak chemicals into foods, no studies to date suggest that these chemicals are hormone disruptors, or that they cause cancer or other ill health effects.
Packaging
- Choose refillable containers! Glass, for example, can be re-used for food storage.
- Choose packaging that’s made from truly recyclable materials: paper, glass, metal cans. (Purchasing recycled paper products completes the recycling loop!)
- Bring your own container to salad bars, yogurt shops, etc. — any place you’ll be served in plastic!
- Buy in bulk, whenever possible. It’s the least-packaged option.
- For wrapped foods, choose butcher paper, waxed paper or cellulose bags.
- Bring cloth bags to your supermarket to carry groceries home.
- Choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE) whenever plastic cannot be avoided! These are the most commonly recycled plastics.
- Avoid plastics that aren’t readily recyclable: #3 (PVC), #4 (LDPE), #5 (PP), #6 (PS), #7 (often polycarbonate).
- Avoid single-use, disposable packaging.
Storage
- Avoid plastics that leach questionable chemicals: #3 (PVC), #6 (PS), #7 (often polycarbonate).
- Avoid plastic cutlery and dinnerware. Use stainless steel utensils and look for recycled paper products.
- Microwave foods and drinks in oven-proof glass or ceramic dishes with lids. Never let plastic wrap touch food while in the microwave!
- When purchasing cling-wrapped foods from the supermarket or deli, slice off a thin layer where the food came into contact with the plastic and store the rest in a glass or ceramic container, or non-PVC cling wrap.
- See the Plastics Product Chart (PDF) to help you identify which brands of plastic containers and wraps are safer.
In addition to shopping with these things in mind, you can also write a letter to manufacturers of food and drink packaged in plastics, indicating your concern about plastics and how they negatively impact our health, our children’s health, and the health of our environment – especially if their packaging is #3, #6, #7. Tell them you are actively seeking products packaged in safe, reusable glass, metal, recycled paper, as well as bulk-packaged items that use resources most efficiently. Contact manufacturers through their toll-free question/comment, usually listed on the back of the product, and ask for a mailing address.
Posted by physician jobs on 02/03/2011 at 12:29 AM
The harmful side of plastics have already been made aware to the general public and I believe what now remains is to suggest the people what all could be done in order to replace the plastics which were used up and until now! The best solution, in my opinion is to go for recyclable materials and among them, glass is one of the best! It can be used again and again especially when it comes to storing food!
Posted by Tony on 12/22/2010 at 03:53 PM
Not only is it great advice and helpful to the environment but you can save money. For example, by buying one set of real silverware, you are more than likely going to save money over the long haul versus buying plastic.
Posted by Plastic Dinnerware on 08/03/2009 at 01:46 AM
Now a days plastics are used across the harvest and post harvest sectors of the Australian seafood industry and whether potential alternatives/substitutes are available. The scope of the project originally related to examining only the post harvest sector.
Posted by Tony Svehlik on 03/09/2009 at 02:16 AM
Dear Consumer
On website; >>www.noharm.org<< you can find also hazard of soft plastic film (which leach harmful chemicals Phthalates) Which some EU country declare as health hazard for food packaging technology and in Australian food stores,are more and more food is wrapped with Plastics film (Phthalates). Phthalates are for health hazard as BPA in human life. US Universities and Health Canada issue warming of plastics toxic for baby bottles, but is toxic according
EWG USA and lot of Universities of USA said get rid from our diet and home.
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Posted by Josh on 03/30/2011 at 10:12 AM
My wife is always up to date with information like this. Several years ago we heated something up in a plastic container and it made the food taste horrible like something leaked into our food. Since then my wife has done some research and purchase all glass containers for storing food. Now if someone in our family gets lazy heating something up they don’t have to worry about anything harmful leaking into their food. This is some great information that is very important for people.