Good to know - plastic food containers

[Live and Learn]

Is It Safe to Reuse Plastic Food Containers?
Laura Tedesco
June 29, 2015

Is the fleet of plastic containers in your fridge putting your health at risk?

Between sturdy take-out boxes, margarine tubs, and inexpensive plastic containers, it’s not hard in today’s day and age to find a home for your leftover pasta. In fact, the average American woman owns 22 plastic food containers, and half of women repurpose food packaging as storage containers, according to a ShopSmart survey.

That may sound resourceful, but among experts, it’s actually some cause for concern. In the short term, “the biggest risk is bacterial contamination,” says Rolf Halden, PhD, director of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Environmental Security at Arizona State University. If a container is intended for one-time use, it may not be designed for easy cleaning, potentially allowing germs to proliferate the longer you hang on to it.

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But before your toss your tub, check the bottom for the recycling code, a number that can help you identify what type of plastic your container is made from. If you see #2, #4, or #5, then you’re most likely in the clear for chemicals, which means you can safely reuse your container, whether you bought it at the supermarket or brought it home from a restaurant, says Daniel Schmidt, PhD, an associate professor of plastics engineering at the University of Massachusetts.

More info on the codes: https://www.yahoo.com/health/is-it-safe-to-reuse-plastic-food-containers-122450914272.html

[JimDandy]

1. Live and learn... great nom de plume for this post.

[Live and Learn]

2. Thanks and DU is a great place for the learning. nt

[DawgHouse]

3. I reuse containers all the time.

I would like to know how many plastic food containers the average American man owns, though.

"In fact, the average American woman owns 22 plastic food containers, and half of women repurpose food packaging as storage containers, according to a ShopSmart survey."