Posted by Alanna Fincke
Happy Earth Day! This weekend, do something healthy for yourself and the environment by cleaning out your cupboards. Specifically, take a look at your plastic products: food storage containers, wraps, and bags. Some of these products may leach chemicals into your food. Don’t worry—you don’t need to toss them all. Instead, take some time to learn the ground rules for different types of plastic so you can strike a reasonable balance between convenience and caution.
- Disposable containers: This plastic has a relatively high melting point, so it's usually safe for warm or cold foods. Reuse them only as long as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Dairy Tubs: Designed to store food at cold temperatures for a limited time, these containers will likely melt if subjected to heat, increasing your risk of exposure to chemical additives—so reuse them for cold foods only and recycle them when you see signs of wear, such as discoloration, warping, or scratches.
- Produce Bags: These do not appear to cause health problems and are free of plasticizers— chemicals often added to plastic for flexibility that some animal studies have linked to hormone dysfunction. To minimize exposure to preservatives, avoid using these bags with high-fat foods, which absorb additives more readily.
- Cling Wrap: Choose wraps made from plastic called LDPE, such as those from Glad or Saran, since those made from PVC plastic contain a known carcinogen. In the microwave, use ceramic or glass covers; wraps can melt and release chemicals upon contact with hot foods and liquids.
- Durable Containers: Choose containers marked with #4 or #5; those marked #7 can leach low levels of chemicals. Avoid using them to heat sugary foods, like syrup or sweetened tomato sauce, which reach very high temperatures and are more likely to melt plastic.
- Takeout containers: Since few takeout containers undergo testing to ensure safety beyond one-time usage, don't keep them for storage. Instead, store leftovers in another container. Also, don't reheat your food in them—even if your takeout shows up cold—unless you see a "microwave safe" label on the bottom.
- Zippered Bags: These plastics have not been found to leach harmful chemicals, but save them for cold, low-fat foods. Both types of plastic melt fairly easily in this form, and fatty foods are more likely to absorb preservatives used in the plastic.
Get more clarity on plastic do's and don'ts
Plastics Unwrapped
Question: Do you have any ideas for ways to cut down on the amount of plastic used in your kitchen?
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