Green Guide to Plastics
I promised the Mums at ballet that I would remember to put this post up - see it’s not just us ‘greenies’ who are worried about our children’s exposure to plastics, it’s everyone’s worry.
The following post has been copied from the blog site - http://earthyhouse.com I apologise for copying but I thought it more important to get the information out there than to leave it on my ‘to do’ list that is literally metres long.
If you look on the bottom of any plastic item, most of them are marked with a triangle that contains a number. Here’s the list according to the ‘Green Guide’ on what’s safe and what’s not.
A. Some types of plastics can leach traces of chemicals into foods and beverages. These chemicals include suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to reproductive system harm. Plastic used for containers can be identified by their recycling codes, as listed below. Most wraps on pre-packaged foods lack identifying symbols. As a precaution, you can unwrap these foods and store them in nontoxic glass, ceramic or steel bowls, or Ziploc bags (made of LDPE). Heat promotes leaching: To be safest, never microwave or heat foods in plastics.
#1 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET): No known hazards.
#2 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE): No known hazards.
#3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl): Plasticizers are added to many PVC products to make them flexible. These include phthalates — suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). DEHA, another possible endocrine disruptor, was found to leach from PVC cling wraps into cheese in 1998 tests by Consumer Reports. Grocery stores commonly use PVC to wrap deli meats and cheeses. Reynolds cling wrap is PVC. Appalachian Mountain spring water and some vegetable oils are bottled in PVC. And PVC’s manufacture and incineration produces highly toxic dioxins, as does the PVDC used in Saran Wrap, according to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. AVOID THIS PLASTIC
#4 Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE): No known hazards.
#5 Polypropylene (PP): No known hazards.
#6 Polystyrene (PS or Styrofoam): Made from styrene, a suspected carcinogen, PS also contains p-nonylphenol; both chemicals are suspected EDCs. Do not consume fatty foods or alcoholic beverages from Styrofoam containers; styrene can leach into these substances. Some opaque plastic cutlery is PS, as well. AVOID THIS PLASTIC
#7 Other Resins, including Polycarbonate (PC): Most clear plastic baby bottles and 5-gallon water bottles are made of PC. Bisphenol-A, an EDC in PC, has been found in water and heated infant formulas bottled in PC, as well as food cans lined with a plastic film. AVOID THIS PLASTIC
Resources:
The Green Guide #88/89: Shopper’s Guide to Plastics and Food
Weego glass baby feeding bottles are now shipping from ecobabe
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