Plastic is everywhere, and that can be a good thing. It’s versatile and durable, making it perfect for storing food in your kitchen cabinets, pantry or fridge. However, you need to be careful about what kind of plastic you use—and how long it’s stored after opening—to ensure that your stored foods remain safe from contamination. Let find more here what are the key things to check when you are using rectangle plastic tub or other plastic container.
While there are many types of plastic on the market today, only seven types are stable enough for food storage.
While there are many types of plastic on the market today, only seven types are stable enough for food storage. These seven plastics are PET, PVC, HDPE, LDPE, PP and PS (polystyrene). The other plastics—polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE or linear low density) and polypropylene (PP) — have been found to leach harmful chemicals into foods stored in them.
When manufacturing plastic containers, manufacturers use a recycling symbol that corresponds to the type of plastic used.
When manufacturing plastic containers, manufacturers use a recycling symbol that corresponds to the type of plastic used. The recycling symbol is usually found on the bottom of your container, and it looks something like this:
- A triangle with a number in it. This number corresponds to the type of plastic used in making your container (e.g., #1 = polypropylene).
- The number can be in any shape—it doesn’t have to be vertical or horizontal; sometimes it’s circular; sometimes it’s diagonal.
Plastic containers can be recycled and reused if they’re not too worn out.
You can recycle your plastic containers such as stand-up pouches, and reuse them if they’re not too worn out. Learn more about DaklaPack custom printed recyclable stand-up pouches.
Plastic containers are made from petroleum, which is derived from crude oil. The process of turning crude oil into plastic requires a lot of energy, so recycling this material helps reduce our use of fossil fuels. In fact, as much as 80% of all plastics in America’s landfills come from recycling old products like bottles and cans—not buying them new!
If you want to recycle your food storage containers at home or if you want to save money by using reusable ones instead of disposable ones (which can cost upwards of 50 cents per item), there are plenty options available online or through local pharmacies:
- The Container Store sells everything from stainless steel lunch boxes to large glass jars with lids; some products even include small amounts of natural ingredients such as garlic salt or oregano oil inside them.* *The Environmental Protection Agency has created an easy-to-follow guide that includes instructions on how best practices should be followed while recycling.*
Don’t expose your plastic containers to extreme temperatures or microwave them.
- Don’t expose your plastic containers to extreme temperatures or microwave them.
- Don’t leave plastic containers in the sun for long periods of time.
- Make sure they’re not touching each other when stored, so that they don’t stick together and become one big lump of material.
Be sure your plastics are safe for storing food.
When it comes to plastic containers, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First and foremost, look for the recycling symbol on the bottom of your container. The recycling symbol is an internationally recognized sign that tells you whether or not a plastic container recycles properly. If it doesn’t have one, then you don’t want to use it for food storage!
If possible avoid using cracked or scratched up containers—they may contain harmful chemicals that could leach into your food when heated or microwaved (or even just reheated). Larger cracks can also pose potential safety risks and should be avoided as well.
The same goes for worn out containers; they may not hold up as well when used with hot foods later on down the road so why take unnecessary risks? Don’t put anything in your dishwasher either; this will only wear off more quickly than usual while also potentially causing damage to other parts of your appliance such as heating elements inside which could cause fires if left unattended too long after washing has finished its cycle…
Conclusion
While plastic containers are convenient for storing food, there’s no need to worry about their safety. The seven types of plastic that are safe for food storage include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and nylon. These types of plastics have been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as safe for storing food. However, if you have concerns about your plastic containers, you can always contact the manufacturer or check with your local recycling center to see if they accept them.
