Is it safe?

I took a look at the containers I have here, both bought ones designed for the purpose, and ones I am reusing from my pantry & fridge. They are all made from the same plastic, labeled with recycling code 5, or the letters PP for polypropylene. Polypropylene has not been associated with any health concerns, and does not leach chemicals into the food stored within it. Whether reused or bought, make sure you wash them well between uses.

Even better, according to Recycle Now’s guide to plastic recycling codes, polypropylene is often not accepted by recycling centers, so reusing them is saving them from the landfill too. When it does come time to dispose of them, check with your local facility about recycling before throwing them out – ours here in Alameda does indeed take code 5 plastic.

What About Water Bottles?

There have been some questions about the safety of reusing bottles marked with code 1 – PETE. The American Chemical Council has a page talking about the safety of polyethylene terephthalate bottles. Their conclusion is that they are safe if well washed. The only exception they list is PET trays used for microwaveable food. Other sites seem to confirm this view that these bottles are safe to refill. Organic Picks has a list of safe and unsafe plastics that looks like this:

If you’re still worried, the good news is that they are easily recycled. Just remember to take the caps off before throwing them in the blue cart.

Of course, you’d be doing the environment (and your wallet) a bigger favour by not buying your water in bottles in the first place. A water filter and some reusable water bottles. Avoid the trendy clear plastic polycarbonate ones though as there is still a concern about chemicals leaching from those into the water, especially if it is hot water. There are plenty out there made from safe plastics, including the safe polypropylene (code 5) used for those storage containers, or you can opt for a cool stainless steel bottle. At home, think about using a glass.

Other Storage Jars

On the subject of glass, the other type of container from your pantry that you might want to think about keeping is glass jars; the kind that things like pasta sauces, pickles and salsa dip come in. These can be washed easily, and reused for storing your own sauces and other food items in the kitchen.

Why?

Some interesting facts from the folks over at reusablebags.com:

• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)
• According to the industry publication Modern Plastics, Taiwan consumes 20 billion bags a year—900 per person.

So, all those plastic bags end up somewhere. And that somewhere is often bad for the environment. Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade. Which means that the break down into smaller and smaller bits, and those bits contaminate soil and waterways or enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them.

There is a swirling vortex of plastic waste in the north Pacific estimated to be as much as twice the size of Texas already. And it is not just the oceans that are affected. Everywhere from Australia and Africa to Antarctica people are collecting increasing numbers of plastic bags blowing in the wind.

Counter

Here is a counter from reusablebags.com showing an estimate for the number of plastic bags consumed this year alone:

What Can I Do?

Take bags with you to the supermarket, or insist on paper if you forget. If you’re only getting one or two items, don’t use a bag at all (you’d be surprised how many people I see walk out of the supermarket at lunch time carrying a single sandwich in a plastic bag). If you do use a plastic bag, see if you can return it to the supermarket for recycling. At the very least, if all else fails, make sure you dispose of it properly!