Choosing Safer Products: Lunchboxes and Food Storage
| PRODUCT TYPE: |
 |
 |
| Lunch boxes & bags | Cloth bags or metal lunch boxes. |
Lunch boxes and bags made of vinyl (PVC), which may contain lead. |
| Food storage containers | Glass containers, or plastic
containers labeled with these recycling codes:
1: PET 2: HDPE 4: LDPE 5: PP Plastic containers for leftovers are typically made of these safer plastics. |
Plastic containers labeled with
these recycling codes:
3: PVC, V, or vinyl 6: PS 7: Other (usually polycarbonate, sometimes coded PC) |
| Water bottles | Unlined stainless steel bottles
(such as Kleen Kanteen) or plastic bottles labeled with these recycling
codes:
1: PET 2: HDPE 4: LDPE 5: PP  |
Water bottles made of
transparent, rigid plastic of various colors. These are typically made of polycarbonate, which leaches
BPA (bisphenol-A). To identify polycarbonate bottles, look for the #7, Other, or PC codes on the bottom. If you cannot find the codes, avoid any plastic bottle that is transparent and not opaque/cloudy. (Bio-based plastics may also be labeled #7 or Other.) |
| PRODUCT TYPE: |
 |
 |
| Plastic bags and wrap | Plastic bags and cling wrap (for
residential use) are made of safer plastics. Waxed paper is also convenient for
wrapping food. |
Healthy Tips!
-
To be on the safe side, avoid heating plastic bags and cling wrap in the microwave. Put food in glass or ceramic dishware and cover with waxed paper or paper towels instead.
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If you buy deli items such as cheese that are packaged in cling wrap, cut off a thin layer where the food contacted the wrap and store in a safer container. Commercial-grade cling wrap is usually made of vinyl (PVC), which may contain phthalates.
Learn more:
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Safe Start for Kids: Plastics 101
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FastFacts: PVC and Other Plastics
-
Pollution in People: Guide to Choosing Safer Kitchenware
-
Center for Environmental Health: Lead in Children’s Lunch Boxes
