Plastics 101
Confused about which plastics are safer for you and your kids? You’re not alone! Here are the ABCs to help you make healthy choices.
The numbers and abbreviations to the left are recycling codes, which can be found on the bottoms of most food and beverage containers.
|
Ok to use? |
# |
Type of Plastic |
Common Uses |
Ingredients of Concern |
|
|
1 |
PET, PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate |
Bottled water, juice, and soda Containers for prepared foods such as ketchup, mustard, dressing, and peanut butter Bottled cooking oil |
-- |
|
|
2 |
HDPE: |
Cloudy baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles Bottled milk, water, and juice Cereal box liners Grocery bags |
-- |
|
|
3 |
PVC, Vinyl, V: |
Lunch boxes Commercial cling wrap If you purchase cling-wrapped foods, remove the wrap and transfer food to a safer container |
May contain phthalates, plasticizers linked with birth defects and asthma May contain lead, which harms children’s learning and behavior |
 |
4 |
LDPE: |
Cloudy baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles Bags for bread, frozen foods and fresh produce Zip-loc bags Consumer cling wrap (such as GladTM and Saran) |
-- |
|
|
5 |
PP: |
Cloudy baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles Containers for storing leftovers (such as GladwareTM and Rubbermaid) Dairy and deli tubs Squeezable bottles for ketchup, honey, syrup, etc. |
-- |
|
|
6 |
PS: |
Carryout food containers Styrofoam cups and dishware |
Styrene: possible carcinogen, toxic to the nervous system |
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|
7 |
Other: Bio-based plastics, which can also be coded as #7 Other, are ok to use. |
Clear baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles Polycarbonate can be colored but is always clear, not cloudy |
Bisphenol A (BPA): estrogen-mimicking chemical linked with cancer, changes in behavior, and altered immune function
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Learn more about choosing safer plastics on our other pages:
