What does the number at the bottom of plastic containers mean?

Question

I am concerned about something I have recently been told. DO NOT microwave anything plastic or the chemicals from the plastic will be absorbed in your food

Answer 1

The numbers 1-7 refer to the type of plastic and how it can be recycled.
It probably is not a good idea to microwave in plastic containers. Plastics can break down with heat..

Answer 2

you are probably refering to the SPI code, the number inside the recylce logo, correct? A plastic package should have one number between 1 and 7. 1 thru 6 correspond to a particular different plastic. read this
http://www.plasticsindustry.org/outreach/recycling/2124.htm

The concern you've heard about is old, and often debunked. And you really can trust that if some plastic is marked as 'microwaveable' then it is safe to use in the microwave.
But in general if the plastic container is not marked as microwaveable, then you just can't be sure. You can bet that you're getting some exposure to a wide variety of chemicals just from food sitting in containers, especially acidic or fatty foods. So if you're already worried, then you might as well not risk adding even more by microwaving a container that has not been tested or certified for that application.
so a truer statement would be, 'do not microwave anything plastic unless it is inteded to be microwaved, or you MIGHT have some higher than normal chemical exposure'.

Answer 3

ok, plastic is a very general term; it describes a type of material, or a material's characteristics, rather than a material itself. there are all sorts of plastics, but if you are talking about the numbers on the bottom of some packaging, this information should help you.

the number on the bottom indicates the type of (petroleum-based) plastic resin used, and these are for recycling. these numbers are prescribed by the resin identification coding system.

common plastics in use in the US are:

1 PET, or PETE, Polyethylene Terephthalate; commonly used for soda bottles (transparent)
2 HDPE, High Density Polyethylene; used in two forms, for things like milk cartons (translucent) and shampoo bottles (opaque)
3 PVC, Polyvinyl Chloride; not so much for food containers; but in pipes and binders.
4 LDPE, Low Density Polyethylene; grocery bags, garbage bags, lids
5 PP, Polypropylene; yogurt and sour cream containers, medicine bottles.
6 PS, Polystyrene (Styrofoam); to-go containers, "disposable" cups
7 Other, something other than the other things in this list.

Note that in the US, 1 and 2 are usually accepted at most recycling centers that accept plastic, and bags made with 4 are usually accepted at grocery stores and Walmart. 3, 5, and 6 are very hard to find places to recycle. You may wish to think about this when purchasing packaged foods at the grocery store.

Note that all of these are petroleum products....a company called NatureWorks is now making 30 different varieties of plastic containers made from corn. Completely renewable, as well as biodegrable. Walmart has started to package some of its vegetables in corn-based plastic, and some of Dole's packaging also uses corn-based plastic.

Answer 4

What is a safe number for drinks such as tea, lemonade?