Recent
years, publics have increased their awareness towards plastics. As we all know,
plastics play an extremely important role in our daily lives. Lots of products
are made from plastics.
However,
no all plastic products can be safely used. Some of them might contain
hazardous elements. Also, not all plastic products are reusable. For example,
plastic bottles shouldn’t be reuse as it release poison odour after washed. In
addition, most of the plastics cannot stand heat. Hence, it is not advisable to
pour hot water into plastic bottles. Below, I would like to introduce several
kinds of plastics that we usually use in our daily lives.
1. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Usage: Drinking bottles (soft drin, mineral water, etc)
Advantage: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
Usage: Drinking bottles (soft drin, mineral water, etc)
Advantage: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
2. High density polyethylene (HDPE)
Usage: Milk, water, and juice bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash, and retail bags.
Advantage: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
Usage: Milk, water, and juice bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash, and retail bags.
Advantage: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
3. Polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Usage: Most cling-wrapped meats, cheeses, and other foods sold in delicatessens and groceries are wrapped in PVC.
Disadvantages: To soften into its flexible form, manufacturers add “plasticizers” during production. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when in contact with foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly found in PVC, is a suspected human carcinogen.
Usage: Most cling-wrapped meats, cheeses, and other foods sold in delicatessens and groceries are wrapped in PVC.
Disadvantages: To soften into its flexible form, manufacturers add “plasticizers” during production. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when in contact with foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly found in PVC, is a suspected human carcinogen.
4. Low-density polyethylene
(LDPE)
Usage: Some bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles.
Advantage: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones, but not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.
Usage: Some bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles.
Advantage: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones, but not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.
5. Polypropylene (PP)
Usage: Some ketchup bottles and yogurt and margarine tubs.
Advantage: Hazardous during production, but not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones. Not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.
Usage: Some ketchup bottles and yogurt and margarine tubs.
Advantage: Hazardous during production, but not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones. Not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.
6. Polystyrene (PS)
Usage: Foam insulation and also for hard applications (e.g. cups, some toys)
Disadvantage: Benzene (material used in production) is a known human carcinogen. Butadiene and styrene (the basic building block of the plastic) are suspected carcinogens. Energy intensive and poor recycling.
Usage: Foam insulation and also for hard applications (e.g. cups, some toys)
Disadvantage: Benzene (material used in production) is a known human carcinogen. Butadiene and styrene (the basic building block of the plastic) are suspected carcinogens. Energy intensive and poor recycling.
7. Other (usually polycarbonate)
Usage: Baby bottles, microwave ovenware, eating utensils, plastic coating for metal cans
Disadvantage: Made with biphenyl-A, a chemical invented in the 1930s in search for synthetic estrogens. A hormone disruptor. Simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer studies. Can leach into food as product ages.
Usage: Baby bottles, microwave ovenware, eating utensils, plastic coating for metal cans
Disadvantage: Made with biphenyl-A, a chemical invented in the 1930s in search for synthetic estrogens. A hormone disruptor. Simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer studies. Can leach into food as product ages.
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