BPA & Recycling Plastic

There has been a lot made of BPA lately. One of the mailing lists I am on, the question was raised if it was safe to heat foods in plastic bags, or did they contain BPA. So I went in search of the answer.

BPA is Bisphenol A. It's an additive to some plastics, and according to Wikipedia, It is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. With an annual production of 2–3 million metric tonnes, it is an important monomer in the production of polycarbonate.

Suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, and some retailers removed products made from it off their shelves. (More can be found on this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A)

So right now you are probably freaked out going "I'm never going to use anything plastic again!!!" Well don't freak out yet. All Plastics have a recycle number on them. BPA is only in #3 & #7


Plastic Identification Code
Type of plastic polymer Properties
Common Packaging Applications

#1 -- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE)
Clarity, strength, toughness, barrier to gas and moisture.
Soft drink, water and salad dressing bottles; peanut butter and jam jars

#2 -- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Stiffness, strength, toughness, resistance to moisture, permeability to gas.
Milk, juice and water bottles; trash and retail bags.

#3 -- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (Contains BPA)
Versatility, clarity, ease of blending, strength, toughness.
Juice bottles; cling films; PVC piping

#4 -- Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Ease of processing, strength, toughness, flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture.
Frozen food bags; squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard; cling films; flexible container lids.

#5 -- Polypropylene (PP)
Strength, toughness, resistance to heat, chemicals, grease and oil, versatile, barrier to moisture.
Reusable microwaveable ware; kitchenware; yogurt containers; margarine tubs; microwaveable disposable take-away containers; disposable cups and plates.

#6 -- Polystyrene (PS)
Versatility, clarity, easily formed
Egg cartons; packing peanuts; disposable cups, plates, trays and cutlery; disposable take-away containers;

#7 -- Other (often polycarbonate or ABS) (Containts BPA)
Dependent on polymers or combination of polymers
Beverage bottles; baby milk bottles; electronic casing.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_recycling