Here's a "Know Your Plastics" sticky note. To check which plastics are which, look under the bottle or container you are holding:

#1 PET: Safe for one use but unsafe for reuse. It releases BBP, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates, DEHA (carcinogens), and antimony with repeated use and under heat. And bacteria. Found in your branded soda and water bottles. Most recyclable.

#2 HDPE: High-density polyethylene. Used as a raw material in the production of products such as milk bottles, juice bottles, water pipes, yogurt and margarine tubs, trash bags, retail bags, and some food containers. No known leeching agents. Considered safe. Like PET, it is in demand as a recyclable material.

#3 PVC: Polyvinyl chloride. Contains DEHP, a phthalate, a suspected carcinogen and reproductive toxicant. Found in cling films, juice bottles, almost everywhere.

#4 LDPE: Low-density polyethylene. Used as frozen food bags, squeezable bottles, some cling films. No known leeching agents. Considered safe.

#5 PP (polypropylene): Used in a lot of reusable containers like Medela baby bottles, takeaway plastic containers. No known leeching agents. Considered the safest.

#6 Polystyrene: Human carcinogen. Found in coffee cups, egg cartons, yogurt and margarine containers, and takeaway containers.

#7 Polycarbonate: The worst! Avoid at all costs. Contains bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone disruptor which leeches into the contents of your bottle when stressed by heat and age. Causes obesity, breast cancer, crosses generations to cause birth defects and miscarriages in grandchildren. Found in baby bottles and sports bottles.

No label: Beware. Don't use.

Solution: Switch to glass and/or stainless steel. I have thrown out my non-stick pans and am quickly eliminating all plastic from the food in the house (and also canned foods which may be lined with BPA). Our plastic water kettle has been replaced by a stainless steel one. Ditto for all pots and pans, plus one cast iron pan. If you must use plastic, please recycle them, especially #1 and #2.

For more info, check out Raw Polymers Ltd.

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