Plastics are in most everything, from the jars, cups and containers that hold our foods and beverages to the construction materials that make up our houses. The number with the arrows on the bottom of a plastic bottle is the resin identification (recycling) number, which indicates the type of plastic the item was made from.
Types of plastic include
polyethylene terephthalate (#1: PET, PETE)
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is clear, tough, and shatterproof. It provides a barrier to oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide and is identified with the number 1. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in carbonated soft drink bottles. Take a look at the bottom of your soft drink bottle and you will most likely find a number 1 there. PET is also used to make bottles for water, juice, sports drinks, beer, mouthwash, catsup, and salad dressing. You can also find it on your food jars for peanut butter, jam, jelly, and pickles as well as in microwavable food trays.
Recent studies have shown that reusing bottles made of PET can in fact be dangerous. PET was found to break down over time and leach into the beverage when the bottles were reused. The toxin DEHA also appeared in the water sample from reused water bottles. DEHA has been shown to cause liver problems, other possible reproductive difficulties, and is suspected to cause cancer in humans. Therefore, it's best to recycle these bottles without reusing them.
high-density polyethylene (#2: HDPE)
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is used to make many types of bottles. HDPE has good barrier properties; it's well suited for packaging products with a short shelf life and has good chemical resistance. It is identified with the number 2. HDPE is used in milk, juice, and water bottles along with household items such as shampoo, conditioner, detergent, cleaners, motor oil, and antifreeze. It can also be found in pipe, tiles, plastic film and sheeting, buckets, crates, and recycling bins
polyvinyl chloride (#3: PVC, vinyl) Bad news comes in 3’s
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) can be manufactured to be either rigid or flexible and is identified with the number 3. When flexible, PVC is used for medical bags, shower curtains, shrink wrap, and deli and meat wrap. The rigid PVC comprises 70% of all manufactured PVC. This is used to make construction materials such as pipe, siding, window frames, railing, fencing, and decking.
There are claims that PVC poses serious environmental health threats. According to the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, the production of PVC requires chemicals like the "highly polluting chlorine," the "cancer-causing" vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and ethylene dichloride (EDC). They also claim that PVC plastic requires large amounts of toxic additives to make it stable and usable. These additives are released during use and disposal, resulting in "elevated human exposures to phthalates, lead, cadmium, tin, and other toxic chemicals." In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed national standards to limit air toxic emissions from polyvinyl chloride production plants.
The FDA acknowledges that the building block of PVC, vinyl chloride, is a human carcinogen. They conclude that the amount contained in the PVC food packaging is within safe limits. In 2002, the FDA recommended that a specific compound used as a plasticizer in PVC either be labeled or removed from the medical bags in which it was being used. This compound, DEHP, had shown some toxic and carcinogenic effects in lab animals, but the effects on humans were unknown. The invasive medical procedures in which this was being used may have exposed people to DEHP levels that would exceed the amount determined to be safe in humans.
low-density polyethylene (#4: LDPE)
Used for many plastic bags, shrink wrap, and garment bags. It is less toxic than many other plastics.
polypropylene (#5: PP)
Used for refrigerator containers, some bags, most bottle tops, some carpets, and some food wrap. It is considered the “safest” plastic.
polystyrene (#6: PS)
Used for throwaway utensils, meat packaging, and protective packaging. It is known to cause functional impairment of the nervous system. Styrene is a carcinogen and mutagen, highly toxic, and may leach into foods that are contained in polystyrene.
Other (#7)
May contain more than one resin or a resin not mentioned above. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to produce epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics, which are marked with the number 7. Usually indicates layered or mixed plastic. It has no recycling potential, so it must be land filled. Plastic labeled 7is Lexan or polycarbonate plastic and is used in the sturdy water bottles sold in outdoor stores and in industry. BPA can leach harmful chemicals into the water stored in such containers and has been linked to chromosome abnormalities and damage and hormone disruption.
