Is There a Healthier Plastic Container?

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Blog

Dina Goda

Monday, April 07, 2008

Plastic. It’s everywhere. It holds our water, our groceries, our microwavable munchies. Not surprisingly, plastic constitutes 9 percent of the 156 million tons of trash Americans generate each year.

And yes, the rumors are true: chemicals used to manufacture certain plastics such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) can be potentially harmful when ingested. So it makes sense to know what to look for—and what to avoid—when you buy, wrap, cook, or store food or beverages in any type of container.

Choose Better Plastics

Too complicated to know which is best? Not really. Essentially, the more flexible the plastic, the more likely it is to contain potentially toxic plasticizers called “phthalates,” which make it more pliable. Plastics made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or high density polyethylene (HDPE)—such as most Nalgene bottles—are safer than that made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). For those on-the-go moments, opt for plastic containers labeled #2, #4, and #5. Look for these numbers on the bottom of the container.

New and Improved Plastics

According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, a line of corn-based plastics, called polylactides (PLA), has recently been developed by Cargill and Dow Chemical and is used to package products such as bottled water, electronics, and cups. Unlike its conventional plastic counterpart, corn-based plastic degrades completely in 47 days, does not emit toxic fumes when incinerated, and uses 20 to 50 percent less fossil fuel to be manufactured. Companies such as Wild Oats Markets and Biota Spring Water have converted to this new technology for their to-go deli items and bottled water packaging.

Best Alternative to Plastic

If you can’t find smarter plastic, good old-fashioned glass containers are your best alternative. Not only does the manufacturing of glass generate 100 times less toxic emissions than plastic, but using glass virtually eliminates the chances of chemical contamination from the container. And its life as a resource is much longer: Glass can be recycled up to 25 - 30 times, whereas plastic becomes brittle with recycling.

Better Bottlers

The ubiquitous plastic bottle has just evolved—or devolved. Some contaminant-conscious companies are bottling water and other beverages in corn-based plastic or glass. Here are five that do, and where you can find them:

PRODUCT NAME	CONTAINER TYPE	WEBSITE	RETAILERS
Biota Spring Water	Corn-based plastic	http://www.biotaspringwater.com	Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and independent co-ops and health food stores
Frutzzo Natural Fruit Juice	Corn-based plastic	htt p://www.frutzzo.com	Supermarkets, health food stores, and natural food stores throughout the U.S. and Canada
Naturally Iowa Dairy Products	Corn-based plastic	http://www.naturallyiowa.com	Regional and independent food grocers throughout the U.S.
Perrier	Glass	http://www.usa.perrier.com	Conventional and natural supermarkets
San Pellegrino	Glass	http://www.sanpellegrino.com	Conventional and natural supermarkets

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