Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com
I am still confused about plastics. I am not sure which plastics, if any, are safe or recommended.
I am trying to slowly weed out the bad plastics in my house and there is a lot.
I already asked about the storage containers (#5 plastic). I see that most of the plastic food containers are #5 or “PP” as well as my children’s sippy cups. Can I assume this plastic leeches?
Also, so many toys are made of plastic. I stopped buying plastic and buy wood when possible, but everyone else buys the plastic toys for the kids. It is not stated on the box or toy what type of plastic is used, and is pretty much impossible to research all the toys. Do you recommend getting rid of these toys?
I think I read in one of your books that they pollute the indoor air…is it true even for the new plastic toys? What about the ones made of #2 plastic (I bought a brand called ” Green Toys” which is made of #2).
Lastly, my concern is the plastic container my raw milk is in (#2 HDPE). I can purchase it in a glass, half gallon Ball jar, but my concern with that is that the metal lid contains BPA, I believe. So which would you recommend? My children, including infant, drink the raw milk. I did find plastic lids that fit the glass Ball canning jars which are BPA free.
Debra’s Answer
I understand and had to smile reading your last sentence…plastics DO cause headaches in more ways than one.
You should assume ALL plastic leaches/outgasses to some degree or another. Hard plastics less than soft plastics. The degree of toxicity of what is leaching/offgassing also varies with the plastic. PP is one of the safer ones, but HDPE is better.
I recommend getting rid of any toys you don’t know what they are made of. It’s worth the time to check with the manufacturer. If you don’t want to do that, toss them.
Toys made of #2 plastic are OK, but even better are toys made from natural materials such as wood and cotton.
Best for your milk would be glass with BPA-free lids, but #2 HDPE is OK. Raw milk is soooo good for your body that drinking it outweighs any possible harm from HDPE.
