Hey girls here are some of the answers to your which plastic is ok questions.
Leslie

--- On Thu, 6/19/08, Minremote <minremote@...> wrote:

From: Minremote <minremote@...>
Subject: Water bottles - Nalgen and/or other bike bottles you may have
To: "LC" <kewltrichk757@...>
Date: Thursday, June 19, 2008, 1:00 AM







 
Nalgen (the hard plastic bottles with the big mouths) are "NOT SAFE" - they are
made of a kind of plastic called BPA. The manufacturer claim they are made of
LDPE (or symbol 4 - see below), but in fact the actual bottle we have has a "7"
clearly on the bottom - the "7" is the mark of death. 
 
In short 1, 3, 6 & 7 are all "marks of death". So if you want to purge yourself
of these evil plastic food containers - these are the numbers you are looking
for.
 
I have no idea what the rest of the thing is made of, but I will research this.
Either way, it is Ironic that Brita (err actually Clorox) gives out these
Nalgene bottles (Nalgene by the way was a plastic laboratory bottle maker when I
was in college, so they have been around for a long long time).
 
Here is as straightforward description of the plastics, their dangers and what
not to do with the plastic to avoid dying:
 
http://healthlongevity.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-plastic-is-safe-for-bottles-the\
se.html
 
The easiest way to determine what plastic is safe is by looking at the recycle
symbol on the bottom.
 
The following chart is adapted from the American Plastics Council and outlines
the seven codes, a description of each type, its packaging applications, and
recycled products made from it.



Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)

PET is clear, tough and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. This
plastic is commonly used in PET soft drink bottles and many other injection
molded consumer product containers. Cleaned recycled PET flakes and pellets are
in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns and producing fiberfill and
geotextiles. Polyester is its nickname.

Packaging Applications: Plastic soft drink and water bottles, beer bottles,
mouthwash bottles, peanut butter and salad dressing containers
Recycled Products: Fiber tote bags, bottles, clothing, furniture, carpet.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Unpigmented, HDPE bottles are translucent and have good barrier properties and
stiffness. They are well suited to packaging products with short shelf lives
such as milk, margarine tubs and yogurt containers. Because HDPE has good
chemical resistance, it is used for packaging many household as well as
industrial chemicals such as detergents and bleach. Pigmented HDPE bottles
generally have better stress crack and chemical resistance than bottles made
from unpigmented HDPE.

Packaging Applications: Milk, water and juice containers, trash and retail bags,
liquid detergent bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners.
Recycled Products: Liquid laundry detergent containers, drainage pipe, oil
bottles, recycling bins, benches, pens, doghouses, floor tile, picnic tables,
lumber, mailbox posts, fencing.

Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC)

In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has excellent chemical
resistance, good weatherability, flow characteristics and stable electrical
properties. Bottles and packaging sheet are major markets, but it is also widely
used in the construction market for such applications as pipes and fittings,
insulation, film and sheet, floor coverings, synthetic leather products,
coatings, blood bags, medical tubing and many other applications.

Packaging Applications: Clear food packaging, shampoo bottles, medical tubing,
wire and cable insulation
Recycled Products: Packaging, binders, decking, panelling, roadway gutters, mud
flaps, film and sheet, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

Low density Polyethylene (LDPE)

A plastic used predominately in film applications due to its toughness,
flexibility and relative transparency, making it popular for use in applications
where heat sealing is necessary. LDPE is also used to manufacture some flexible
lids and bottles and it is widely used in wire and cable applications for its
properties and processing characteristics.

Packaging Applications: Bread bags, frozen food bags, squeezable bottles (e.g.
honey, mustard). Fiber, tote bags, bottles, clothing, furniture, carpet.
Recycled Products: Shipping envelopes, garbage can liners, floor tile,
furniture, film and sheet, compost bins, panelling, trash cans, lumber.

Polypropylene (PP)

olypropylene has excellent chemical resistance, is strong, and has the lowest
density of the plastics used in packaging. It has a high melting point, making
it ideal for hot fill liquids. PP is found in everything from flexible and rigid
packaging to fibers and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products

Packaging Applications: Ketchup bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs,
medicine bottles.
Recycled Products: Auto battery cases, brooms and brushes, oil funnels,
landscape borders, bicycle racks, bins, pallets, sheeting.

Polystyrene (PS)

Polystyrene is a very versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed. General
purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. It has a relatively low melting
point. Typical applications include protective packaging, containers, lids,
cups, bottles and trays.

Packaging Applications: Compact disc jackets, food service applications, grocery
store meat trays, egg cartons, aspirin bottles, cups, plates
Recycled Products: Thermal insulation, egg cartons, vents, desk trays, rulers,
license plate frames, foam packaging, carryout containers

Other

Use of this code indicates that the package in question is made with a resin
other than the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin used in
combination.

Packaging Applications: Three and five gallon reusable water bottles, some
citrus juice and ketchup bottles.
Recycled Products: Custom products, plastic lumber

 





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