Plastic Safety

This week's green challenge is a little more safety/health related. Ultimately, our health and the health of the planet is why we are doing this anyway.

Be careful when microwaving food in plastic containers. The possibility of the chemicals in the plastic migrating into your food is real. The FDA has advised that these occurences are within safety limits, but I gotta think some people may not want any of this. Using approved glass or ceramic in the microwave is a safer choice.

This migration of chemicals is most likely to occur when plastic is aged, cracked or comes in contact with fatty foods. If your reusable containers begin to show signs of breaking down, find a new use for it, such as a container for screws or sewing supplies or recycle it. Signs of deterioration include discoloration, cloudiness and scratches.

So this week, go through your reusable plastic containers and inspect them. Sort out those that are no longer safe for food storage and find another use for them. If you have kids or grandchildren, it shouldn't be difficult. If you cannot think of anything right away. Set it aside for a week, if you still don't have a use for it, recycle it or donate it to someone you know that would use it.

* Much of the information used in this post about plastic breaking down came from  It's Easy Being Green, by Crissy Trask.