An Exploration of the Recycling Symbols on the Bottoms of Food Packaging Plastic Bottles

[ppzhan Abstract] Water cups, mineral water buckets, plastic tableware, beverage bottles, baby bottles... these plastic products can be seen everywhere in our lives, and are either heated or reused over a long period. Little do we know that these living habits hide a deadly "killing intent", and the secret is hidden in the numbers on the bottom of plastic bottles.

Each number from 1 to 7 represents a class of material; if a product is made of several different materials, then what is marked is its main material. This labeling method originated in the United States and has been accepted and adopted by many countries, including China. Although this labeling method is mainly for the convenience of plastic recycling and reuse, consumers can also learn from this marking what material the plastic product they use is made of, what uses it has, and in what environment it should be used.

The numbers inside the triangle with arrows represent different meanings:

"1" --- PET (polyethylene terephthalate); after 10 months of use it will produce carcinogenic substances.

"2" --- HDPE (high-density polyethylene); it is not easy to clean and easily breeds bacteria.

"3" --- PVC (polyvinyl chloride); it easily produces carcinogens when exposed to high temperature and grease.

"4" --- LDPE (low-density polyethylene); it easily produces harmful substances at high temperature.

"5" --- PP (polypropylene); a material specially used for microwave oven lunch boxes.

"6" --- PS (polystyrene); heat-resistant and cold-resistant, but it cannot be used in a microwave.

"7" --- PC and other types, used to make baby bottles and space bottles; however, cups made of this material easily release the toxic substance bisphenol A at high temperature, which is harmful to the human body. Do not heat such cups, and do not leave them in the sun.

Consumers can judge from the marking graphic on the bottom of the bottle or in a prominent position on the bottle whether a bottle can be reused. If it is used to package food, a qualified plastic bottle with quality and safety assurance, that is, QS certification, should also be chosen; under the stated conditions of use, consumers can use it with confidence. However, for bottles without a reuse graphic on the bottom or in a prominent position, such as common mineral water bottles or unmarked bottles, consumers are advised not to reuse them to hold food. If they have already been reused, foods with low oil and low acid should be filled at low temperature, and use should be stopped as soon as possible. A reporter visiting supermarkets and shopping malls found that reusable plastic containers are almost impossible to find.

After recycling, plastic bottles are not allowed to be used for food packaging; otherwise, once the quality supervision department discovers this, the production license of the manufacturer concerned will be revoked immediately. Because certain properties of plastic bottles have already changed during recycling and processing, they are difficult to use again for producing plastic bottles and are mostly used to produce non-food container products.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-361797.html