Microwave Safe Plastic Numbers

Find out which are safe and which may be hazardous.

Microwave safe plastic numbers.

Plastic product is deemed microwave safe. Although the number within the recycling symbol won t definitely determine if the plastic is necessarily recyclable it does definitely specify what is not microwaveable. Is it safe to microwave plastic. Microwave safe plastic guide.

To summarize plastics in categories 2 4 and 5 are generally considered safe. Plastics 1 3 6 and 7 should be used with varying to extreme caution especially around food or drink. Also avoid containers that are made of soft plastic since they can contain harmful chemicals. To choose a microwave safe container start by checking the packaging or the bottom of the dish for labels such as microwave safe or a wavy line symbol which means the container can be microwaved.

Inside the triangle there is sometimes a number and that number denotes the type of plastic the item is made of. Be weary of putting them in the microwave even if they are labeled microwave safe. Avoid putting type 3 pvc type 6 polystyrene and type 7 polycarbonate into a microwave oven. If you must wash plastics marked dishwasher safe place them in the top rack far from the heating element consumer reports advises.

You can identify containers made from pp by looking on the bottom for the pp stamp or a recycling sign with the number 5 in the middle. That number went up to 95 when the plastics were microwaved. While plastic containers have been vilified for potential health risks some are ok to use. An analysis of 455 common plastic products including supposedly bpa free ones found that 70 tested positive for estrogenic activity.

According to rolf halden the director for the center for environmental security at the biodesign institute at arizona state university the amounts of bpa and phthalates leaching into food depends on the type of plastic that s put in the microwave the amount of time it s heated and the condition of the container.