Plastics are everywhere. Since 1976, plastic has been the most widely used material in the United States. In 2001, the US disposed of over 25 million tons of plastic. Plastics are the fourth largest category of municipal solid waste. Some plastics are safer than others to use. Below is a list of different types of plastics, which ones to avoid, and which ones are safer to use. Also provided are suggested alternatives to common plastic products. Types of Plastics Plastic containers are usually numbered on the bottom, indicating the type of resin used in their manufacture. #1 – polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) Products: Soft drink bottles, medicine containers #2 – high density polyethylene (HDPE) Products: Toys; bottles for milk, water, detergent, shampoo and motor oil #3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC) Products: Pipe, meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, toys #4 low density polyethylene (LDPE) Products: Wrapping films, grocery bags #5 polypropylene (PP) Products: Syrup bottles, yogurt ...
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