Plastic is the most widely used material in the United States. You will find that plastic containers are popular for a variety of packaged food items, water, beverages, and oils.

Some types of plastics are safer than others when it comes to food storage. Some are less likely to leach health-threatening chemicals from the plastic into foods and beverages.

The Green Guide provides the following guidelines on plastic container safety for food storage. You can identify the type of plastic in a container by the recycling code number on the bottom.

Safer plastic containers for food and beverage storage include those with the recycling code:

#1 (PETE: polyethylene terephthalate)

#2 (HDPE: high-density polyethylene)

#4 (LDPE: low-density polyethylene)

#5 (PP: polypropylene)

Plastic containers to avoid with foods and beverages include those with the recycling code:

#3 (PVC: polyvinyl chloride)

#6 (PS: polystyrene)

#7 (PC: polycarbonate)

Source: The Green Guide, The Green Guide Institute, www.thegreenguide.com.