I knew that black plastic containers aren’t recycled because the sorting machines can’t read the info in the recycling triangle.
Now there’s this report of mega-high levels of dangerous chemicals in all sorts of black plastic objects, including utensils and takeout containers. I have been using these to store and reheat food for YEARS. Last year I lived in an extended stay hotel for 7 months, using these containers and utensils exclusively. I just ordered glass storage containers that are safe for freezer, oven, and microwave to replace the ones lost when my.house was gutted. Horse, barn door, in all likelihood.
I have so many questions, and this article begs for follow up with more specific products. The gist of the article is that black plastic is testing higher for a flame retardant, and at a level they believe to be harmful to our health if touched, used in food prep or storage, etc. There is speculation that maybe a batch of black plastic was botched with extra retardant (and a retardant that is now banned).
Is everything with black plastic made from that one batch? Since when? Is there a year when they believe the plastic was contaminated? Or is a single (or multiple) manufacturers so inept that they keep botching it by adding that retardant? And why does black plastic need more retardant (if that wasn’t a complete accident)? The article suggests even touching that black plastic for several days (like a kid’s toy) might be harmful. Is there only one place that makes black plastic, and do they supply all or most manufacturers who need it? Or do all plastic manufacturers just have poor quality control over all?
I’m like @greygarious, and have used recycled black plastic food containers for leftovers or to reheat food for years. I’m not brushing this report off as nonsense, but it also needs much more clarification. I’ve had black kitchen utensils for years - maybe almost a decade for some pieces - are they all bad? Why wasn’t there a suggestion to ditch black plastic once the retardant was banned? Very confusing, and this is a good reason not to publish something without having practical, helpful guidance. To suggest someone to get rid of all black plastic isn’t that feasible or practical for everyone. Tossing old leftover boxes is easy, but spatulas, any utensil with a black plastic handle, toys, phone cases, wires and charging cables, my monitor, the docking station, my headphones, screwdrivers, the daily calendar sitting on my desk… and all the things we use in our daily life that might have black plastic.
Is black silicon and black nylon included in black plastic? I’m also curious about all the other colours of plastic, silicon, Rubbermaid and other kitchen utensils that are not metal or wood.
I don’t reheat in plastic anymore, but most takeout containers around me are black plastic, and the food is hot when it goes in, so that’s not helping anything.
My experience is that almost all black plastic is #5 and not recyclable even if the number could be read. (Okay, it is theoretically recyclable, but hardly any municipalities take it.)
We try not to accumulate more plastic take out containers because many are not recyclable in Toronto. So we wash the ones we have and get the restaurants the restaurants to use them for our orders. We also bring them to restaurants where we are liable to order too much.
In general, I try to avoid reheating using these container - at home I will use glass or other standard dishes that are more inert. When I reheat food at work, it is usually in a clear plastic Tupperware (RIP) container, which might be a bit better than black plastic. The odd time, I will bring something to work in the black plastic container and reheat it in that. However I am fairly sure I am shortening my lifespan more significantly in other ways than by doing this occasionally.
aluminum pans cause Alzheimer’s
eggs are bad for you
eggs are good for you
apple juice is poisoning your infant with arsenic
vaccines cause autism (faked data)
Teflon will kill you
it’s not the Teflon!
all red wines contain high lead levels (faked data)
it’s another OMG!OMG! click bait issue with no attempt at reality.
Instead of microwaving in Tupperware at work, do you think it might be better to bring your container and transfer the food to a paper bowl before microwaving?
I store food in glass like these, they are sturdy, don’t break easily. Of course, if you remove it from a fridge, you need to transfer to that paper bowl I mentioned in order to microwave or bowl might crack.
I understand some places won’t allow that, but a Jamaican one in the neighborhood allows us to bring back theirs, and they have thanked us for bringing the containers back every week for our weekly supply of “rice and peas”.
I wonder if it’s time to see if they would use one of our containers. I think husband would be a hard sell in terms of me getting him to ask, but he is starting to hear about micro plastics in medical conferences.
Seems like plastic and petroleum products might be the demise of Western industrial culture, like lead lined aqueducts for the Romans. Exxon was sued recently by the state of California for lying about their claims plastic is recyclable. Related, California also passed a complete ban on plastic grocery bags, in particular the heat “re-usable” , that are suppose to be recycled and recyclable…they are NOT. Takes effect in 2026.
The whole plastics recycling seems to have been a massive scam. Even the outdoor gear manufacturers have been caught up in the scam with “blue” label recycled polyester….a whole lot of “green washing” going on. There’s no way all those outdoor products use recycled plastic. I’ve done a pretty good job getting rid of plastics in kitchen but still have a couple of black plastic utensils and a few plastic storage containers. Another purge is coming…but I imagine the microplastics are already in my brain and body.
Portioning might be one issue. But you’re in CA, so they wouldn’t think you were crazy for asking.
We have a tiny mom & pop snack store near us in Mumbai that also keeps some seasonal homemade dishes and specialty items (made by the owner’s wife & mother). At one point over the winter when my mom ordered a large quantity of a seasonal specialty that was about to go out of season (she wanted to freeze a few portions for her cousins who were going to visit soon after), the owner sent over the entire steel container (dabba) that his wife had sent it in from home – my mom emptied it into freezer containers and returned their (cleaned) container the next day.
– my mom emptied it into freezer containers and returned their (cleaned) container the next day.
