PVC: The Poison Plastic

There are many different types of plastics which are made from various polymer compounds. Some are better than others because some can be recycled, while others cannot. Certain plastics can leak toxic chemicals and cancer causing agents into food and liquids. For these reasons, it is useful to know the numbering system used for plastics (see below). By far the worst plastic is PVC (plastic type 3).

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice recently launched their PVC free campaign. PVC is a poisonous plastic compound that is not recyclable and chemically unsafe, potentially cancer causing. See video below.

This organization is now petitioning Target stores to phase out their use of PVC products. Last year Wal-Mart, Nike, Microsoft, and Ikea amoung others have agreed to phase out the use of PVC.



PVC products have a recycle symbol with the number 3 in the middle. This is confusing and most people would think that seeing the recycle symbol means that the product can be recycled.

In fact, there are 2 types of symbols, one means "made from recycled materials" and the other means "this product is recyclable". The circular arrow symbol should be enclosed inside a circle to indicate that the product can be recycled. The recycling symbol is in the public domain, so it often ends up being misused. Manufacturers may put it on their product’s packaging to indicate it contains recycled content, to indicate that the product is generally able to be recyled, or to simply to show support for recycling.

The number inside the recycling symbol on plastic packaging indicates the resin type it is made from, which can give a clue on whether a product can be recycled. The number also indicates what polymers the product is made from, some of which can potentially be harmful to our health. Not all plastics are recyclable. Numbers 1,2,4,5 and 7 are generally recyclable. Numbers 3 and 6 are not. #3 is Vinyl or PVC, and #6 are mainly styrofoam items such food trays, foam egg cartons, cups, plates, but also include compact disc jackets and plastic cutlery. Therefore from a recycling perspective, one should avoid #3 and #6 plastics.

The number is also useful in identifying which chemical components are in the plastics. Some of these components are toxic and can be transferred into food if used as a storage container, especially when heated or using hot liquids.

When it comes to food and liquids, avoid numbers 3, 6, and 7 as they will leak toxic chemicals. In particular, AVOID #3. Plastic #5 is a reasonable choice for reusable containers. Numbers 1 and 2 are only suitable for one time use. (There is a misconception that Nalgene bottles do not leak toxins, however this is not necessarily the case).

Bottled water is generally stored in plastic #1. These should be avoided, or only used once. Repetitive use of water bottles can cause the plastic to break down and leach even more toxins into your drink. Do not store water in plastic for long periods of time. Use glass or ceramic instead.

Avoid the heating of any food in plastic. DO NOT USE PLASTIC WRAP IN MICROWAVES.

Note: The recycle symbols for other materials such as glass and paper are different.

If you'd like some more basic info on plastics, here is a great PDF. This document is especially important for mothers with babies.

For more information on the PVC free campaign, and a higher quality video, visit http://www.pvcfree.org