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The recent move by the Canadian government to ban polycarbonate plastic baby bottles has raised many concerns about the use of plastic in food and drink. Some issues related to the recycling of plastics were also highlighted.
There are seven categories of plastic and they are identified by the number in the recycling symbol. The numbers range from # 1 to 7. They all have a different chemical composition that ultimately determines their use.
The reflector is on plastic No. 7, next to it there is a PC (polycarbonate) marking. In some cases, you’ll only see “PC”. # 7 plastic represents a blend of all other types of plastic. The PC additive creates a lightweight, high-performance plastic that has a unique balance between strength, dimensional stability, optical clarity and high heat resistance. That’s why we see it in so many applications, including food containers and utensils.
The scary thing about the computer container is the addition of bisphenol A (BPA), which is a key building block of polycarbonate plastic. In a food or beverage delivery container, tests have shown migration of BPA into the food from the container. The big controversy, of course, is how much BPA gets into food and how much do we need to consume before our hormones are disrupted?
We will not answer here. But let’s see how it affects plastic recycling.
Basically there is no change to current plastic container recycling practices. Curbside gathering and every warehouse will continue to pick up # 7PC plastics no questions asked. The mixed plastics will be shredded and processed into new plastics # 7, some of which may be marked PC if production adds a lot of polycarbonate to mix # 7.
For reference only, plastics to avoid for eating and drinking activities are # 3, # 6, and # 7. The safer plastics to use are # 1, # 2, # 4 and # 5. However, there are concerns about reusing plastic containers and heating food-containing plastics.