August | 2022 | Clamshell Packaging Manufacturer

How to use plastic products safely

When it comes to plastic products, many people are no strangers. In order to save time and convenience, many people like to put the plastic packaging box directly into the microwave oven for heating, and some people don’t want to throw away the plastic bottle, so they use it for cooking oil…
If you use plastic products improperly, you may be chronically “poisoning” yourself! What are the common misunderstandings of plastic products?

The habit of using these 3 kinds of plastics
May be chronically “poisoning” yourself
1. Use plastic bottles for cooking oil
Plastic bottles for mineral water, juices, carbonated drinks, usually have a “1” written on the bottom.
Plastic No. 1, which is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This material has poor heat resistance, and the maximum operating temperature does not exceed 70 ° C. It is easy to deform when heated or filled with boiling water, and it will also dissolve harmful substances.
There is a clear study showing that the migration of phthalates (a type of plasticizer) in PET plastic bottles at the same temperature is nearly 20 times greater than that of water. Therefore, it is recommended to throw away the finished beverage bottle!

2. Put the packed plastic lunch box into the microwave to heat
The standards of plastic lunch boxes are 1 (PET), 5 (PP), and 6 (PS). The heat resistance of PET is only 70 °C, the heat resistance of PS is only 90 °C, and the heat resistance of PP material is 130 °C. ℃, the melting point is as high as 200℃. Therefore, generally only plastic No. 5 PP material can be put into the microwave oven for heating.
For reasons such as cost control, disposable lunch boxes usually do not have very high safety standards. The purpose of making them is to contain high-temperature, possibly oily food once, and it is safe to use under these conditions.
However, if it is used for many times, its stability will be destroyed, and the harmful substances in it will be precipitated, which may affect health in the long run. Therefore, although some disposable lunch boxes can be heated in a microwave oven, repeated use is not recommended.

3. Wash plastic lunch boxes/preservation boxes with steel balls
Brushing plastic with steel wire can damage the integrity of the plastic (such as scratches, etc.), thereby increasing the possibility of low molecular compound migration. Therefore, it is recommended to use a soft cloth for cleaning, so that the plastic lunch box may not be damaged too much.

02Do plasticizers cause cancer?
The Cancer Research Center under the World Health Organization classifies “DEHP” as a 2B carcinogen.
Although the plasticizer represented by DEHP may indeed migrate from some plastic products to food and finally enter the human body under certain conditions, the use of DEHP in food packaging is strictly limited, and its migration The dose will not reach the dose that will cause harm to the human body, and there is insufficient evidence of its carcinogenicity to the human body.
Therefore, “plasticizer carcinogenicity” still needs to be viewed scientifically.

03How to use plastic products safely?
General plastic products will use a number from 1-7 to indicate “identity”. These numbers include some safety tips:
Plastic No. 1:
Commonly used in the production of mineral water bottles, carbonated beverage bottles.
Note: do not hold hot water, and do not reuse.
Plastic No. 2:
It is mostly used to make containers for cleaning supplies and bath products.
Note: High density, strong and reusable.
Plastic No. 3:
Commonly used in the production of raincoats, garbage bags, plastic greenhouses, rubber pipes, etc. for agriculture.
Note: good performance, wear-resistant, acid-resistant, but not heat-resistant, toxic.
Plastic No. 4:
Commonly used in the production of cling film, plastic film and other materials.
Note: Breathable and impermeable, not heat-resistant.
Plastic No. 5:
Commonly used to make plastic cups and plastic lunch boxes.
Note: Can be used for food storage, microwave heating.
Plastic No. 6:
Commonly used in the production of bowls of instant noodle boxes and fast food boxes.
Note: Heat-resistant (heat-resistant 60℃~70℃) and cold-resistant, but cannot be placed in a microwave oven, and cannot be used for strong acid and strong alkaline substances.
Plastic No. 7:
It is mostly used to make milk bottles, space cups, etc.
Note: It is not advisable to install boiling water.

When using plastic products, you should carefully read the label or instruction manual of the product packaging, such as the applicable temperature of the plastic product, and whether it can be placed in a microwave oven or refrigerator.
It is recommended to reduce the use of plastic products, and more recommended to use cloth bags, paper bags, porcelain or glass products, which can not only protect the environment but also benefit your health!

Author｜Yu Huanling, Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University

Health Guide
1. It is best not to use plastic bottles for cooking oil
2. Generally, only plastic No. 5 PP material can be put into the microwave oven for heating
3. Do not wash plastic lunch boxes / crisper boxes with steel balls
4. “Plasticizer carcinogenicity” still needs to be looked at scientifically

Refrigerator storage box pp or pet which is better2

Although PP material has good heat resistance, if you heat food rich in fat for a long time, it may exceed the upper limit of heat resistance and cause safety problems. Therefore, the packaging box made of PP should avoid prolonged microwave heating.

The texture of the disposable plastic lunch box, although the material is PP, but the performance of repeated use is poor. It may “crack” after one or two uses.
PP plastic lunch boxes, in addition to being transparent, are very rich in colors, such as white, black, red, etc. There are rumors on the Internet that “the brightly colored PP plastic lunch boxes are made of recycled materials”, which is not accurate.
It is the color masterbatch that determines the color of the PP plastic lunch box, and the color can be adjusted by adding a very small amount of color masterbatch during production. After PP plastic tableware is used, it will indeed be recycled, but the only products that can be reused are daily necessities such as water basins and plastic dining chairs.
Some of the disposable plastic lunch boxes also use PET number 01, such as sushi. The plastic lunch box made of PET is usually very light and thin, and it is easy to deform when pressed.
It’s fine for cold, low-fat foods. Of course, this cannot be reused, it is not recommended to be heated, and it cannot be placed in the microwave. Open the package, eat the food, and throw away the lunch box

●plastic bag
No. 02, HDPE material / No. 04, LDPE material. Stable to grease at room temperature. Do not use for hot food.
At present, plastic bags mainly use HDPE No. 02 and LDPE No. 04. Usually thick HDPE No. 02, such as supermarket plastic shopping bags (vestia bags), tearable roll plastic bags for vegetables, fruits, and bulk grains.
The LDPE plastic bag No. 04 is usually thinner, such as the packaging plastic bag bought earlier. Some of these plastic bags will be marked with words similar to “food only”, but they should not be used for hot food.
For example, fried dough sticks, oil cakes, and egg cakes in breakfast, the surface temperature of the freshly prepared may exceed 110°C, which is really not suitable.
In addition, there are some plastic packaging bags that use the PP material numbered 05. For example, it is safe to use for packaging bread, bagged vegetables, etc.

●Disposable water cup
No. 05, PP material.
Microwaveable and reusable. Prolonged contact with grease and prolonged heating are not recommended.
Disposable plastic water cups are mainly divided into PP material No. 05 and PS material No. 06. It is easy to deform after being pressed softly. It is basically made of PP material numbered 05. It is safe to contact with various beverages, and it is no problem even for hot beverages.

No. 05PP
The one that is not easily deformed after hard pressing is the PS material numbered 06. Such plastic water cups are not recommended for hot drinks.

No. 06PS
No. 06 PS material and No. 05 PP material have a very simple identification technique. The material that looks very transparent and shiny is basically PS material No. 06. By the way, I took a look at the blind box box, which is also made of No. 06 PS material…
In addition to disposable plastic water cups, the “disposable paper cups” that many people use actually contain plastic.
The inner wall of the paper cup is covered with a layer of plastic film made of PE material, and it is completely OK to drink water or drink normally. If you use it to make hot tea, remember not to use it repeatedly, just brew it once or twice and throw it away.

Refrigerator storage box pp or pet which is better1

“Plastic bags/plastic tableware” is ubiquitous in the catering industry. Because of their lightness and resistance to falling, plastic tableware is inseparable from baby milk bottles, plastic bowls, water cups, and plastic lunch boxes.

Disposable lunch boxes, disposable water cups, bottled water, plastic bags, plastic wrap, etc., it can be said that “plastic tableware” is an inevitable daily necessities and consumables in modern life.

Most people should know that there will be a “small triangle number” at the bottom of the plastic box. Different numbers mean different usage environments. Misuse will produce harmful substances.

The “triangle number” on plastic products was first formulated by the American Plastics Industry Association in 1988. At that time, signs 1 to 7 were mainly developed to be used by the public to distinguish the types of plastics corresponding to different numbers and the suitable environment for use.

At present, the most common plastic products in domestic life use the same number. I have sorted out the corresponding numbered materials and commonly used environments for you.

In fact, the plastic number is far more than 01~07. According to the national standard “GB/T 16288-2008 Signs of Plastic Products”, there are dozens of signs and more detailed regulations. It’s just that plastics 01~07 are the most exposed in our daily life.

Food Contact Plastic Products
●Mineral water bottle/drink bottle
No. 01, PET material.
Do not heat over 70°C, and long-term repeated use is not recommended.
Common bottles are 01 PET
Many people are accustomed to emptying the bottle of mineral water they drink, filling it with water by themselves, and carrying it out. If it is for the convenience of carrying water when going out, it is completely fine to do this temporarily, as long as you pay attention not to fill the hot water. However, I do not recommend that you do this often because of the risk of “plasticizers”.
The PET material has a high probability of containing DEHP, which is a “plasticizer” (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate). If the mineral water bottle is repeatedly used as a drinking container for a long time, the amount of plasticizer released will increase accordingly.

Health advice:
● Use glass and ceramic cups to drink water at home, and use less plastic cups.
● Tell your elders, don’t refill the mineral water bottle to drink, it will increase health risks.
● Do not expose bottled water or bottled beverages to the sun. If they are stored in the car, they must be protected from light! Especially in summer, don’t hoard a lot in the trunk. The temperature inside the car exposed to the sun is very terrifying.
●Drums of edible oil
Transparent → No. 01, PET material.
Opaque → No. 02, HDPE material.
It is safe to use as cooking oil, so you can eat it with confidence.
But there is no need to wash it before filling it with other liquids. Repeated use is not only troublesome to clean, but also the light-transmitting material is not conducive to food preservation.
●Milk bottle
No. 01, PET material.
Do not heat over 70°C, and long-term repeated use is not recommended.
It looks thicker than a mineral water bottle, but the thing is essentially the same, and it is also not recommended to reuse it.
●Plastic packing box
No. 05, PP material.
Microwaveable and reusable.
Prolonged contact with grease and prolonged heating are not recommended.
Plastic packaging boxes are one of our most frequently used plastic tableware. one
Whether it’s a Western restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, or Mala Tang for takeaway… As long as the packaging box provided by the merchant is made of plastic, the result is PP No. 05 without exception, which is indeed much better than I expected.

Do you have plastic packing boxes at home? Especially useful in the kitchen

In daily life, some families will directly throw away the leftover plastic packaging box as waste. In fact, plastic packaging boxes are still very useful in the kitchen, which can save a lot of money for the family a year. Today, I will share with you a wonderful way to put plastic packaging boxes in the kitchen.

The Magical Uses of Plastic Packaging Boxes in the Kitchen
The first step is to prepare a plastic packaging box, and use a utility knife to cut a gap on the bottom side of the plastic packaging box.
The second step is to prepare a paper clip and break one side of it apart.
In the third step, we glued the half paper clip that was not broken into the middle of the plastic bottle filled with water. Doing so increases its load-bearing capacity.
Step 4: Poke the extra paper clip on the plastic bottle into the side of the plastic packaging box and bend it. Finally, put a little hot melt glue on the paper clip and stick it on the plastic packaging box.

The fifth step is to put the transformed plastic packaging box on the kitchen sink. Every time we use up scouring pads or steel balls, we can put them directly into the plastic packaging box for drainage. Once the scouring pad is wet and does not drain water, it is easy to breed bacteria, so with this water draining artifact, many family troubles are solved.

“Carbon Footprint” on the tip of the tongue, plus and minus on the packaging

When it comes to tackling climate change, people tend to focus on the “big emitters” of greenhouse gases—the energy industry’s emission reduction measures. Few people associate “carbon neutrality” with a bottle of water, a carton of milk or a lollipop Linked up, in fact, the carbon footprint is all over the raw materials, production, processing, logistics and storage of food. According to Our World in Data, 26% of total global greenhouse gas emissions come from the global food system, and a large portion of carbon emissions within the food industry comes from packaging.

According to the “2021 Consumer Trends Report” released by the global research and consulting company Mintel, about 61% of Chinese respondents have a higher favorable impression of brands that support environmental sustainability, indicating that there is a considerable number of consumers. Groups are willing to help companies take sustainable development measures. With the increased emphasis on environmental protection and sustainability issues, packaging R&D in the food industry is redoing addition and subtraction.

Low-carbon and environmentally friendly food packaging upgrades: increase recyclability, reduce packaging complexity, research and develop new materials and deliver “green” influence.

The most common materials used in food packaging are plastic, paper or cardboard, of which plastic contributes a considerable amount of carbon footprint, as greenhouse gases are emitted at every stage of the plastic life cycle: extraction and transportation of fossil fuels, refining and production of plastic, and the management and disposal of plastic waste. According to a study by CIEL (Centre for International Environmental Law), every kilogram of plastic produced emits 3.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere [3]. In order to reduce the carbon footprint of food packaging, on the one hand, the selection of packaging materials should use as many raw materials as possible that do not pollute the environment.

One of the most important points of subtraction in environmentally friendly packaging is to reduce the use of excess materials. On the one hand, it can reduce unnecessary carbon emissions by reducing unnecessary decoration, packaging printing and material consumption, and on the other hand, it can reduce the types of packaging materials, and use a single material to manufacture packaging, which is convenient for waste sorting and recycling after product use.

As one of the most important packaging forms in the field of beverage packaging, plastic bottles often consume a certain amount of manpower and resources due to the separation of labels during the recycling process. At present, many beverage companies have shouldered the responsibility of environmental protection and began to take steps to reduce carbon emissions. They have removed bottle labels and launched unlabeled bottles, simplifying the recycling process of plastic bottles and reducing carbon footprints from the source.

Research and develop new materials

Packaging has a very important psychological hint for consumers. In addition to conveying product information, packaging design, as a product with cultural attributes, is bound to shoulder the important attribute of cultural communication. More and more food packaging chooses to convey the “green” concept of protecting the environment, saving energy and reducing emissions through packaging design, so as to subtly influence consumers’ thoughts and behaviors, so that the meaning of packaging is not only beautiful and beautiful. practical.