Been wondering about no.5 plastic?

Chances are you are not the only one with a question or two about the health, safety, environmental or social impact of the products you choose or even everyday behaviors or lifestyle decisions. The Green Guide Institute has received many questions from interested, concerned readers like yourself and attempts to the best of our ability to answer all of them. Here's just such a Q&A on plastics. Click here to send us your question.

Jennifer of Tucson, Arizona writes:

Hello. You all have such wonderful, comprehensive information, and I am having a hard time coming up with an answer about #5 plastic anywhere else (it is also known as "PP" and Polypropylene). I know it is not commonly recyclable, as you stated in your current issue, however, I am wondering about its toxicity. I take great pains to be thorough in my efforts to be pure, so when I saw that the lid for my reusable, portable, stainless-steel drink cup was made of #5 plastic, (which is sipped through), I was naturally concerned. Do you have anymore information on this subject? I can't find any anywhere else. Thank you very much.

The Green Guide's Research Editor, Allison Sloan, replies:

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for contacting The Green Guide regarding one of our all-time favorite topics: plastics! Based on current knowledge, polypropylene is one of the safer plastics. It is not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting the hormones, and it's not made with chlorine and so doesn't produce dioxin when it's made or incinerated. One of the main problems with giving any plastic a blanket "safe" recommendation is that not enough health and safety research has been conducted on chemicals that leach. That said, if we learn anything new that would change this recommendation, we'll be sure to report it in the newsletter.

Best wishes,

Allison Sloan

Research Editor, The Green Guide