Are plastic containers safe to store food?

On the bottom of plastic containers, you’ll see a number inside a triangle. It’s a code developed by the plastics industry to make sorting plastics easier for recycling centers; it also indicates what type of plastic the container is made of.

  

  

  

 

 

 

Do’s and Don’ts

Microwaving: Do use microwave-safe glass or ceramic. Don’t use any plastic, including plastic wrap and Styrofoam. Cover foods with paper, not plastic.

 

Refrigerator Storage: Do use glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or PVC-free plastic wrap. Don’t use plastic containers.

 

Lunches: Do use foil or waxed or butcher paper to wrap sandwiches and snacks. If you prefer the convenience of bags, look for ones made from number 4 plastic.  

 

Water: Do use glass or stainless steel or bottles made from number 2 or 5 plastic.
Don’t use any drink bottles made from number 7 plastic.

 

Freezing: Do use foil, freezer paper, or number 4 plastic freezer bags.
Don’t use any glass or plastic not labeled FREEZER SAFE-extreme cold can cause both to crack. Don’t put hot food in plastic bags or containers-let it cool first. 

 

Pantry Storage: Do use glass, stainless steel, or number 5 plastic.
Don’t store food in any plastic container made from number 3,6, or 7 plastic.

Cheese: Try to buy cheese off the block instead of pre-packed. If you can’t, remove the plastic as soon as you get home.

Fruits & Vegetables: Avoid pre-packed fruits and vegetables. Buy loose whenever possible.

Cans: Try to cut down your use of foods packed in plastic-lined cans.

 

 

If you wish to read more about Healthy food storage, Green living, and recycling here are some interesting books:

• Easy Green Living – The ultimate guide to simple, eco-friendly choices for you and your home by Renee Loux
• It’s Easy Being Green – A Handbook for earth-friendly living by Crissy Trask
• Super Natural Home – Improve your Health, Home and Planet by Beth Greer
• 1001 Easy Ways to Earth-wise Living – Natural and eco-friendly ideas that can  make a real difference to your life / Reader’s Digest

 

 

Personal Note: ” You might want to check your plastic  containers and sort out the unhealthy ones!   

In my up-coming posts I will talk about Interior Design Principles and some helpful tips to use in your home.  So, stay tuned and have a happy and wonderful day!”   Beate

 

 

A trip to Wellington and new topics for this Blog

Henry in front of the Beehive in Wellington

Henry at Botanic Gardens

Henry and me on top of very windy Mount Victoria

Hello,
We finally made it to Wellington to visit the Te Papa Museum. Last Sunday afternoon I flew out to Wellington with my son Henry and we spent three days visiting Museums, Galleries, Wellington Zoo, and Mount Victoria. We took a guided tour through Parliament and the famous Beehive, went up and down the hill by Cable Car, walked through the Botanic Gardens, visited Weta Cave, where they create these astonishing props and computer animated designs for movies like Lord of the Rings and King Kong by Peter Jackson, Avatar by Steven Spielberg and other famous Hollywood movies.

For dinner we went to a small French Restaurant in Cuba Street and we did a lot of window shopping. And I have to admit, I loved any minute of it. I just love cities! You see so many things and it is so inspirational. What a nice break and start of the school holidays this was after 10 weeks of preparing animal and plant costumes for the stage production at Red Beach School.
Back at home, I will work and improve this blog. I have a lot of new ideas and many topics I am passionate about, which I will add step-by-step. Family (especially my husband), friends and people who know me well, have long accepted the fact, that I can’t be without creating. When I am not painting or designing, I am changing Interiors, making costumes, clothes, cards, homewares, I am sewing, crafting, gluing, work with fabrics, papers, cardboard, wood, and other materials. I love Second Hand and OP-Shops and I have a passion for recycling items and turning them into something useful and beautiful. I am also a big fan of saving money by making things and give them a personal touch or create practical gifts for people I love.

In the future I will share many projects and I will also write about Healthy Living, which not only includes healthy food, but also covers caring for the environment, parenting, beautiful things in general and the little changes in life, that can make a big difference.
I will add these categories step by step:
Healthy Living
Craft projects (on a budget)
Interior Design Tips
Practical Tips for Artists

So, if you are interested, stay tuned or subscribe to my Blog today!
My first Healthy Living topic will be the Household Emergency project that started as Henry’s homework from school after the huge Earthquake in Christchurch. We turned it into a family project that made a lot of sense. More details to come…