Rubbermaid Provides a Helpful List of BPA Free Products

Posted on April 18th, 2008 by Alicia

Rubbermaid has pleasantly surprised us by publishing complete lists of both BPA free and products containing BPA. They went the extra step and included pictures to simplify the decision-making process.

They still maintain that “BPA has been used safely in the manufacture of thousands of products for years and its use fully complies with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other historically stringent public health regulators in the European Union and Japan.”

A great explanation of the #7 recycling category is also offered (as we previously discussed here):

Recent news coverage has suggested that plastic containers and bottles labeled with the number “7” material identification code on the bottom contain BPA. While all polycarbonate plastics containing BPA are labeled with the number “7” identification code, not all plastics labeled with the number “7” contain BPA. The number “7” code is assigned to the “Other” category, which includes all plastics not otherwise assigned to categories #1-6. The majority of Rubbermaid food and beverage containers are assigned to category number “5”, although some non-BPA containing Rubbermaid products are assigned to category”7” due to their unique combination of plastic types.

It’s great to see that parents have been able to make such an impression on many major plastics manufacturers.

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Filed under: Baby Dishes and Utensils

Kathy

This is excellent!!! It's so totally dorky how excited I am over the changes in the plastics industry. Hhaha... but that's ok, my dorky interests are for a good cause.

Thanks Alicia :)

Donald Winter

I'm wondering about the safety of eating vegetables grown in large (about 14" x 24" x 14") Rubbermaid plastic tubs. The lids are 15" x 25" and have a "5" in a triangle. I can see several advantages to growing veggies in these tubs, but recently it has been pointed out to me that certain plastics have bad chemicals that can leach out of them and potentially into the veggies. What can you tell me about this? My carrots and lettuce are growing nicely. Don Winter of Port Orchard, WA.

Rachel

With food storage containers, should we be concerned about phthlates as well? So much to keep track of! Thanks....

softlanding

That's an excellent question, Rachel! Phthalates are typically used in products made from PVC. The majority of Rubbermaid's BPA free products are made from polypropylene, which does not need a plasticizer like phthalates.

softlanding

Hi Donald,

You're correct about some plastics leaching chemicals into our food. You should take some time and check to see which Rubbermaid containers you're using. If they're made from polypropylene, it should be okay, as there is no BPA, PVC or phthalates to leach into the food from the plastic.

Kathy

Donald W.

The Rubbermaid tubs you use to make a container garden are fine. If you use PVC pipe to complete the project, that is not fine. Many instructions for making this container garden call for use of pvc pipe for watering and "soil wicks". Use aluminum (shower curtain rod) or copper pipe for watering, and use something else ( I drilled holes in quart milk jugs) for soil wicks and support.

Andrea

I think it is great that rubbermaid is being so openminded and hopefully leading the plastics industry to change. I recently tried to contact tupperware about their serving products and the best I could get out of them was that not all of their products contain BPA. But they wouldn't distinguish between which ones did and didn't. Needless to say...I didn't buy any.