Beware of the danger of plastic.

There have been many people who give the warning, rumors, gossip and even a magazine article about the dangers of plastic. But still, only a handful of people who care until further study.

Plastic is one of the ingredients we can find in almost every item. Starting from drinking bottles, TV, refrigerator, pipes, plastic laminate, dentures, compact disk (CD), (cleaning nails), cars, machinery, military equipment to pesticides. Therefore, we can almost certainly never use and have items that contain bisphenol-A. One of the things that use plastic and contain bisphenol A is a food and beverage industries as food storage, plastic food cover, mineral water bottles and baby bottles even though it is no baby bottles and food storage that do not contain bisphenol A that is safe for food use . One test proved 95% of people never use items contain bisphenol-A.

Plastics are used for light, not easily broken, and cheap. However, the plastic also poses risks to the environment and health of our families. Therefore, we must understand the plastic-safe plastic we use.

What is the meaning of the symbols that we encounter in various plastic products?

#1. PETE or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles used for clear plastic / transparent / translucent like mineral water bottles, juice bottles, and almost all other beverage bottles. BOTO-bottle with materials # 1 and # 2 is recommended only for single-use. Do not use for warm and hot water.  Dispose the old bottles.

#2. HDPE (high density polyethylene) used for milk bottle milk white. Same as # 1 PET, # 2 is recommended only for one usage.

#3. V or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is the most difficult plastic recyclable. This plastic can be found on the plastic wrap (cling wrap), and bottles. Ingredients from PVC is DEHA that contained in plastic wrap and can leak into the greasy food when heated. PVC potentially harmful to the kidneys, liver and body weight.

#4. LDPE (low density polyethylene) is used to place food and bottles of soft. The goods with the code # 4 may be in recycling and good for things that require flexibility, but strong. Goods with # 4 can not be practically destroyed, but still good for the food.

# 5. PP (polypropylene) is the best choice for plastic materials, especially related to food and drink such as a place to store food, drink and most important bottle drink bottle for the baby. Is a common characteristic transparent bottles that are not clear or cloudy. Look for this symbol when buying goods made from plastic.

# 6. PS (polystyrene) is used as a place to eat Styrofoam, disposable drinking places, etc.. Polystyrene material could leak styrine material into food when food is touching. Styrine hazardous materials to the brain and nervous system. Besides the food, styrine also can be obtained from cigarette smoke, fumes and building construction materials. This material should be avoided and many American states have banned the use made of styrofoam food places, including in China.

# 7. Other (usually polycarbonate) can be found in the foods and beverages such as sports drink bottles. Polycarbonate can release its main ingredient is bisphenol-A into the food and beverages that potentially damage the hormone system. Avoid Polycarbonate plastics.

Still lots of plastic stuff that does not include these symbols, especially locally made plastic goods in Indonesia. Therefore, if you are hesitate, would better you are not buy. Even if some symbolic goods more expensive, the price is more valuable than the health of our families.

At the end. Avoid using any plastic in the microwave. Use ceramic, glass or pyrex instead.

Avoid plastic trash also mainly containing bisphenol-A is arbitrary because the materials could contaminate groundwater, which in turn can contaminate drinking water a lot of people.