Polycarbonate containers - Recycle # 7

[Katerchen]

Depending on the sources, this particular plastic is leaking/or not leaking chemicals into the water/food.

San Francisco banned this plastic altogether. I live in Alabama and it is EVERYWHERE, especially in the form of nice reuseable bottles (careful with sippy cups and baby bottles) or 5 gal. water containers.

I ordered a destiller online which comes with a polycarbonate storage container. Now I have second thoughts: I am destilling water so it will be pure but if I put the water into a container that is actually leaking chemicals, the purpose is self-defeating.

What do you all think: Does San Francisco have a case against Polycarbonate and it is really as bad as they say, or would you not worry about it?

 

[kathryn]

This is the first I've heard of polycarbonate being unsafe. All I've read says it's the least reactive of the plastics, and after glass and stainless steel, the best choice for water containers. It would be very disturbing if polycarbonate is now found to be unsafe. I have a dIstiller as well, as well as several polycarbonate storage containers. I did buy a stainless steel water container for direct drinking, though, because it definitely cleans up 100%.

 

[Miss Lee]

I'm not familiar with any health risks associated with polycarbonate storage containers. I've been using airtight polycarbonate food storage containers for years and it seems like they're becoming increasingly popular.

 

[Katerchen]

Polycarbonate is banned from the European Union because it leaks, more than other plastics with lower recycle #, bisphenol A.

Wikipedia has an article that sums it all up:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarbonate

(But that is not the source I used for my research paper.)

The company I bought the destiller from knew about the polycarbonate controversy.

Polycarbonate study results greatly depend on who sponsored the experiments. Industry sponsored results are saying that polycarbonate is save; independent studies conclude is one of the worst plastics out there.

I trust the European Union and San Fransisco on that one.

 

[Katerchen]

I just received the destiller and the manual says to store the water in either glass or stainless steel containers, NOT PLASTICS.

Edited to add: The destiller comes with a Polycarbonate Dripping Container but you are supposed to move the water whenever the destilling process is done.