Here is a quick guide to the types of plastic, and which to avoid.

However, the problem not completely addressed on that site is that #7 is a mixed bag classification--items made of several different kinds of plastics or from a polycarbonate that is (allegedly) bisphenol-A free are still marked #7. So some #7's are fine and some are not!

I emailed Cascade Designs about their Platypus bottles (which I use) and got the following answer:

Quote:
Thank you for contacting Cascade Designs Inc.
Platypus film is made from Ultra Linear Low Density Polyethylene (ULLDPE), and Bi-axially Oriented Nylon (BON). Both are recyclable thermoplastic materials, but because of the differences between the two, and the fact that they are laminated together, as a unit it's classified as type 7 recyclable.
The ULLDPE inner (water contact) lining complies with FDA regulation 21 CFR 177.1520. The BON outer layer complies with FDA 21 CFR 177.1500, and the adhesive that bonds the two together complies with FDA regulation 21 CFR 175.105. They can handle temperatures from below freezing to boiling as well as hand or machine washing with off the shelf detergents without the plastics leaching any toxins. The bite valve is made from silicone and the shut-off valve is plastic. Platy does not use Bisphenol A (BPA's) in manufacture of our products.


While their citing FDA regs does not particularly reassure me (the FDA's fault, not Cascade Designs), I'll take their word for it on the bisphenol-A.

Note that the old-fashioned Nalgene bottles--the cloudy kind that "give" a little when pressed--are made of #2 plastic, HDPE. You can still get baby bottles of HDPE, too. I'd rather trust them than glass with older infants who tend to throw the bottle across the room when they've finished.

I don't know if the earlier attempts at polycarbonate plastic contained bisphenol-A. I do know that when my kids were small, these items always cracked the first time they were dropped from a high chair or thrown across the room. Since my toddlers performed these consumer tests at every meal, their exposure to the stuff was quite minimal!

I'm a little more concerned about the use of BPA in dental sealants, although not enough to spend $15K replacing my current dental work....
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey