The recycling number matters more than the BPA-free label

Flip the container over and check the recycling triangle — that number tells you more than any “BPA-free” sticker on the front.

The one you want is #5 (PP, polypropylene). It’s the safest plastic for repeated food use and can handle warm food without leaching much. #1 (PET/PETE) is fine for a few uses but wasn’t designed for daily washing and microwaving. #7 is the catch-all category — it can contain polycarbonate, which is where BPA lives. If you see a #7, don’t heat food in it. Full stop.

Now, about “BPA-free”: it’s a real thing, but it’s also a marketing checkbox. Most plastics are BPA-free these days because the public demanded it. The catch is some manufacturers swapped in BPS or other similar compounds that may act like BPA anyway. So don’t treat that label as a safety badge. Treat it as the minimum.

What actually matters: give the container a sniff. If it has a strong chemical or “plastic” smell, especially after a wash, don’t use it for anything hot. Same if it’s oddly flimsy or has a waxy feel. Good food-grade plastic is rigid-ish, odorless, and stains slowly. Also look for the glass-and-fork symbol (European standard) — that one means it was tested for food contact. In the US, that’s usually just a manufacturer claim and not much else.

When in doubt, glass never asks this question.