Looking for Plastic Tubs That Don’t Smell

January 8, 2014 by Debra Lynn Dadd

Question from C Thomas

I have a long history of storing non-food items in plastic tubs, and have many of these in my home. But in the past two years, there has occurred a clear and obvious difference in the plastics used in the general storage tubs sold in the big box stores. They reek of an unpleasant odor, which does not resolve even after airing them for as long as a year, or by storing cedar chips in the tubs for months, washing with vinegar then leaving them in the sun, or any other method I have tried. Not only does fibrous content (clothing, books, papers) pick up this odor, but I assume that VOCs are at the root of the problem which carry health risks to chronic exposure to the source. I have refused to purchase such odiferous tubs after noting the problem with the first couple of tubs; however, I continue to have need to acquire more general item storage tubs and am hoping you can offer some information on this issue and perhaps a source for safer tubs at a reasonable cost.

Thank you very much.

Debra's Answer

You don't say what size or shape of tubs you are looking for, so let me just answer your question generally.

I would call the manufacturer and find out what type of plastic the tubs are made from. Often they are polyethylene or polypropylene, which should not produce this odor, but could be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which would. You don't want to be breathing PVC.

Not all tubs are made from the same plastic, so check around.