Is There any Difference Between PET and PETE?
PET and PETE are both acronyms for polyethylene terephthalate. Polyethylene terephthalate is a clear, tough plastic in the polyester family. It is made from only two chemicals that are tightly bonded together.
Looking for Plastic Tubs That Don’t Smell
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.
Do Plastics Off-Gas?
I've been wondering if "everyday" household items made from plastic are off-gassing petrochemicals. Some examples would be plastic food storage containers, plastic flowerpots, plastic broomhandles and dustpans, etc. Thanks for any info on this.