What material is used to make safe plastic crates?

Plastic crates are found in every sphere of human activity. They bring goods from warehouses, store clothes and shoes, tools and construction materials, stack file cabinets. In supermarkets they have vegetables and fruits, groceries.

So sooner or later the question arises about the safety of plastic boxes. And this factor plays a significant role when it comes to food. In plastic, we often buy packaged food, water, we keep cereals and spices, we use plastic devices for cooking. What is worth paying attention to when using these kinds of containers? How do you distinguish between industrial plastic and food plastic?

Types of Food Plastic

For the manufacture of plastic containers and packages, two types of materials are most often used. They can be distinguished by the name printed on the body of the container: polypropylene (marked as PP) and polyethylene (marked as HDPE).

Polypropylene containers

The most common type of plastic, which appeared in the 1950s, is polypropylene. It has a high melting point. Polypropylene is not subject to interaction with acids and all kinds of liquids, it is safe for use in the food industry. It is quite a strong material and withstands loads well. It is widely used in the medical and automotive industries, as well as in food packaging, including children's products. Propylene is recyclable, which reduces environmental pollution.

Polyethylene containers

Polyethylene is a versatile plastic used since the 1930s. It is made by combining ethylene molecules. It is very light and plastic, but at the same time strong material. For example, a bottle weighing only 56 grams can hold up to 4 liters of liquid. Polyethylene packaging is resistant to temperature fluctuations, resistant to impact, not subject to rotting.

Plastic polyethylene packages are profitable from an economic point of view. If disposed of properly, they are also safe.

A huge number of consumables and packaging materials of modern stores, in contact with food, are made of plastic. It is not unimportant that this plastic is food-grade. Today, most manufacturers of polymeric packaging are trying to distinguish their products from others, by adding various impurities for color or strength of the product. In any case, in the manufacture of packaging, it is important to comply with safety standards in contact with food. Both polypropylene and polyethylene are used equally in the production of crates and other reusable containers.