This page will cover three different types of food grade plastics you are likely to come across in your plastic bucket journeys. There are other food grade plastics such as PET, PCP and the increasingly unpopular BPA not covered here, but they are usually not used to make buckets.
HDPE or High Density Poly Ethelene plastic has an amazing temperature range, and is considered safe for short periods up to 248°F (120°C) or for long periods up to 230°F (110°C.) Since boiling water never gets above 100°C, this means that anything boiling and below is safe for a food grade bucket.
It’s important to make sure the bucket you are storing hot liquids in is HDPE however, as a similar plastic, low density polyethelene, actually has a temperature limit of 176°F (80°C) which is well below boiling. To see which type of plastic you are working with, just check the small recycling symbol usually found on the bottom of the bucket. HDPE is the one you want to see!
Sometimes I find a polypropelene or PP plastic bucket used for food, usually smaller containers that are thinner and less rigid than standard five gallon buckets. Polypropene has the highest temperature rating of all, but is considered a low to moderate health hazard by the Environmental Working Group.
High Density Polyethelyne
- 230°F temperature limit
- Usually food grade
- Recycle symbol 2
- Example: Most five gallon buckets
Low Density Polyethelyne
- 176°F temperature limit
- Usually food grade
- Recycle symbol 4
- Example: 18 gallon rubbermaid totes
Polypropelene
- 275°F temperature limit
- Usually food grade
- Recycle symbol 5
- Can release a mild or moderate toxin
- Example: Yogurt containers
All of my wine primary fermentation buckets are labelled PP (5) since it is stated that this material can release a mild or moderate toxin should I be concerned?
It won’t kill you, but I would avoid dumping boiling wort into it. Cool your brew pot before emptying into your pails.
And of course, glass is always best if you’ve got it. We use glass as a primary.
I’m making a cheese press using PVC sewer pipe type. There is not a recycling symbol on the pipe. Thanks for your feedback. Tim
For the love of God, do NOT use PVC for anything regarding food or drink.
This is good information. Do you have any sources that I can do further readings on?
Yes try the wikipedia article on “Plastic” especially the Common Plastics and their Uses section and the References section at the bottom.
I want to make my own 4 ft garden, but I’m concerned about what types of buckets and PVC piping would be safe for edible plants and a worm/food scrap composting tube. I know most of the questions here deal with wine/beer making, but I hope you can give me some ideas. Im learning that all ‘food grade plastics’ are not the same, lol.
WE JUST HAD A WELL DRILLED ALMOST 2 WEEKS AGO. WE HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT ANOTHER WEEK BEFORE WE GET THE WATER TESTED. I HAVE BEEN BOILING THIS NEW WATER FOR 1 MINUTE AND THEN WAITED UNTIL THE WATER MOSTLY GETS COOL BEFORE WE USE IT TO DRINK FOR HUMANS AND OUR ANIMALS. I WAS WONDERING ON PAILS 2 HDPE IF IT WOULD BE SAFE AFTER BOILING THE WATER AND THEN POUR IT INTO THE PAILS RIGHT OFF WITHOUT COOLING IT IS SAFE FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE?
RESPECTFULLY,
LEROY BOSWORTH
Please, do NOT use the caps lock key when you type a comment. All capitals indicates SHOUTING and is bad form!
Dropped a tide container in washing machine, then ran the load on high water. Approx 120 degrees. Rewashed clothes more than once. Should i be worried about wearing the clothes
Hi,
which type of food grade plastic is used to store the drinking water at normal room temp.
which type of food grade plastic is used to store drinking water at room temp and where can I purchase them, also the ones I can stack
I USED TO STORE HOT COLOUR SOLUTION NEAR ABOUT (80C) IN
PLASTIC CANS/JARS. IS IT HARMFUL?
First of all. Please, do NOT use the caps lock key when you type a comment. All capitals indicates SHOUTING and is bad form!
Your plastic pails/buckets will probably retain the color, HDPE will withstand the 80 degree Celsius temperature just fine.
thats such an anal outdated convention. ever consider that the person might be extremely myopic and they can only read large letters like caps? ‘shouting’??? seriously? do you hear voices when you read other than your own? you might want to get the checked skippy.
hello
i am planing to start and manufacturing business for making and disposable plastic items like glass cup food containers etc. but i have no knowledge for making this things. i want to know what kind of material is sued for miking all this types. can u please help me is understanding the different types of material and the formula for different types of products
thanking you and your greatest help in this
yours faithfully
kalpesh panchal
ABHYUDAYA Near Jalaram Temple
Station Road BARDOLI-394601
Distri-SURAT (GUJARAT)
INDIA
MOBILE: +91 9925299000
Please don’t do this. The world has enough “disposable” plastic trash in it…
I have number 2 buckets that had stripper in them which is a strong cleaning agent would these buckets be ok for planting Tomatos
If the buckets were marked HDPE, yes, they will be perfect for your tomato plants.
I’m a small BBQ sauce business, I’m looking to go to plastic containers. I have a hot pour of 190* or higher, can’t seem to find containers for BBQ sauce in 16oz in PP? And notices that HDPE will handle up to 230*, is that only in 5 gallon pales?
No, HDPE containers are probably the most common type of plastic container. They come in all sizes and shapes.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning
this website. I really hope to see the same high-grade content from you
in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own website now ;)
Considering there is some health risk with plastic when it is used for for food containers or for rapping food we should take an interest in who is using what and those in the food business who use it should mark their products to say they use food safe plastic or not; the well known bread I use has no indication.on the film they use as also is the case with the well known spread I use; the reason being is because when health is lost it can be very difficult to recover and sometimes it it is not possIble to recover With regard to you ???☹️
I just bought planters from IKEA. They don’t have the resin codes I’m used to seeing. It has code PP-H. My internet search found an MSDS that says its polypropylene homopolymer. Do you know which resin code it corresponds to. I want to use these for growing edible plants. I understand that codes 2&5 are best for that purpose.
The PP-H designation is most likely a European chemical designation. The triangle with a number inside and a 2 to 4 letter code below the triangle is an American recycle code.
Poly Propylene Homopolymer is a common PP plastic. It is identical and would be labeled with a 5 in a triangle.
What about thermoplastic composites? I am going to install a deepsink in the basement that would be solely for wine-beer making. Taking sanitation into considering, I could, possibly, use it for a primary fermenter. What the stone composite sink? Is this a bad idea totally? :) Thanks!
If anybody is considering food safety, consider using Stainless Steel products labeled with the NSF(R) mark (a blue circle with the capital letters NSF inside).
Yes, Stainless Steel is EXPENSIVE but you can always count good results.
DEAR SIR I NEED FOOD GRADE PRODUCT PLASTIC WITH TEMPERATURE FOR 60 DEGREE AND HAVING PRESSURE WITH STAND FOR 25 BARE PRESSURE. THE PLASTIC PRODUCT SHOULD HAVE GOOD SMOOTH LOOKING HAVING GOOD. THE PLASTIC CAN BE USE FOR PORTABLE WATER. PLEASE SAGEST THE GOOD POLEAMER PLASTIC ABS PLASTIC ECT.
Is it good to use raw material PPCP in place of HDPE for 5 gallon pails for oil, grease and paint industries for US market?
Which material is better out of these two?