What does those recycling numbers in plastics mean?

The environmentalist (kuno) in me always thinks of how to save on resources and recycle materials. I have been using bottled container often and wondered how safe it is to reuse plastics. Plastics are sanitary materials and can be reused as long as we clean them very well and dry them thoroughly. Plastics just like any other materials harbor bacteria if they are not clean and not because of what it is made of. I wonder what those recycling plastic number you find at the bottom of container means. So I searched the internet and found a good source http://www.thedailygreen.com/. I made a matrix summary for easier reference.

Here it is:

Looking at the information I guess it is safe to say that we use porcelain or glass containers especially in heating food just to be sure. If we can't avoid using plastics then we should go for 2, 4 and 5. Definitely NOT 1 (it can leak carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting phthalates when used over and over again) 3 (PVC can leak cancer-causing dioxins, which is one of the most toxic environmental pollutant) and 6 (Can also be dangerous, as its base component, styrene, has been associated with skin, eye and respiratory irritation, depression, fatigue, compromised kidney function, and central nervous system damage). Let's be safe and check everything that we use. Recycle.


***feel free to e-mail me if you want a copy of the file.