Guide
What you store food in matters. Plastics can leach BPA, phthalates, and other chemicals — especially when heated or scratched. This guide walks through the safest container materials and which conventional options to replace first.
In order of preference: glass → stainless steel → food-grade silicone → HDPE plastic (#2). Avoid polycarbonate (#7), PVC cling wrap, and styrofoam — especially with hot or fatty foods. Never microwave food in plastic.
Borosilicate glass is completely inert — it doesn't leach anything into food, tolerates microwave and oven heat, and doesn't stain or absorb odors. Pyrex and Anchor Hocking are the most widely available options.
The only caveat: most glass containers have plastic lids. Don't microwave with the plastic lid on — just the glass is fine in the microwave.
Food-grade stainless (18/8 or 304 grade) is non-porous, doesn't leach, and survives drops that would shatter glass. Ideal for lunchboxes, travel containers, and kids' school bags.
Not microwave-safe (no metal in microwaves), but otherwise the top pick for portable food storage.
Platinum-cured, food-grade silicone bags (Stasher, Souper Cubes) are safe at freezer and dishwasher temperatures and replace single-use zip-lock bags. Silicone is inert and doesn't leach BPA or phthalates.
Look for "platinum-cured" or "food-grade" labeling. Avoid silicone with strong fillers — pinch and twist the silicone and check for white showing through.
Beeswax food wraps (Bee's Wrap, Abeego) cover bowls, wrap cheese, and keep produce fresh — without PVC plasticizers from conventional cling wrap. They are reusable, compostable, and made from organic cotton and beeswax.
Not for raw meat or hot foods. Hand-wash in cool water only.
Polycarbonate plastic (#7) — contains or is made from BPA precursors. Commonly found in older reusable water bottles and clear-lid food containers. Replace with glass or stainless.
PVC cling wrap — contains plasticizers (phthalates) that migrate into fatty foods, especially when heated. Replace with beeswax wraps or silicone stretch lids.
Styrofoam / polystyrene — leaches styrene into hot and fatty foods. Never microwave styrofoam. Avoid for any hot food or drink.
Tritan and HDPE plastics are better than polycarbonate, but "BPA-free" doesn't mean chemical-free. Tritan has been found to leach other estrogenic compounds under stress testing. For daily use, glass and stainless remain preferable — but BPA-free plastic is a reasonable step if you're replacing polycarbonate.
This guide is the overview. The full dataset powers individual safety profiles and comparison pages for every product below.