Foremost were Tupperware's "Wonderlier" bowls--lightweight, flexible, and unbreakable, with a patented air-tight seal to keep foods fresher longer. Tupperware was more than just a substitute for older materials, it offered qualities previously unattainable.
Earl Tupper, who founded Tupperware in 1938, was looking for a solution to keep food fresh for longer and developed an innovative plastic container with an airtight lid. This simple yet efficient design was revolutionary, especially at a time when refrigerators were not yet widespread.
He developed the first product in 1946 in Leominster, Massachusetts. The polyethylene plastic containers could be used in households to contain food and keep them airtight, and featured a "burping seal" that was patented in 1949. The product became notable with a sale-through-presentation idea, held in a party setting.
The firm's 'Tupperware parties' made it an icon during the 1950s and 1960s consumer revolution, and its air-tight and water-tight containers took the market by storm.
Look at its colors: pieces from the 1940s and '50s are white or pastel, while later items are saturated in bright hues. Each of the storage canisters in the Servalier line, which nested within one another in graduated sizes, came with a decorative flower emblem on its smudge-proof textured exterior.
Old Tupperware, especially those over a decade old, might contain hazardous chemicals like cadmium, lead, and arsenic. These can leach into your food, posing significant health risks. Vintage Tupperware products are particularly concerning due to the potential leaching of additional harmful substances.
Each plastic recycling number is code for the specific plastic that your containers are made of. Most Tupperware is imprinted with the number five, representing polypropylene, generally a food safe plastic.
After a marked decline just before the pandemic, sales revenue and the share price briefly rose as people turned to Tupperware boxes to store food during lockdowns. However, as the world started opening up, people turned away from Tupperware and sales fell, as did the stock.
Since March 2010, items Tupperware sells in the US and Canada are BPA-free, according to its website.
Tupperware offers a full lifetime warranty on all of its tools and products against chipping, breaking, peeling and cracking.
Tupperware announced this week that it will close its last remaining U.S. factory in early 2025, laying off 148 employees. Production will shift from South Carolina to Mexico, where the company already has a presence.
Vintage Tupperware Price Guide: General Value Range
Complete line sets can sell between about $50 to $75. Salt and pepper shaker set may sell for about $50 up to about $200, depending on their condition. Single pieces in good condition can sell from $5 to $20 or more.
Tupperware products are first debuted by chemist Earl S. Tupper in Massachusetts, including the still-iconic Wonderlier® Bowl.
The degrading process generates microplastics that are dangerous for human consumption and are even linked to cancer. While plastic containers labeled microwave- or dishwasher-safe have more leeway than takeout containers, they will eventually start to degrade too.
Is vintage Tupperware safe to use? Not in a food storage sense. While we've established that it's unlikely that 40 year old Tupperware is safe to use because of BPA, it may still hold some worth in niche markets for rare, vintage items.
If any of your containers have a #3, #6, or #7, those should be disposed of because they are considered high-risk plastics. If you're going to use one of the safer plastics, it's best not to store acidic or greasy foods in them.
Many plastic containers, including older models of Tupperware, contain BPAs, which are chemicals used in the production of plastics. BPAs can leach into food, especially when exposed to heat, and have been linked to potential health issues such as hormonal disruptions and increased risk of heart disease.
Tupperware Brands, known for its colourful food storage containers, filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware due to declining demand and rising costs. The company's traditional direct sales model failed to attract modern consumers.
BPA is most commonly found in plastic material (water bottles, food storage containers, lining of canned foods, etc.) and can cause any range of health issues from increased blood pressure and cancer risks to obesity and diabetes.
America's favorite storage container brand is officially bidding farewell to the United States. Tupperware has announced that it will shut down its last remaining manufacturing facility in the U.S. and move its operations to Mexico, causing more than 100 workers to lose their jobs.
You are likely to come across Polypropylene (PP) plastic in your regular day to day activities. It is one of the top 5 most common plastics. You can identify it either by the number 5 in the chasing arrows symbol or the letter pp.
The holes on food containers are for venting, not utensils. Venting allows steam to escape and can prevent food from becoming soggy.
The top rack is typically the furthest from the forceful water jets and heating elements. Hence, it helps protect delicate items like stemware, drinking glasses, small bowls, cups, mugs, and plastics.