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.
Throw it away. It's likely that the mold has already started eating away at the thin cheap plastic.
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.
Your storage containers will have the symbol of a fork and wine glass engraved into the plastic if it actually is safe to store your meals in. Don't worry—most of your Tupperware should be completely usable with food, but it's always a good idea to check.
If the Tupperware is stained, warped, or has absorbed odors after extensive use, it might be time to replace it. Throwing it away after a single use is generally not necessary unless it's intended for single-use products, like some food delivery containers.
If it's more than 11 years old: If the Tupperware you have at home is excessively old, you should replace it not only because it may have deep scratches from constant use where bacteria can get trapped, but also because it's probably made of bisphenol-A (BPA), a potentially harmful chemical.
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
In the event of a product's failure to meet the foregoing warranty, Tupperware, at its election, will either replace the affected product with a like or similar product or provide a credit toward future purchases of Tupperware® brand products.
When it comes to ensuring the safety of your Tupperware contents, the biggest factor to manage is temperature, says Schaffner. To avoid dangerous bacteria growth, hot food needs to be kept above 140 degrees F, and cold food needs to be stored below 40 degrees F.
One way to tell the age of an item? Look at its colors: pieces from the 1940s and '50s are white or pastel, while later items are saturated in bright hues.
Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. It can also affect children's behavior. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Since March 2010, items Tupperware sells in the US and Canada are BPA-free, according to its website.
Tupperware plastic products typically do not have a specific expiry date. However, over time, they may show signs of wear and tear, which can affect their quality.
Our food containers and beverage products are safe to use for pouring boiled water into them. Boiling water poured into our product cools very rapidly, and this should not damage or warp the container. Helpful? Thank you for your feedback!
Heat plastic: This can be done in a hot dishwasher rinse, but a microwave is more effective. Wet the plastic container first, as the interaction between the microwave's heat and water is what causes sterilization. Place the plastic container in a microwave on high power for approximately two minutes.
You can either go with diluted bleach (1 cup of bleach per 4 liters of water) or undiluted white vinegar. Don't worry about diluting the white vinegar. As we mentioned earlier, mold is a persistent pest, and vinegar needs its full acidic strength.
“Plastic food storage containers should be replaced every six months to one year, depending on usage and wear and tear. Over time, plastic containers can become scratched, stained, or damaged, and that starts to pose a food safety risk, explains Dragomir Markovic, food scientist and founder of Wise Intake.
The Tupperware® brand didn't nix BPA until 2010, and truly vintage Tupperware may even leach heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and arsenic into stored food.
While there is no set timeframe for replacing plastic food containers, experts say they should be tossed out when they show visible wear, chips, cracks, or signs of stains and odors. In place of plastic containers, experts recommend opting for glass or stainless steel instead.
Food Safe. First things first: Is your container safe to store food in at all? If you're not sure, check the bottom for a little cup and fork design. This means the container is approved for use with food. Sometimes the container will simply state "food safe," which is also a dead giveaway.
If you notice that the food has mold, throw the container in the trash without opening it. “These mycotoxins and spores would spread through the environment as soon as you open the Tupperware, entering through the nose, mouth, skin, eyes...
What is best from the reduce/reuse/recycle perspective? If they are clean, Recology prefers them to be recycled into a new product. If they are soiled, then they should go into the compost bin where they can break down.
The most reliable way to check whether an item is BPA-free is to consult the plastic identification code number — usually stamped on the bottom of the container. There are seven categories, where numbers 1 to 6 are free of BPA. This means that only those printed with the number 7 will contain the chemical.
Tupperware® brand products are warranted by Tupperware against chipping, cracking, breaking or peeling under normal non-commercial use for the lifetime of the product. Please contact our Customer Care at 1-800-TUPPERWARE (1-800-887-7379) for assistance or through chat at Tupperware.com.
How to dispose of tupperware. Tupperware and similar products are not recyclable. The type of plastics used in these items cannot be recycled through your blue bag or mixed recycling bin. Please dispose of these items as general waste which we send for energy recovery.
They all say thank you at the time and return the Tupperware clean and empty. I've never had somebody return it with more food inside.