“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.
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.
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.
Simply put: They make our lives easier, but is there a lifespan on the containers you're using in the kitchen? The short answer: Yes. When properly cared for, plastic food storage containers can last up to a year, but there are signs it's time to recycle or toss them before that year mark.
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.
Since March 2010, items Tupperware sells in the US and Canada are BPA-free, according to its website.
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.
How often do I need to replace my Tupperware? Tupperware® brand products are warranted by Tupperware against chipping, cracking, breaking or peeling under normal non-commercial use for the lifetime of the product.
Tupperware Brand products are designed to last a lifetime with minimal care. Follow these simple steps to care for your Tupperware products: 1. Wash and rinse Tupperware products with liquid soap and lukewarm water.
Yes, they are recyclable as long as the cap is not black plastic. Â If it isn't black, please leave the cap attached to the plastic container and toss it in the recycle bin.
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.
Some plastic bottles, cups, containers, toys and pacifiers, are made with the chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. These chemicals may be toxic when released by heat or when the product is scratched.
Ziploc®-brand containers are quoted to have a 5-10 year lifespan, but a good rule of thumb is to assume all older Tupperware is not safe, especially if you don't remember how long you've had it.
We often simply throw plastics away into the recycling bin, however, due to the material properties of plastics, not all can be recycled. About 75% of global plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and molded over and over to produce new plastics, which – in theory – makes all thermoplastics recyclable.
“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.
Tupperware will repair / replace any Tupperware product, or any part thereof, that, under normal domestic use, shows a manufacturing defect, such as: warping, cracking, peeling, splitting and other functional issues. The colour of the replacement may vary from the colour of the original product.
When the tupperware is in my hands the product usually lasts many months, sometimes years. The plastic is very durable, easy to clean, and stores food very well. The way I clean them is a dish washer, which needs lots of water and electricity to run. However, while durable, they will not last forever.
It's probably time to toss your Tupperware and other very old plastic containers. Dr. Larry Silver, medical advisor for the Collaborative on Health and the Environment wrote that the older the plastic container, the greater the leaching activity.
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.
Most Tupperware is imprinted with the number five, representing polypropylene, generally a food safe plastic. Unfortunately, most hard plastics coded in the “five” category are not usually accepted through curbside recycling, but you can recycle your Tupperware this way.
Nostalgia in the Kitchen With Vintage Brands
Famous brands of kitchenware like Tupperware hold their value in part because of nostalgic appeal.
"Moldy plastic items, such as Tupperware containers, should be thrown away—this material is porous and can hold on to mold spores and affect other meals you put in it," says Petya Holevich, Fantastic Services's house cleaning expert and supervisor.
Tupperware offers a full lifetime warranty on all of its tools and products against chipping, breaking, peeling and cracking.