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Acrylic, Melamine and Tritan, oh my! Five tips to help you find the perfect plastic dinnerware

If you are shopping for plastic dinnerware, you have no doubt seen that plastic cups and plates come in a wide range of styles, types, and even qualities these days. Since each promises a different set of features and benefits, choosing the right plastic dinnerware can seem like a daunting task. But don’t despair! Here are some tips to help you decide which type of plastic best suits your needs and how to know exactly what you are buying.

Tip 1: Don’t just buy “plastic”, because not all plastics are the same:

So true! Have you ever had indestructible plastic cups that last from year to year, while others break the first time you drop them? What about plastic plates that scratch like crazy after a few uses? What about plastic plates that overheat after a few seconds in the microwave, or glasses that get foggy in the dishwasher?

Although frustrating, these common problems are not really defects in the plastic, they are just differences. More than half a dozen types of plastics are used to make tableware, from unbreakable Tritan and affordable SAN, to scratch-resistant melamine and decorative acrylic. Each offers its own benefits and drawbacks.

Knowing how different plastics behave and how to differentiate them when shopping can ensure that the plastic plates, glasses, and serving pieces you choose best meet your needs. Tips two and three will help you get there.

Tip 2: Decide what features you are interested in before you buy:

Buying plastic dinnerware would be a breeze if a single plastic offered it all: unbreakable, scratch resistant, dishwasher and microwave safe. Unfortunately, that plastic is not yet invented. So of the plastics out there, which is the right option for you?

Are unbreakable and dishwasher safe products topping your list? If so, spending a little more on unbreakable polycarbonate or Tritan plastic items is worth it for the years of use you’ll enjoy. For a little less, SAN plastic products are almost as durable, and casual looks in polypropylene are just as durable and very inexpensive. Avoid anything in acrylic or polystyrene.

Are scratched dishes what bothers you the most? Then melamine plates are your best option for long-term satisfaction. But you will have to give up the convenience of microwave heating.

Are microwave-safe dishes a must? The selection is slimmer, but there are a few options in plastics made specifically for microwaves. Look for dishes with the Nordic Ware, Miracleware, and ExtremeWare brands, and avoid products made from melamine, acrylic, and polystyrene.

Are you attracted to decorative or themed dishes? Fashionable designs and seasonal themes are widely available on plastic dinnerware. Highly decorative glasses are usually handcrafted from acrylic, but be prepared to hand wash them to keep them looking their best. You will also find many decorative and themed designs on durable, easy-care melamine dinnerware.

Is cost more important than longevity? Inexpensive seasonal acrylic and polystyrene dinnerware abound on store shelves. But with plastics, you get what you pay for. These inexpensive styles won’t hold up under impact or in the dishwasher for much longer than a season or two.

Tip 3: Know what you are buying, even if the label doesn’t tell you:

Now you know that the plastics used to make dinnerware vary and which type best suits your needs. So how do you know if a plastic cup is made of SAN or acrylic? How do you see the melamine plates? And what the heck is polypropylene, anyway?

If you buy online from a reputable seller, the product information will include plastic types, features, and care. If not, you may want to buy from a different site as the seller may not be aware of or endorse your product. Shopping in the store can be a bit more complicated because not all plastic products are clearly labeled by type. There you will need to know a little more than what the label tells you.

Unbreakable Tritan and Polycarbonate plastic products are easy to identify because they are generally labeled “Unbreakable” and “Dishwasher Safe” to offset their higher price. Tritan items are also labeled “BPA Free”. Both plastics are generally found in clear or tinted glasses and plates similar to glass.

The unbreakable and dishwasher safe products in polypropylene plastic are also easy to identify. They’re always opaque or semi-opaque, think Tupperware, and they have a rubbery feel unlike any other plastic. These products also tend to be inexpensive.

Labeling on melamine dishes varies, but that’s not a problem if you know what to look for. All melamine plates are opaque, never transparent, and have a rigid touch. Due to the durability and scratch resistance of melamine, it is the most common plastic used to make dishes and can be found in a wide variety of decorative colors and designs. Melamine plates are dishwasher safe, but not microwave safe, so melamine plates are almost always marked “Not designed for microwave use.”

Plastic dishes and kitchen utensils made from microwave safe plastics are always clearly labeled “Microwave Safe” because that is their main selling point. These items can always be washed in the dishwasher and sometimes in the oven as well.

Glasses and plates made of acrylic, polystyrene, and SAN plastic are rarely labeled by type, but you can tell the difference. Although they are shatterproof, they are not really shatterproof so you won’t see it on the label. The main difference is the care. SAN plastic products are suitable for reheating in dishwashers and microwaves and are generally labeled as such. Polystyrene products are generally labeled “Dishwasher Safe Top Rack”, while acrylic products are almost always “Hand Washed”.

Tip 4 – Care Matters! Enjoy your plastic tableware for years:

Since plastics differ, so does your care, but you can extend the life and look of even the least expensive products if you treat them right.

In the dishwasher, a good rule of thumb for any plastic cup, even those marked “Dishwasher Safe,” is to wash on a normal cycle without heating. Some dishwashers overheat the water on certain cycles, so a normal setting is always the best option.

Items labeled “Dishwasher Safe Top Rack” should be placed on the top rack, away from the heating element at the bottom, with one exception. Some melamine dishes are labeled “Dishwasher Safe Top Rack” but will not fit on the top rack. They can be washed on the bottom rack in an air dry environment.

Items labeled “Hand Wash” should actually be hand washed. These products will quickly sizzle or cloud over if exposed to heat and dishwasher detergents.

Abrasive cleaners or scouring pads should not be used on clear plastic cups or plates, as they will, without exception, scratch. Melamine slabs hold up to most scouring sponges.

Tip 5: Ignore the recycling symbol No. 7 – Does not identify specific plastics:

Lastly, save yourself some shopping frustration. Don’t rely on recycling numbers, those little numbers in a triangle on some plastic items, to identify plastics. In fact, these numbers don’t even appear on many plastic tableware. Why? It’s simple, they are not disposable.

The recycling numbers, officially known as SPI codes, are meant to identify commonly discarded plastics so they can be recycled efficiently, that’s it. Code n. 7 is a reference number used for non-recyclable plastics, and that includes many plastics used to make long-life tableware.

Contrary to some media stories, code # 7 does not denote unsafe plastic. Anyone suggesting that all plastic items with code # 7 are not safe because they contain the chemical BPA simply did not do their homework. Most good quality plastics, including melamine, acrylic, SAN, Tritan, and even biodegradable ecoplastics, fall under code n. 7, and none of them contain BPA.

Polycarbonate is the only dinnerware plastic that contains BPA. If you are concerned about BPA media reports, avoid polycarbonate products. Products made from Tritan plastic offer the same benefits as polycarbonate, without BPA.

So whatever your dinnerware is, from shatterproof outdoor plastic cups, to durable everyday plates, to seasonal inspired decorative styles, there is surely a plastic available to meet your needs. With these tips, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.

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