Have you ever noticed that some small items such as mobile phone holders, pothooks, storage boxes and fruit baskets make a great difference in our daily life. But do you know how to choose a quality fruit basket and what kinds of materials injection molding machine applied to produce it. Well, let’s deep into the world of injection molding machine for fruit basket.

When it comes to plastic fruit basket, the material is the most important factor as poor material may form a potential risk for our health. Most of us are lack the awareness of paying attention to the material of plastic products. Therefore we are going to list out different types of plastic materials and the properties of these materials.

If you are careful enough you will find that every plastic products own a number on their bottom, side or top, ranging from 1 to 7. These numbers refer to different material made of plastic products.

NO.1 polyethylene terephthalate

NO.1 refers to polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PETE or PET which is usually applied to the production of most disposable beverage and food containers and bottles. Besides that it is also commonly found in your household cleaning product container. This plastic is relatively safe, but it is important to keep it away from heat sources, otherwise it may cause carcinogens (such as flame retardant antimony trioxide) to penetrate into your liquid. In addition, the porous nature of the surface can lead to the accumulation of bacteria and smell, so please avoid reusing these bottles as temporary containers. Most roadside recycling programs recycle this plastic.

NO.2  high density polyethylene

NO.2 refers to high density polyethylene or HDPE. It is commonly used to most milk cans, detergent and juice bottles, butter drums and toiletries containers. Usually opaque in color, this plastic is considered safe and has a low risk of leaching. Most recycling programs recycle it.

NO.3 polyvinyl chloride

NO.3 refers to polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Used for making food wrapping paper, cooking oil bottles, shower curtains, inflatable mattresses and ordinary water pipes. PVC, although tough in strength, is not considered to be used for cooking or heating. PVC contains softening chemicals called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development. Never cook with food wrapping paper, especially in the microwave oven. Check labels on inflatable, baby toys, etc. to make sure they do not contain PVC (as well as phthalates and BPA). This plastic is rarely accepted by recycling programs.

NO.4 low density polyethylene

NO.4 refers to low density polyethylene (LDPE), used to make food bags, some food packaging, extrudable bottles and bread bags. This plastic is considered to be relatively safe. The problem with LDPE is primarily environmental: It cannot be recycled through roadside and other recycling schemes. We recommend reusing them as grocery bags or puppy bags, instead of throwing them away after being used once. Of course, ideally, a reusable grocery tote bag uses a biodegradable poop bag. Some grocery stores accept grocery bag returns (if your local grocery store evem still uses plastic, that's it).

NO.5 polypropylene (PP)

NO.5 refers to polypropylene (PP). Common items produced with it include yogurt cups, medicine bottles and ketchup bottles, kitchen utensils and "microwave safety" plastic containers. Polypropylene is considered to be microwave safe because of its heat resistance, so it will not deform in microwave. This does not mean that it is healthy for you to eat food heated by microwave oven! It is best to microwave in a glass container (the type of microwave glass also varies). PP is considered a safe plastic as long as you avoid microwave ovens. It is now accepted by most roadside recycling schemes.

NO.6 polystyrene foam

NO.6 refers to polystyrene or polystyrene foam, commonly used in most disposable containers and food utensils. It is also very common in packaging, such as packaging peanuts. There is overwhelming evidence that this type of plastic leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated. It is wise to avoid # 6 plastic as much as possible. It is difficult to recycle and can only be accepted by specific recycling facilities. Worse, if it is not recycled, it will take hundreds and hundreds of years to decompose!

NO.7 other materials

This category basically means "everything else" and consists of any new plastics, including bio-plastics, and may also consist of different types of plastics. The risk of using plastics in this category is at your own risk because you don't know what it might contain. Polycarbonate falls into this category, including highly toxic BPA. Products produced include baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental equipment, CDs and DVDs, and some computers and other technical components. It is wise to handle any food or beverage related products known to contain BPA. Recycling # 7 plastic is difficult, and most roadside recycling schemes will not accept it.

In a word, NO.2, NO.4 and NO.5 plastics are generally considered safe. But do not put them in the microwave even if they are signed as "microwave safe". Plastics NO.1, NO.3, NO.6 and NO.7 should be used with caution, especially around food or drink. But keep in mind that plastic NO.1 have to be stored in a cool environment and can not be reused.

How to recycle plastic

Nowadays, plastics are everywhere. Disposable plastic containers account for a large proportion of the garbage thrown away every day. These plastics are usually not biodegradable, they break down into toxic substances and seep into land and groundwater. Fortunately, by recycling and reusing plastics, we can prevent plastics from going to landfills and provide a lot of materials for making various new products. You can identify recyclable plastics by the triangular recycling sign, which can usually be found somewhere at the bottom of the bottle, with numbers and letter abbreviations on it to show the type of plastic.

To make sure the type of your plastic

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is usually marked with NO.1 which is most commonly used in soft drink bottles, water bottles, plastic beer bottles, plastic peanut butter jars, salad dressing bottles, vegetable oil bottles and food trays for ovens. After recycling, it will be remade into polar fleece, tote bags, furniture, carpets and new beverage containers.

HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) is usually marked with NO.2 which is used for milk cans, juice cans, cleaning bottles, yogurt cups, some garbage bags and cereal box linings. After recycling, it will be recycled into bottles, pens and building materials.

V (vinyl) or PVC is usually marked with NO.3 which is used for some window cleaner bottles, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, as well as transparent food packaging, wall panels, windows, pipes and medical devices. Occasionally recycled by plastic wood producers, it will be re-made into building materials.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) is usually marked with NO.4 which is used for plastic squeezing bottles, plastic shopping bags, dry cleaning bags, bread bags. After recycling, it will be re-made into trash can lining, shipping parcels and timber.

PP (polypropylene)is usually marked with NO.5 which is used for straws, some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, medicine bottles, hats. After recycling, it will be remade into rakes, brooms, batteries and trays.

PS (polystyrene)is usually marked with NO.6 which is used for disposable cups and plates, CD boxes, egg packaging cartons, take-away food containers and aspirin bottles. After recycling, it will be re-made into foam packaging, insulating materials, and more egg packaging cartons and take-away food containers.

Others materials are marked with NO.7 which is used for multi-gallon water bottles, bulletproof materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod bags, nylon. It is not often recycled, but sometimes it is re-made into wood.

Plastics reuse

Container reuse. Just because the liquid in the bottle is exhausted does not mean that the bottle is useless. Many plastic soap bottles can be refilled with large bottles of hand sanitizer or dishwashing essence. You can reuse plastic bottles to hold all kinds of items. Be careful not to drink water repeatedly with the same plastic bottle. As time goes by, harmful chemicals will leak out of some plastics. It is best to use old plastic bottles to store non-consumables.

Medicine bottles hold trinkets. From coins to loose nuts to handicrafts, these small, sturdy plastic bottles are the perfect place to hold these small items.

To use the plastic bags at home again. Plastic shopping bags can be used as good garbage bin lining, packaging materials or lunch bags.

Do DIY with plastic goods

To use plastic soda bottles to make useful wires.

To make a soda bottle and candy plate.

To make a wasp trap out of plastic bottles.

To make an elegant vase out of plastic bottles.

To make a computer bag out of plastic bags.

To make a lovely flowerpot out of old milk cans.

Therefore if you are going to buy a plastic fruit basket, please check the number under the products carefully. If you are a plastic fruit basket retailer looking for injection molding machine, please spend a few minutes visiting our website and we are looking forward to be your first choice. NINGBO LISONG INJECTION MOLDING TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD is one of the leading manufacturer and exporter for bulk injection molding machine for fruit basket. More information, please feel free to contact us.