I recently picked up a proper desiccant packet. I thus wanted to go I the store and get a proper plastic container to place my coins in. Doing the container/desiccant method some have spoken of here. I noticed all the food safe containers have a "5" on them which most use food save containers. However these containers were too small. I did however find a nice container in the normal storage bin section that has the "5" on it as well. Just curious as to if this 5 means i'm safe from the normal plastic coin hazards?
Here you go, plastics by the numbers: http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/pdf/StrangeDaysSmartPlasticsGuide.pdf
Interesting in that link: #3 is PVC, but described as safe for food storage. There have numerous responses over the last couple years that any container safe for food would be safe for coins. Maybe we need to rethink that advice. At least the recycling number does give you the composition of the container. Just a thought. Wonder if anybody else caught that? #
Just go here and look - http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/Tuppe...ptid=25802&title=Storage&sortby=1&circularid= - you'll find many different things that are suitable.
If you look at the bottom of the page - • Select safe plastics for food storage. Only use plastic containers with the recycling #1, #2, #4 and #5 for food storage. Consider switching to glass storage containers since plastic containers can leach chemicals into the environment and your food as they age and become used.
Being literal. We have made that blanket statement in the past. How many people follow advice without digesting the entire statement? Just saying..
The URL list is somewhat dated. The food covering and cling wraps such as Saran and Ziplock products have not been produced with PVC ( chloride or plasticizers ) since approximately 2002. Most flexible food containers such as Peanut butter containers are now PET. Perhaps some from other manufacturers brands from other countries have problems, but I always specify Zip-Lock, even though many 99 cent store products in this line are Polyethylene or PET as well. I took time and checked the bottom of all of my plastic food containers, and even some old tupperware in the garage from at least the 1990s and non were PVC. PVC coin products have 2 problem points IMO. In newer PVC products, the amount of plasticizers are large and prone to gaseous migration and in the presence of moisture can produce corrosive ( acidic) action against coin metal. In older PVC, once the plasticizers have dissipated, the PVC itself is relatively inert. Many "survivalists" store caches of ammo and coins in sealed Rigid PVC tubing underground. The second problem is that when PVC reaches etreme temperatures such as in a house fire, they produce nasty residue.
