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Gnarlodious t1_j7xpihh wrote

Hate to say it but plastic does decompose after a long time and releases particles into your food. I wouldn’t consider such old plastic safe.

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BobbySwiggey t1_j7zhd6g wrote

Yup we had to throw out a bunch of Tupperware from the 80s for that reason, you could actually feel it starting to decompose. Not BIFL at all unfortunately.

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Shojo_Tombo t1_j7zqisy wrote

Iirc, the red, orange, and opaque yellow ones contain mercury based pigments. The science is still out about whether or not they can leech heavy metals, but I personally don't want to risk it.

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Trash_Emperor t1_j7zxdia wrote

Better to be bummed than to be sick. Old plastic degrades something fierce after a while, especially when exposed to sun. It's no wonder you can smash through old Dodge dashboards with your bare hands after a few decades.

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Sasselhoff t1_j80aqpw wrote

Shoot, really? I've got Tupperware going back 40 years, if not more....and dang-it, I just organized all of it! Now you're telling me I've got to dump it...sigh.

How far back is "too far" to be safe? I probably have a piece from every set starting a decade ago, back to 40+ years.

Or is it one of those things where I should just move them to the garage/woodshop and start using glass containers?

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DisguisedEleiphant t1_j84v46x wrote

I wanted to comment the same thing, like wtf, why would someone buy old plastic containers...

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Gnarlodious t1_j852osx wrote

And if you ever do, smell them real closely. Old plastic was often stored in under-counter spaces and absorbed sewage odors that are impossible to drive out.

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