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

If you’re shopping for plastic dinnerware, you’ve no doubt seen that plastic cups and plates come in a wide range of styles, types, and even qualities these days. Since each one 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 is best for your needs, and how to know exactly what you’re buying.

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

So true! Have you ever had indestructible plastic cups that last year after year while others break the first time they are dropped? What about plastic plates that scratch like crazy after a few uses? What about plastic plates that overheat after just a few seconds in the microwave, or glasses that fog up in the dishwasher?

While frustrating, these common issues aren’t actually flaws in the plastic, they’re just differences. More than half a dozen types of plastic are used to make dinnerware, from unbreakable Tritan and inexpensive SAN to scratch-resistant melamine and decorative acrylic. Each offers its own benefits and drawbacks.

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

Tip 2 – Decide what features you’re interested in before you buy:

Buying plastic tableware would be a piece of cake if one plastic offered it all: unbreakable, scratch-proof, dishwasher and microwave safe. Unfortunately, that plastic hasn’t been invented yet. So, of the plastics out there, which is the right option for you?

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

Are scratched dishes the thing that annoys you the most? Then melamine plates are your best option for long-term satisfaction. But you’ll have to give up the convenience of microwave heating.

Are microwave-safe dishes a must? The selection is smaller, but there are some plastic options made specifically for microwaving. Look for plates from the Nordic Ware, Miracleware, and ExtremeWare brands, and avoid products made from melamine, acrylic, and polystyrene.

Are you attracted to decorative or themed plates? Trendy designs and seasonal themes are widely available in plastic dinnerware. Highly decorative glasses are usually made of acrylic, but be prepared to wash them by hand to keep them looking their best. You’ll also find many decorative and themed designs on durable, easy-care melamine dinnerware.

Is cost more important than longevity? Inexpensive seasonal acrylic and polystyrene tableware 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 more than a season or two.

Tip 3: Know what you’re buying, even if the label doesn’t say so:

Now you know that the plastics used to make tableware vary and which one is best suited to your needs. So how do you know if a plastic cup is made of SAN or acrylic? How do you identify melamine plates? And what the hell 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 know or endorse their product. Shopping at 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 products in Tritan and polycarbonate plastic are easy to identify because they are usually labeled “Unbreakable” and “Dishwasher Safe” to offset their higher price. Tritan items are also labeled “BPA free”. Both of these plastics are usually found in clear or tinted glasses and dishes similar to glass.

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

Labeling for 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 feel. Due to melamine’s durability and scratch resistance, it is the most common plastic used to make plates and can be found in a wide variety of colors and decorative designs. Melamine plates are dishwasher safe, but not microwave safe, which is why melamine plates are almost always marked “Not for microwave use.”

Plastic plates and cookware made from microwave-safe plastic are always clearly labeled “microwave-safe” because that’s their main selling point. These items are always dishwasher safe and sometimes oven safe as well.

Cups and plates made from acrylic, polystyrene, and SAN plastic are rarely labeled by type, but can be differentiated. Although they are shatterproof, they are not actually shatterproof, so you won’t see it on the label. The big difference is care. SAN plastic products can be reheated in dishwashers and microwaves and are usually labeled as such. Styrofoam products are usually labeled “Top Rack Dishwasher Safe,” while acrylic products are almost always labeled “Hand Wash.”

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

As plastics differ, so does their care, but you can extend the life and appearance of even the cheapest products if you treat them correctly.

In the dishwasher, a good rule of thumb for any plastic cup, even ones marked “Dishwasher Safe,” is to wash them 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 “Top Rack Dishwasher Safe” should be placed on the top rack, away from the heating element on the bottom, with one exception. Some melamine plates are labeled “Top Rack Dishwasher Safe” but will not fit in the top rack. These are fine to wash on the bottom rack in a line dry setting.

Items labeled “Hand Wash” really should be hand washed. These products will quickly crackle or cloud if exposed to the heat of the dishwasher and detergents.

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

Tip 5 – Ignore Recycling Symbol #7 – It Doesn’t 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 dinnerware items. Why? It’s simple, they are not disposable.

Recycling numbers, officially known as SPI codes, are meant to identify commonly discarded plastics so they can be recycled efficiently, that’s all. The #7 code is a general number used for non-recyclable plastics, and that includes many plastics used to make durable dinnerware.

Contrary to some media stories, the #7 code does not denote an unsafe plastic. Anyone who suggested that all #7 code plastic items are unsafe because they contain the chemical BPA simply didn’t do their homework. Most good quality plastics, including melamine, acrylic, SAN, tritan, and even biodegradable eco-friendly plastics, fall under code 7 and none of them contain BPA.

Polycarbonate is the only tableware plastic that contains BPA. If you’re concerned about media reports about BPA, simply avoid polycarbonate products. Products made with Tritan plastic offer the same benefits as polycarbonate, without BPA.

So whatever your tableware needs, from shatterproof outdoor plastic cups to durable everyday plates and seasonally inspired decorative styles, there’s sure to be a plastic available that meets your needs. Armed with these tips, you should have no problem finding it.