Clean off the bucket if it’s dirty so you can find the label.
The logo may be a raised icon etched into the plastic.
HDPE plastic does not necessarily mean that the bucket is safe to store food. For example, the bucket may have been used to hold bleach or a chemical that could be toxic if it’s consumed. Most juice or milk containers and 5-gallon food buckets are made from HDPE plastic.
If the PETE plastic may be food grade, it will have a number 1 in the center of the recycling symbol. PETE plastic is often used for products like peanut butter and jelly jars and salad dressing. The abbreviation LDPE will have a number 4 in the center of the symbol if it’s possibly food grade plastic. LDPE is used for a variety of food items from bread and frozen food bags to squeezable mustard and honey bottles. The PP abbreviation will have a number 5 in the center of the recycling logo if it is potentially food grade. This type of plastic is commonly used for containers that hold ketchup, syrup, and yogurt.
Check near the recycling logo for the food and cup symbol. There may also be a marking that says “USDA approved” or “FDA approved” on the bucket.
If you’re unsure of what a symbol means, try looking it up online to identify it.
Look near the recycling and plastic symbol on the bottom of the bucket.
Ask the person selling or giving you the bucket what it was used for. Just because a plastic bucket was previously used to store food doesn’t mean it’s safe for you to use for food storage. Make sure it’s made out of food safe plastic.
Some colored dyes are be toxic and can contaminate food.
