Silicone-vs-Plastic-How to Choose right material for your kitchen project?
People are paying more and more attention to health and environmental protection, and the material selection of kitchen utensils has become a hot topic. Although plastic products are cheap and colorful, microplastics and chemicals such as BPA and plasticizers may migrate under high temperatures. Silicone has become a replacement trend because of its high temperature resistance, non-toxicity, non-stick, antibacterial and reusability. This article analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the two in terms of safety, performance, environmental protection attributes and cost.
What is Silicone?
The First is Silicone is not plastic. Silica gel == Stone on the Beach!The main component of silica gel is silicon, a natural component found in sand, stone, and crystals.
Silicone is a polymer material composed of silicon-oxygen bonds, with elasticity and heat resistance, mostly used in food contact utensils. It must be platinum cured and food grade certified before use.
What is Plastic?
Plastics (such as PP, PE,ABS, polycarbonate): synthetic materials with low cost and mature production technology. However, they have poor heat resistance and are subject to chemical risks such as plasticizers, BPA, and dyes.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) (chemical formula (C8H8)x·(C4H6)y·(C3H3N)z) is a common thermoplastic polymer. Its glass transition temperature is approximately 105 °C (221 °F).[4][failed verification] ABS is amorphous and therefore has no true melting point.
The Raw material of Silicone.
The raw material of plastic
Further Reading: Silicone Material
Silicone VS Plastic
Who will choose silicone, who will use the plastic?
Family cooking players,Parent-child families and Environmental advocates: Silicone is recommended for frequent high-temperature cooking,as the Food-grade silicone is recommended, safe and practical;More willing to pay for high-reuse silicone.
Budget-sensitive users: Plastic can be selected for daily light use;
When should use silicone, when should use the plastic?
High-temperature frying and baking: Silicone is preferred;Children and pregnancy have high safety needs: Silicone is recommended;
Normal temperature storage, light frying and light cooking: Some plastics can be used;Parties and large-scale use: Economical plastic is an alternative.
Where you can use the silicone, where you can use the plastic?
Silicone: Oven, deep fryer, steamer, microwave oven;
Plastic: Cold salad, cold food storage, one-time dinner use.
Benefits of food-grade silicone
Silicone-Sustainable & Eco-Friendly
It has high flexibility, corrosion resistance and adaptability. It is suitable for cooking and baking. It is the best raw material for direct contact with food. It is food safe when using the food grade silicone material.
2. High-temperature resistance, with corrosion resistance to cleaning agents and other types of corrosive substances. It has stable structural mechanical properties, so it has super resistance to extreme temperatures and a wide temperature range.
3. It has good air permeability. odorless. Not easy to cause allergies. No water seepage. Non-toxic. contains no BPA, latex, lead, or phthalates.
silicone safety concerns
4. Sanitary and healthy, silica gel can completely prevent the breeding of bacteria and fungi.
5. Environmental protection and low carbon.
Silicone-vs-Plastic
How to choose plastic and silicone kitchenware products?
Check whether it is marked with “food grade, LFGB, FDA” when purchasing;
Wash by hand before use, and then check whether it is soft and odorless;
Silicone should be used within its temperature resistance range.Material selection: platinum silicone > peroxide silicone.high purity silicone without fillers if no “white line” is seen when pinched. It is LFGB silicone.
Plastics should be heat-resistant and BPA-free;Plastic materials are preferably PP,
Avoid dark plastics from contact with open flames to prevent migration.
Focus on choosing brands and products with third-party test reports.
How to choose plastic and silicone kitchenware products?
Check whether it is marked with “food grade, LFGB, FDA” when purchasing;
Wash by hand before use, and then check whether it is soft and odorless;
Silicone should be used within its temperature resistance range.Material selection: platinum silicone > peroxide silicone.high purity silicone without fillers if no “white line” is seen when pinched. It is LFGB silicone.
Plastics should be heat-resistant and BPA-free;Plastic materials are preferably PP,
Avoid dark plastics from contact with open flames to prevent migration.
Focus on choosing brands and products with third-party test reports.
How much of silicone and plastic kitchenware products?
Silicone: $10–30 per piece, but if the service life is more than 5 years, the average annual cost is lower than plastic;
Plastic: a few dollars per time, discarded after use, long-term cumulative cost is higher;
Total cost conclusion: Silicone is more cost-effective in the long term.
How to maintain the silicone and plastic kitchenware products?
Temperature control does not exceed the declared extreme value;
Avoid sharp scratches on silicone;
Do not use plastic pots close to flames;
Regularly check for deformation, cracks and residues.
How to clean silicone and plastic kitchenware products?
Silicone: Wash in the upper layer of the dishwasher or with warm water .
Plastic: Dry after cleaning to avoid bacterial growth;
More FAQ about Silicone and Plastic?
Q1: Does silicone really not release toxic substances?
A: High-quality food-grade silicone does not contain BPA/plasticizers and usually does not release toxins. Platinum-cured products should be great selected
Q2: Will long-term baking cause silicone to age?
A: It will gradually harden or change color. It is recommended to replace it when it exceeds 5 years or there are cracks on the surface.
Q3: Is plastic safe?
A: Low-quality plastics will release microplastics, BPA, plasticizers, etc. It is recommended to avoid high-temperature use and gradually replace them.
Q4: Is silicone environmentally friendly?
A: Although it is not biodegradable, it has a long service life and does not generate microplastics.
Q5: Is it worth buying cheap plastic?
A: If you cook frequently and need high temperature and durability, silicone is more recommended for long-term investment costs.
Summary:
From the sheet and the article you can see that: Silicone is obviously better than plastic in kitchen applications because of its safety, high temperature resistance, antibacterial, easy cleaning, and environmental protection It is also more durable and more ocean-friendly than plastic. It lasts longer and stands up better against heat and cold than plastics. It’s safer for your family, too, with no toxins.BPA, PVC free. odorless, stain-resistant, hypoallergenic, and has no open pores to harbor harmful bacteria.
In ZSR Group, We have rich experience in producing Silicone products with FDA or LFGB Approved standards. We have the FDA register list number 3011147430.
Technical Related
About Author: Z.S.R International Group
Z.S.R International Group(Hong Kong) co., Limited, is a one-stop supplier for molded silicone products and silicone products molding solution provider in the consumer products field. We offer OEM services from silicone product design to Silicone products contract manufacturing. We have the capability for custom silicone tooling, LSR(Liquid silicone Rubber) molded silicone products, solid silicone molded products, molded silicone multi-colored products. We also can custom molded silicone, custom molded LSR, custom molded dripping injection dispensing(co-injection) silicone multi-colored products.
