Hello Moonlightdream,
Since you asked -- NO, i would never recommend plastic for storage of sachet powders, incense powders, oils, herbs, or bath crystals. Glass only. Why? Because all of those items -- every one of them -- contains essential oils. Depending on which essential oils we are speaking of, they may interact chemically with the plastic. This may ruin the scent, degrade the plastic, or even dissolve the plastic.
There are many formulations of synthetic resin plastic and they differ greatly, so the word "plastic" covers everything from polyethylene (PE), polystyrene foam (XPS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and mylar film (also PET). While PET is the most stable plastic (and the mylar we use for our foils is PET), many products are packaged in unstable PVC, XPS, and PE containers. These plastics are so unstable that they are suitable only for shipment of non-food goods or for very short-term storage of food stuffs. The soft, squishy plastics, in particular, should never have been used for food storage in the first place, but they were and are allowed, under a corrupt system of laws manipulated by multinational corporate petroleum industry interests. They should never be purchased, or, if purchased, they should not used for long-term storage of food or anything that contains volatile chemicals, including vinegar, vinegar-based seasoning sauces, marinades, pickles, tomatoes, citrus fruits or juices, or blends of essential oils.
Please store your foods and working materials in glass. Please buy foods packed in glass for your own safety.
If you doubt me, do a google search on "BPA in baby bottles" and read about how toxic hormone disruptors were put into baby bottles from 1957 onward. This practice only came to an end in 2010, when enough scientific evidence had been published to finally bring an end to the use of BPA as a vehicle for food storage. Now think, and think hard -- It took FIFTY YEARS to get BPA banned from baby bottles because the petroleum chemical industry fought back against science.
Then look up "Phthalates male reproductive system" This will open up a world of chemical research, and you will have to ask yourself -- "Why do many major commercial brands of occult oils (yes, HOODOO OILS!) contain diethyl phthalate?"
See this series of posts in usenet from 2003, to which i contributed:
http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/occul ... halate.txt
The petrochemical industry retreated on BPA and is ramping down the phthalates -- but how many new plastics and plasticizers and "extenders" have been introduced since the end of BPA baby bottles and are in your plastic food containers RIGHT NOW? In FIFTY YEARS, what plasticizer or plastic will be in the news as having been a hormone disrupter all along? Will you be around to read the headlines?
Just say no. Just buy glass. Just think of yourself, your children, and your grandchildren.
Glass can be recycled. It does not float in the ocean and kill wild life.
BUY GLASS. USE GLASS. Be prepared to pay more money for foods in glass containers. JUST DO IT. Then RE-USE the glass containers to store your "stuff." Everything stores well in glass, even the most chemically active essential oils.
The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. has a FREE flyer on storage and preservation of herbs -- just request it when you make a purchase -- ask for it in the message box of your order, and we will send it to you. If you want a copy and are not planning to order, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the shop and request THREE free flyers -- "Wildcrafting Herbs Around the Old Homestead," "Magical Herbs as Teas and Tisanes," and "Storage and Preservation of Herbs."
NO MORE PLASTIC FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS.
Since I only have until mid-May for this specific intent
