Information regarding BPA

Recently in the media there has been a lot of hype about a suspected dangerous chemical BPA being used in various plastics. Convex thought we should provide our customers with some factual information about this chemical and assure them that BPA will not be found in any of our packaging.

BPA (Bisphenol A) is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. The chemical is used commonly to make clear and hard plastics and is only dangerous if the tolerable daily intake of 0.05mg/kg of body weight is exceeded.

 It is still being disputed, but there have been studies to indicate a link to diabetes, obesity, attention deficit, breast and prostate cancers, early puberty and skewed reproductive health.

BPA is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic drink bottles and packaging, and in the lacquer that lines food and drink cans. BPA leaches, in small amounts, into the food and drink contained by these linings and plastics. Studies are currently investigating this in the US.

Convex manufactures and sells flexible packaging, this mainly consists of materials such as polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene. These do not contain BPA. Also NZ does not commonly manufacture or import any products known to have BPA.

There are seven classes of plastics used in packaging applications. Type 7 is the “other” class, and some type 7 plastics, such as polycarbonate (sometimes identified with the letters “PC” near the recycling symbol) and epoxy resins, and can be made using a bisphenol A monomer.

Type 3 (PVC) can also contain bisphenol A as an antioxidant in plasticizers.

Types 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (polypropylene), and 6 (polystyrene) do not use bisphenol A during polymerization or package forming.

We hope you have found this information useful. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding our products or BPA.

Regards
Owen Embling
Managing Director