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You probably already know that when you are shopping for plastic food containers, you need to be looking for plastic which are BPA-free and microwave-safe. But have you ever thought about how this might apply to gardening with plastic containers? If you grow your own food, any toxins absorbed by your plants could end up on your dinner table.

Research into bisphenol A (BPA) and plants seems to still be in the initial stages, but there are some studies which indicate that plants can absorb BPA. This study was conducted on water convolvulus, and the researchers found that it did indeed absorb the endocrine disruptor, which was then metabolized.

This article describes another experiment, this time conducted by a college student named Jareau Cordell who introduced BPA to his plants to see what its effects would be. Somewhat disturbingly, the plants actually responded in a seemingly positive way to the BPA, outpacing the growth of the control group plants.

Why should BPA effects on plants trouble you? Well, just because the plants were growing more abundantly does not mean that they were necessarily healthy. After all, think about the unchecked growth of cancer cells. More growth does not necessarily mean that something positive is happening.

If BPA finds its way onto your plate through your homegrown fruits or vegetables, it is definitely a health concern. This government resource quotes a NTP Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction review as saying there is, “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A.”

Most of us are already exposed to way more endocrine disruptors than is good for us. It is one reason why hormonal imbalances have become so widespread around the world.

None of this should cause you to panic about putting your plants in plastic bins. Plastic in general is a great material for planters for a variety of reasons. Growing plants in plastic bins, pots and bottles is:

• Affordable
• Lightweight
• Versatile
• Good at containing moisture
• Easy to repurpose

For all of these reasons, plastic is bound to remain a favorite material among gardeners for a long time to come. You just may want to be selective about the plastics you choose. Traditionally, many people use recycled plastics for planters. This is a good thing—one should recycle when one can. But it does mean they may not look carefully at the composition of that plastic before they use it, assuming it is unimportant. You now know otherwise.

So try and buy BPA-free plastics when you are growing plants, especially if those plants are going to serve as food for you or for pets or wildlife. If those plastics are recycled, all the better—but either way, going BPA-free with gardening containers is the green option. Doing so will help ensure a healthy ecology, and will reduce the influence of endocrine disruptors on your body and the environment.