If you’re shopping for plastic dinnerware, you’ve no doubt seen that plastic cups and plates come in a wide range of styles, types, and even qualities these days. With each promising a different set of features and benefits, choosing the right plastic dinnerware can seem like a daunting task. But don’t despair! Here are some tips to help you decide what type of plastic is best for you, and how to know exactly what you’re buying.

Tip 1: Don’t just buy “plastic”, because not all plastics are created equal:

So true! Have you ever had indestructible plastic cups that last year after year, while others break the first time they are dropped? What about those plastic plates that scratch like crazy after a few uses? What about plastic plates that overheat after just a few seconds in the microwave, or glasses that cloud up in the dishwasher?

Although frustrating, these common problems aren’t really defects in the plastic, they’re just differences. More than half a dozen types of plastic are used to make dinnerware, from unbreakable Tritan and inexpensive SAN to scratch-resistant melamine and decorative acrylic. Each offers its own benefits and drawbacks.

Knowing how different plastics behave and how to differentiate between them when shopping can ensure that the plastic plates, glasses and serving pieces you choose best meet your needs. Tips two and three will help you do just that.

Tip 2 – Decide the features you are interested in before you buy:

Buying plastic tableware would be a piece of cake if one plastic offered it all: unbreakable, scratch-proof, dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe. Unfortunately, such plastic has not yet been invented. So, of the plastics out there, which is the right option for you?

Do unbreakable and dishwasher-safe products top your list? If so, spending a little more on shatterproof Tritan or polycarbonate plastic items is well worth the years of use you’ll enjoy. For a little less, SAN plastic products are nearly as durable, and casual styles in polypropylene are just as durable and very affordable. Avoid anything in acrylic or Styrofoam.

Are scratched plates what bothers you the most? Then melamine plates are your best option for long-term satisfaction. But you’ll have to give up the convenience of microwave heating.

Are microwave-safe dishes a must? The selection is smaller, but there are some plastic options made specifically for microwaves. Look for dishes from Nordic Ware, Miracleware and ExtremeWare brands, and avoid products made of melamine, acrylic and polystyrene.

Are you drawn to decorative or themed plates? Fashionable designs and seasonal themes are widely available in plastic tableware. Highly decorative glasses are usually made of acrylic, but be prepared to hand wash them to keep them looking their best. You’ll also find many decorative and themed designs on durable, easy-care melamine dinnerware.

Is cost more important than longevity? Inexpensive, seasonal acrylic and Styrofoam tableware abounds on store shelves. But with plastics, you get what you pay for. These inexpensive styles won’t keep up under impact or in the dishwasher much longer than a season or two.

Tip 3: Know what you’re buying, even if the label doesn’t say so:

Now you know that the plastics used to make tableware vary and which one is best suited to your needs. So how do you know if a plastic cup is made of SAN or acrylic? How do you identify melamine plates? And what the heck is polypropylene, anyway?

If you buy online from a reputable seller, the product information will include plastic types, features, and care. If not, you may want to shop on a different site as the seller may not know about or stand behind their product. Shopping at the store can be a little trickier because not all plastic products are clearly labeled by type. There you will need to know a little more than what the label tells you.

Unbreakable products in Tritan and polycarbonate plastic are easy to identify because they are usually labeled “Unbreakable” and “Dishwasher Safe” to offset their higher price. Tritan items are also labeled “BPA Free.” Both plastics are generally found in clear or tinted glass-like cups and dishes.

Unbreakable and dishwasher-safe products in polypropylene plastic are also easy to identify. They’re always opaque or semi-opaque, think Tupperware, and have a rubbery feel unlike any other plastic. These products also tend to be low-priced.

Labeling on melamine plates varies, but that’s not a problem if you know what to look for. All melamine plates are opaque, never transparent, and have a rigid feel. Due to melamine’s durability and scratch resistance, it is the most common plastic used to make dishes and can be found in a wide variety of colors and decorative patterns. Melamine plates are dishwasher safe, but not microwave safe, which is why melamine plates are almost always marked “Not for Microwave Use.”

Plastic plates and cookware made from microwave-safe plastic are always clearly labeled “microwave-safe” because that’s their main selling point. These items are always dishwasher safe and sometimes oven safe too.

Cups and plates made of acrylic, polystyrene, and SAN plastic are rarely labeled by type, but they can be differentiated. Although they’re shatterproof, they’re not actually unbreakable, so you won’t see it on the label. The big difference is care. SAN plastic products can be reheated in dishwashers and microwaves and are usually labeled as such. Styrofoam products are usually labeled “Top Rack Dishwasher Safe,” while acrylic products are almost always “Hand Wash.”

Tip 4 – Care matters! Enjoy your plastic tableware for years:

As plastics differ, so does their care, but you can extend the life and appearance of even the cheapest products by treating them correctly.

In the dishwasher, a good rule of thumb for any plastic cups, even those marked “Dishwasher Safe,” is to wash them on a normal, no-heat cycle. Some dishwashers overheat the water in certain cycles, so a normal setting is always the best option.

Items labeled “Top Rack Dishwasher Safe” should be placed on the top rack, away from the heating element on the bottom, with one exception. Some melamine plates are labeled “Top Rack Dishwasher Safe” but will not fit on the top rack. These are fine to wash on the bottom rack in an air dry setting.

Items labeled “Hand Wash” really should be hand washed. These products will quickly crackle or cloud if exposed to the heat of the dishwasher and detergents.

Abrasive cleaners or scouring pads should not be used on clear plastic cups or dishes, as they will, without exception, scratch. Melamine plates hold up to most scrubbing sponges.

Tip 5 – Ignore Recycling Symbol #7 – It Does Not Identify Specific Plastics:

Finally, save yourself some shopping frustration. Don’t rely on recycling numbers, those little numbers in a triangle on some plastic items, to identify plastics. In fact, these numbers don’t even appear on many plastic tableware items. Why? It’s simple, they are not disposable.

Recycling numbers, officially known as SPI codes, are meant to identify commonly discarded plastics so they can be recycled efficiently, that’s all. The #7 code is a general number used for non-recyclable plastics, and that includes many plastics used to make durable dinnerware.

Contrary to some media stories, code #7 does not denote an unsafe plastic. Anyone suggesting that all plastic items with code #7 are unsafe because they contain the chemical BPA simply didn’t do their homework. Most good quality plastics, including melamine, acrylic, SAN, tritan, and even biodegradable eco-friendly plastics, fall under code 7 and none of them contain BPA.

Polycarbonate is the only tableware plastic that contains BPA. If you’re concerned about media reports about BPA, just avoid polycarbonate products. Products made with Tritan plastic offer the same benefits as polycarbonate, without BPA.

So whatever your dinnerware needs are, from unbreakable outdoor plastic cups to durable everyday plates and seasonally-inspired decorative styles, there’s sure to be a plastic available to meet your needs. Armed with these tips, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.