Cracking the "Rubbermaid Brute" Code

[Craig Lambert]

I have read here several times that the rubbermaid you want to use for mixing saltwater are the "Brute" cans with the designation "NSF" Which I undertand to be for food use.

Well The bottom of mine are marked "NSF", but I just read the inside of the lid on my brute cans and it reads as follows:

NSF NSF STD 2 Food Contact:
White, Gray, Yellow
NSF STD 21 Refuse:
No color restrictions

Is this confusing or what? Mine are BLACK. So what does this mean? Are all of the cans designated NSF safe to use? Or only the ones marked NSF that are White, Gray, or Yellow?

 

[carpetride]

Mine are grey and full of water or I would go check. Haven't had any problems so far, they came from Sam's Club.

 

[Gobie]

I think it has to do with food service use. They donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want a black trash can used to store potatoes while directly across the isle is a black trash can full of garbage. It may be to prevent a mixup. Wether or not black containers are safe to store water in, Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m not sure, I canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t see why you couldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t, itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s made of the same material. I use a gray trash can.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

gobie....be careful as if it is not a Rubbermaid-Brute it may leach chemicals into your stored water......now this is only me passing along what i've been told by many more experienced reefers

Craig....sounds good to me

 

[Gobie]

It is a Rubbermaid container with the same markings under the lid.

Does Rubbermaid make a black trash can Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve never seen one.
Only in white, gray, yellow, blue, and red.

 

[Freed]

Some of the dark colored Brute trash cans have a greasy gummy feel to them when you run your hands along the inside of the container. I will stay away from these types. Others feel smooth to the touch which I would lean more toward.

 

[Gobie]

No black
http://www.rubbermaidproducts.com/M...en=CTGY&Category_Code=Round+Containers+&+Lids

 

[BethanyM]

You may be able to question someone at this website further if you are still concerned.

http://www.nsf.org/business/food_equipment/standards.asp?program=FoodEqu

 

[Craig Lambert]

Thanks BethanyM,

I searched the website and found the numbers on my brute's here:

http://www.nsf.org/Certified/Food/Listings.asp?Company=40000&Standard=021

Base 2632-73 Lid 2631-73[2]

I'm going to assume that they are fine to use inspite of not being white, gray, or yellow.

Geez....Makes you wonder if anything in this hobby is simple. How hard can it be to buy a couple of appropriate garbage cans??????

 

[kabboord]

I always understood the grey ones to be the food safe ones. Its what I use in my beast of a water change system.

 

[BethanyM]

I dont know if this stands for all food service, but I know for some the colors are just food specific. Just like at home when you are cooking on the grill you dont want your pork chops to touch your hamburgers, so at these food service places yellow is for one meat, white is for another, green could be for veggies. That way no one puts raw chicken on the same cutting board, or container that say cucumbers will be chopped on for a salad. As I said before that may not be the case with brutes, but it is with a lot of plastics used in food service.

 

[moumda]

I had some problems with mine (grey one). I rinsed it out with tap water several times and then made a batch or fresh salt water in it. When I did a water change all my sps slimed and didn't look well for several days. I then washed the container out using tap water and muric acid. I haven't used this container again since. I'm hoping it's a 1 time deal and I've got the problem taken care of.