Is it safe to use plastic ice cube trays in the freezer?
Occasional freezer use is lower concern. Replace old, cracked, or cloudy plastic trays.
What to know
Plastic ice cube trays are often made from polypropylene or polyethylene. Freezer use is lower concern than heat because cold water puts less stress on plastic.
The problem is wear. Ice trays get twisted, scratched, rinsed with warm water, dropped, and reused for years. If a tray is cloudy, cracked, sticky, rough, or smells strong, replace it.
Wash plastic trays by hand with cool or warm water. Do not run them through a high-heat dishwasher cycle unless the maker says that exact tray is dishwasher safe.
What the research says
A 2025 J Agric Food Chem study tested polypropylene food containers in hot and cold water. It found microplastic and nanoplastic release, with higher release after 90 C rinsing than room-temperature rinsing.
That study is not an ice tray test. It does support the practical rule here: cold use is lower concern, heat and wear are the bigger problems, and damaged plastic should leave the kitchen.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Release of Nanoplastics from Polypropylene Food Containers into Hot and Cold Water. | J Agric Food Chem | 2025 |