If you get unglazed terra cotta pots, they should have no lead at all. If I could find cheap terra cotta pots, I would buy them, but I have been using plastic pots for years and have not had a problem with them disintegrating. Only problem I have had was when I backed the truck into one two winters ago.:) I figure as long as I reuse them each year, which I do, and then recycle the ones that I can, that is okay. Most of the time, I don't use pots for food, not because I am opposed to it but just because it is easier to plant in the ground. But sometimes I do use pots, especially if it is for heat-loving plants, like tomatoes and eggplants. I have thought about the plastic leaching, but I believe that is the softer plastic that is problematic.

You know I am no expert, but I have wondered about this question myself. There are so many things going to the dump that are useful, that you ought to be able to figure out something else, if you don't want to use plastic.
I saw in someone's yard today, an old small 2 person boat filled with dirt and planted with plants. I've seen old wheelbarrels the same. Figure out what seems safe and then look around. It could be a metal bucket drilled with holes on the bottom, milkcartons, old metal pitchers or whatever.

All plastic products are made from petroleum and some plastics are known to give off some carcinogens. The most recent information concerns plastic baby bottles where this could be a much more serious problem then in the plastic water bottles adults drink from because these carcinogens would build up in infants tissue (development) where it would not in a fully grown persons. Since it appears there is an easy way for the plastic bottle industry to eliminate this potential problem, apparently these carcinogens are in a hardener they use but do not need to, we may see future plastic that does not have these carcinogens.
Some, but not all, of the "clay" pots have also been found to leach out carcinogens (they are made of soil which has them) so the choice is about balance. What is your exposure to potential carcinogens? Will these build up in your body? Would breathing the air around produce a larger exposure? Based on the information I've seen so far your exposure to potential carcinogens in plastic pots is lower than what you would be exposed to from bottled water, much lower.

My wife has a few 'plastic' pots that she uses for herbs, and places on the deck outside our kitchen. My biggest use of them is in starting the seeds each year. I used peat pots for many years, and was always annoyed at the amount of failures, and resulting re-plants. I have found a better way, especially for my tomatoes and peppers. I use these bio-sponges to germinate the seeds, and then when they have about 2 or 3 leaves, I move them into small plastic pots(square) that are almost 4 inches deep, and 3 1/2 inches square. (with potting soil filler) They have consistently done much better than the peat pots ever did. Some suggests that the peat absorbs too much moisture, maybe. When it comes to planting in the garden, they pop out of the plastic pots quite easily, with their roots well developed and holding it all together. This year, I tried using these foam shipping trays for wine bottles. I buy a case of wine, now and then, and when they are shippped, they come in foam formed containers for the bottles. I realized they are not too wide, but nice and deep, so thought I should try them for my seedlings. I lined each cylinder shape with wax paper, then put in the plant which grew in the biosponge, with the soil filler. I'll be putting them in the ground later this week, so will be anxious to see if they pop out easy enough with the wax paper. They also grew very well from the seedling stage. We'll see!

My experience has been a lot different than what I read here. I have bought many plastic pots and usualy only get 1-2 years use before totally falling apart. Yet the free nursery pots I grab from construction sites the landscapers throw out last about 5 years. Odd Huh!? Spend money, short life! Grab for free, last longer!

Well I am at the end of useing plastic once these last ones are done. I am no longer going to use plastics where I can find other alternatives. That is a hard pill to swallow in this present day. After seeing the latest National Geographic Special on PBS, I think we all need to reduce our use of plastics as a temporary container. If you missed the show I highly recommend checking your local station for a rebroadcast. Title was "National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth - Dangerous Catch & Dirty Secrets"

I start seedlings in plastic pots that came originally with boughten plants. They last for years and years and years. I have never purchased one of these new, but used what would have gone to the dump. If a thin one gets a crack, I put masking tape on them which also serves as a label strip.

Large pots are excellent turned over newly set out plants for a couple days. These have vent holes but they can be tipped open on the north side to let in more light or air if need be.

Well I just thought about the zones we all live in and realized that needs to be concidered as well. The amount of sunlight and temperatures both play huge roles in the effects on plastics. In my area even EPVC will deteriorate after about ten years but in a zone 5 would likely last 30 years. EPVC is a special UV resistant PVC used mainly in electrical applications for outdoor use. I have been on jobs to replace this stuff many times due to it becoming very brittle. Yet I have never seen this issue any time it is used indoors.

The question is do plastic plant pots, which get watered and sit in the hot sun-- release dioxin into the soil... l called Walter Anderson Nursery, Armstrong and Presidio, the three best in San Diego. The person answering the phone in each nursery said they don't, they've never heard of it, people have never had a problem, the UC extension her in CA will be all over it if they did, etc. The UC comment was the most reassuring. I grow strawberries, tomatoes, lots of edible things in plastic. If anyone ever gets any additional concrete info I would appreciate hearing about it--thanks--CeeCee

Plastic pots work well and last a long time. I have a large 7 year old collection of 4 inch pots for seedlings which I reuse each year after washing. I also have a collection of 2.5 and 5 gallon food buckets from the local supermarket deli and bakery.
Terra cotta looks nice and is heavy which prevents dried out soil filled pots from tipping over. On the down side, unglazed terra cotta can lose a lot of moisture to evaporation.

Jon

This is just my thought, but the oxidation of the plastic from sunlight would be on the outside of the pots, not the inside. I'm sure some tiny level of toxins leech into your soil, but probably no more than what you get in your body from a bottled water, and the levels that actually made it into the edible portions of the plant would be next to none.

Look at the recycle number of the pots --- generally we all need to stay away from food products contained in 3,6,7 due to BPA levels. Extreme hot/cold can accelerate the leeching of BPA from these recycle numbers (such as putting them in the microwave). But back to plants - I haven't found any hard evidence of a problem with transfer to the fruit from a plastic pot.

There is documented evidence on arsenic leeching from older treated wood in raised beds (in the soil directly touching the wood). The method of using arsenic as a wood treatment is no longer used but I wouldn't be surprised if some people still have that old wood in/around the garden. I would be more concerned with things like that than the plastic. Just my opinion.