Sterilite plastic containers
4 reports to CPSC, the latest made Sep 27, 2026. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 4reports to CPSC
- Sep 27, 2026the latest report was made
- Aug 5, 2011the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Sterilite
- Makers
- STERILITE CORP. and Sterilite CorporationMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Plastic containersHard or semi-hardCPSC’s product type: Plastic Containers (Rigid or Semi-rigid) (code 1123), in Containers & Packaging: Plastic
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| September 2026 | 1 |
| January 2023 | 1 |
| May 2017 | 1 |
| August 2011 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- Hurt, no treatment 2 CPSC: Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
- Hurt, care not known 1 CPSC: Injury, Level of care not known
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
Hurt, care not known Made Sep 27, 2026, sent to the company Oct 6, 2026, published by CPSC Oct 21, 2026
The product, in the report: Sterilite 18 gallon red storage containers purchased through Walmart. There is a number 2186N13 on the bottom of the containers which I was using to store household items and my medication.
Subject: Defective Product Chemical Off-Gassing Causing Health and Respiratory Distress to a Senior Citizen I am writing to formally log a severe product safety and liability complaint regarding 24 Sterilite containers I purchased, resulting in a direct financial loss of exactly $180.68. I was 66 years old with pre-existing health conditions, including asthma, when this situation began. For over two consecutive years, I have poured intensive physical labor and money into trying every standard cleaning and remediation method to remove an overwhelming, toxic chemical/petroleum odor emitting from these containers. This included repeated washings with grease-fighting detergents, baking soda, [REDACTED], and extensive airing. Most recently, I placed activated charcoal inside two of the containers and sealed them for four weeks to absorb the odor. Upon opening the sealed containers, a massive concentration of trapped chemical gas escaped. The fumes were so volatile that they immediately burned my eyes and made me physically sick to my stomach. Because I live with asthma and other health conditions, their product’s extreme chemical off-gassing and apparent structural polymer failure created an immediate, hazardous environment that directly threatened my respiratory health and well-being. Keeping these 24 containers inside my duplex laundry room unknowingly filled my shared living space with dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for two years, actively aggravating my chronic health conditions. Their standard customer service responses claim this smell is “normal off-gassing” that “dissipates rapidly.” A smell that persists for over two years, survives intense chemical cleaning, and causes immediate eye burning and physical sickness in a senior citizen is a fundamentally defective and hazardous chemical batch. Because of the severe health risk this poses to my asthma, I have been forced to drag all 24 containers out to my garage and am slowly destroying/disposing of them in the trash, resulting in a total financial loss and continual health concerns.
- Model
- 2186N13
- UPC
- 073149731661
- Serial number
- N13
- Bought from
- Walmart.com
- Bought
- Sep 1, 2024, about then
- Where
- Tahlequah, Oklahoma: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 66, Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Sterilite, made or sold by Sterilite Corporation
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Level of care not known
-
No one hurt Made Jan 3, 2023, sent to the company Jan 9, 2023, published by CPSC Jan 24, 2023
The product, in the report: Marketed online as “1842 Footlocker” (https://www.sterilite.com/product-page.html?product=18429001). Black plastic storage container with and hinged lid with two latches. Also has a handle and wheels. Outside Dimensions: 31 1/4” x 17 5/8” x 13 7/8”.
My 5-year-old daughter was trapped briefly in a latching plastic storage container while playing outside at her elementary school aftercare program. According to her, and the afterschool staff, she was playing inside the storage container, which was being used to hold balls, when another child shut the lid and secured the latches on the outside of the container, trapping her inside. She yelled to be let out, but the other child was unable to open the latches. The other child found one of the staff members, and they let her out. She was not injured. The storage container is opaque and does not appear to have any ventilation; and I do not believe that it is possible to open the container from the inside when it is latched. The label on the storage container lists its dimensions as 31 1/4 inches in length, 17 5/8 inches in width, and 13 7/8 inches in height. My daughter is approximately 46 inches tall and weighs 44 pounds.
- Model
- 1842LAB9 - Black
- UPC
- 0 73149 18429 0
- Where
- Potomac, Maryland: School
- Who was involved
- Age 5, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Child
- As this report names them
- Brand Sterilite, made or sold by Sterilite Corporation
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
Hurt, no treatment Made May 19, 2017, sent to the company May 30, 2017, published by CPSC Jun 20, 2017
The product, in the report: Sterilite 14 L x 11 w x 6 1/4 h
Pinky got caught in the handle where you lock and unlock thenlid. It was very hard for me to get out.
- Bought from
- Target
- Bought
- May 14, 2017
- Where
- York, Pennsylvania: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 31, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Sterilite, made or sold by STERILITE CORP.
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
-
Hurt, no treatment Made Aug 5, 2011, published by CPSC Aug 29, 2011
The product, in the report: Sterilite and sometimes other plastics. All containers from Sterilite. some plastic bags
Hello! I would like to report my reaction to plastic produced for Sterilite (found at WalMart and Target). I am not usually sensitive to smell, but can smell this plastic while other people cannot. The smell makes me achy and makes my stomach upset. I had a Sterilite pitcher and could not drink the water from it because I could taste the plastic. I do not buy Sterilite products anymore because of the reaction I have to them. I can smell similar toxic plastic sometimes with non-Sterilite products as well, such as some plastic bags.
I am normally not sensitive to anything like this!
I am also concerned that some children, who cannot formulate their irritations, might have similar reactions without their parents being aware of the problem. It seems wise to get rid of these products for their sake. Please let me know if this will be done.
Thank you for your time and concern! I appreciate your help!
[REDACTED] Incident date: When I STARTED noticing my reaction.
And, really no injury (see below), but feeling sick
- Bought from
- WalMart, Target
- Bought
- Aug 5, 2007, about then
- Where
- Lincoln, Nebraska: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 29, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Sterilite, made or sold by STERILITE CORP.
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
-
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.