Mineral Water Bottles

Mineral Water Bottles

Have you ever wondered about the little numbers on the bottom of plastic products, usually surrounded by arrows? I presume many have not noticed it.  These are called the resin identification codes and were introduced in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. to help with recycling.

Today, most single-use plastic water bottles are made out of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE), which is marked with a 1. Reusable plastic water bottles are usually made from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), which is marked with a 2; Polypropylene (PP), which is marked with a 5; or Polycarbonate (marked with a 7 or the letters "PC").

While it's tempting to just re-use that water bottle you bought at the gas station or supermarkets, you may want to toss it in the recycling bin instead. Chances are the bottle is made out of PET. While manufacturers such as the American Plastics Council have said that washing PET bottles with soap and water will keep the bottle safe, health and environmental groups are concerned that re-using these bottles leaches phthalates (endocrine disruptor), specifically DEHP (also called BEHP), into the water.

Among other concerns, an October 2008 study published in Environmental Research found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of DEHP gave birth to baby boys with smaller penises and undescended testes. Other studies have found that degraded PET bottles leach DEHA, which is known to cause liver problems and may be a carcinogen.

Safe use of plastic bottles

If you plan on washing and re-using your plastic water bottle, your best bet is to go for polyethylene (marked with a 2) or polypropylene (marked with a 5). However, you may want to consider foregoing a plastic bottle entirely, and choosing one made from glass or stainless steel.I highly recommend it.

Other Plastic Tips

In general, avoid exposing plastics to extreme heat, like in the dishwasher or microwave. Even if the plastic claims to be dishwasher or microwave safe, heating it to extreme levels will cause it to degrade, and could release chemicals into your food and drink. And don't fill your plastic water bottles with hot liquids, like tea or coffee, for the same reason. Remember not to re-use single-use plastic products, like water bottles, because they will quickly degrade.

www.ehow.com/about_5529531_harmful-plastic-bottles.html

Environment

Plastic water bottles are poorly biodegradable, so much of the landfill plastic is ultimately burned which releases unknown but large amount of toxic smoke into the atmosphere.

Personal Practise

I stop re-using single use water bottles (those with resin identification marked 1) and got rid of all similar bottles at home. I have filtered water at home and I fill my stainless steel water bottle everyday. I sometimes purchase mineral water from the store but will immediately discard it once I have finished. I try not to bring plastic water bottles home. I have also stop re-heating food in plastic containers in the microwave. No plastic containers are used to heat food on the stove, microwave or oven despite having the microwave safe label. It can be difficult to get your family accustomed to this change but its well worth the effort.