Do you refill your water bottles and use them over and over? Well, it is definitely better for the earth to reuse water bottles, but what about your health?
There have been several studies done on the dangers of reusing plastic water bottles. According to the Canadian Bottled Water Association, bottles are made for single use and should be recycled after that use. The CBWA advises against reusing bottles or containers as a whole.
According to some research, you should avoid using bottles with #1 PETE or #7 on the bottom of the bottle. These types of plastics contain Bisphenol A (BPA). The reuse of this plastic allows BPA to leak into the substance contained in the bottle. BPA is known to increase the risk of reproductive health problems and possibly breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer.
Look for bottles with #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or #5 PP (polypropylene) on the bottom of the bottles. These are among the safest and most recommended bottles to use.
Water Bottle Safety Tips:
- Only use and refill one bottle per day
- Avoid using a water bottle if it has been sitting in the car or sun for an extended period of time (exposed to heat)
- Avoid using a water bottle if it has been frozen
- Do not share water bottles
- Only use bottles with a #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, or #5 PP
- Try not to use bottles with #1 PETE or #7
- Don’t refill any bottle with a sugary substance of any kind
- Wash and clean containers properly if reuse is inevitable
- Recycle, recycle, recycle