Convincing Reasons Not To Reuse Plastic Bottles

Depending on the material used to make the bottle, it may be harmful to your health to use it beyond the expiration date printed on it.
Convincing reasons not to reuse plastic bottles

If you enjoy recycling plastic bottles, you may need to think twice. On the one hand , it is very important to get used to recycling, and thus protect the environment. On the other hand, one thing you should definitely not do is reuse plastic bottles, which many of us have probably done for a long time.

If you want to know why you should not reuse plastic bottles, we invite you to continue reading. First of all, you should keep in mind the data from various studies conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences .

One sample showed that one third of the labels contained bacterial or carcinogenic chemical contaminants. So much so that the levels of carcinogens exceeded industry standards.

Plastic bottles can leak dangerous chemicals

plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are not as harmless as you might have thought. And they can actually leak dangerous chemicals. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the special symbols found on the bottom of the bottles.

One of them is a triangle with a number according to the type of plastic used to make it.

  • Bottles marked “1” (PET) are only safe when used once.
    • If you expose them to heat or the sun, they can leak toxic substances into the water.
  • If you see them marked “3” or “7” or in other words (PVC or PC), be careful because these types of plastics leak toxic substances that can find their way into food and water.
    • These bottles can end up causing dangerous diseases.
  • Bottles that are good for reuse are made of polyethylene and marked with “2” or “4”, and those made of polypropylene and marked with “5” and the letters PP.
    • These bottles are relatively safe if used to store cold water and if disinfected properly.

Watch out for bacteria

plastic bottles

Another aspect to keep in mind when it comes to reusing plastic bottles is the bacteria they can store. The level of bacteria in these bottles often exceeds safe amounts for your body. We are the ones who actually create the perfect conditions for the growth of microbes when we take in a bottle with dirty hands and then fill it with room temperature water.

And it is not even enough to wash the bottle. Even this process should be done correctly, but almost never will be. After washing the bottle , you may make yourself ill or get hepatitis A.

We can not emphasize the amount of bacteria present in bottles enough, and it is simply not always possible to wash them well. The bottle spouts are full of microbes that then enter the mouth. A good way to try to protect yourself is to use a straw.

Be careful how you store the bottles

plastic bottles

Do not store bottles in too high temperatures. High temperatures can cause the plastic to leak chemicals that can be harmful to your body. In the same way, it can also be dangerous to store water bottles in the garage, exposed to exhaust fumes, pesticides and other chemicals that can affect the taste and smell of the water.

Reusing plastic bottles can produce antimony

woman drinking from a plastic bottle

Antimony is a toxic material that is often used to make water bottles. So if you continue to reuse plastic bottles, the more antimony it can produce. Antimony can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This makes it important to drink the water as soon as you buy it and not store it for too long.

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