Reusing mineral water plastic bottle?

Question

Is it ok to re-use the mineral water plastic bottles or is that plastic meant for use & throw type usage only?

I mean for my own use... no commecial or dubious intentions! My water consumption is too much to afford a new bottle every time. So I tend to re-use bottles for a month or so... someone at the office told me that it is not safe because these bottles are made of plastic that should be disposed after single use. Hence the question.

Answer 1

There have been studies showing that, despite standards, water bottles do leak out their chemicals over time. For a few uses it might be ok, but I'd replace after that. Why not use a thermos? Or a glass bottle?

Answer 2

Plastic bottles and pop containers are meant to be only for a single use and then disposed of(or recycled). However, reusing the bottles is perfectly safe as long as the bottle is properly cleaned before reusing.

There is some suspicion that after too many uses the bottle VERY slowly starts to release some of the chemicals used to make the plastic, but they are only suspicions and none of them have been backed up with proof. :)

Answer 3

Most plastics, your plastic water bottles, and even those expensive 'reusable' ones to some extent, leech Bisphenol-A into your water/ food/ whatever comes in contact with it. This is especially true when they get hot or are touching fat-containing substances. Bisphenol-A is man-made chemical that acts as a hormone disruptor in our bodies. It lowers fertility, can cause an early onset of puberty, may be carcinogenic, and helps make us fatter among other things. Don't drink from plastic, not even the first time. Get a water filter for your tap and use steel or glass water bottles.

Answer 4

Some cheaper bottles leak chemicals into your water after a long period of time. Just look for bottles with the highest plastic quality. Look inside the recycle symbol on the bottom of the bottle to see the quality of plastic used. Number one is the LOWEST quality and should be avoided if possible number five is the best quality. Always go for the highest number you can, they are healthier, and last longer.

Answer 5

There is no rule against reusing a plastic bottle for your own purposes. Fill it with water from your tap and take it with you. However, it cannot be recycled as a bottle for commercial use. Only glass bottles can be reused., as was the case with the old coke and pepsi bottles.

Answer 6

PET, the plastic used for bottled water, is non-toxic, USFDA cleared, non-degradable, non-leaching plastic.

Unless physically damaged, they can be used forever.

Being transparent, they tend to permit algal growth if left filled in bright light. There are no algal spores in the as bought water. There will always be some adventitious contamination in refilled water.

Make sure that the bottle is clean.