County News
Is It Really Safe to Reuse Your Plastic Water Bottle?
This news item expired on 9/1/2010, so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
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Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. We hear it all the time and most of us do our best to do it. One way a lot of people try to reduce waste is by reusing their water bottles. Is it REALLY safe?
There are emails circulating saying not to reuse plastic bottles, that the plastic starts leaching into the water. Is that true?
You can safely reuse #1 PET or #2 HDPE bottles, as long as you remember to wash them thoroughly with hot, soapy water to remove any germs and bacteria from their previous use. You can also pur
chase sturdy, reusable, stainless steel or HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic water bottles. If you can’t find HDPE bottles, low density polyethylene (LDPE #4) and polypropylene (PP #5) are also safe choices.
Remember the old thermos? That’s a great option, too. Plus, it keeps your cold drink cold! If you opt for the brightly colored, clear plastic bottles, be sure to look for “non-BPA” or “no BPA” on the label. This will ensure that the container was made without Bisphenol-A, a chemical which may be linked to many different kinds of health problems with long-term use.
For green tips and to find out what Buncombe County is doing to go green, visit buncombecounty.org/green.