A Bad Bottle Habit
If your family is in the habit of washing and reusing plastic water bottles, you may want to limit the practice.
Washing water bottles before you reuse them can help cut down on illness-causing bacteria. However, researchers caution that washing and reusing disposable water bottles over and over may accelerate the breakdown of the plastic, increasing your family's exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Keep reuses to one or two times.
In addition to repeated exposure to water and soap, disposable plastic water bottles may be further degraded by exposure to sunlight. Store your bottled water in a cool, dark place. Reuse disposable plastic water bottles for no longer than a week, and then recycle them.
When buying reusable plastic bottles, opt for plastic containers made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), such as Nalgene bottles. These are safer than those made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Look for the following labels on the bottom of the container: #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, and #5 PP.
If you can't find safer plastic receptacles, good old-fashioned glass containers are your family's best alternative. Light-weight stainless steel containers are also a good choice.
