................................................................................................................................................................
The Dangers of Reusing Plastic Bottles
Why You're
Better Off Avoiding Them in the First Place
By Earth Talk
Most types of plastic bottles
are safe to reuse at least a few times if properly washed with hot soapy water.
However, recent revelations
about some of the toxic chemicals found in Lexan (plastic #7) bottles are
enough to prevent even the most committed environmentalists from reusing them —
or buying them in the first place.
Studies suggest that food and
drinks stored in such containers — including those ubiquitous clear water
bottles hanging from just about every hiker’s backpack — can contain trace
amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that may interfere with the
body’s natural hormone messaging system.1
Reused Plastic Bottles Can Leach Toxic
Chemicals
Repeated re-use of plastic
bottles — which get dinged up through normal wear and tear while being washed —
increases the chance that chemicals will leak out of the tiny cracks and
crevices that develop in the containers over time.
According to the Environment
California Research & Policy Center, which reviewed 130 studies on the
topic, BPA has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, increased risk of
miscarriage, and decreased testosterone levels.
BPA can also wreak havoc on
children’s developing systems. (Parents beware: Some baby bottles and sippy
cups are made with plastics containing BPA.)
Most experts agree that the
amount of BPA that could potentially leach into food and drinks through normal
handling is probably very small.
Nevertheless, there are
concerns about the cumulative effect of these small doses over time.
Why Plastic Water and Soda Bottles Shouldn't Be
Reused
Health advocates advise
against reusing bottles made from plastic #1 (polyethylene terephthalate, also
known as PET or PETE), including most disposable water, soda, and juice
bottles.
Such bottles may be safe for
one-time use but reuse should be avoided.
Studies also indicate that the
containers may leach DEHP — another probable human carcinogen — when they are
structurally compromised and in less than perfect condition.
Millions of Plastic Bottles End Up in Landfills
A million plastic bottles are
bought around the world every minute, which works out to 20,000 per second — in
2016 alone, 480 billion bottles were sold.
Fortunately, these containers
are easy to recycle and just about every municipal recycling system will take
them back.
Still, using them is far from
environmentally responsible.
The nonprofit Center for
International Environmental Law found that in 2019, the production and
incineration of plastic would produce more than 850 metric tons of greenhouse
gases, toxic emissions and pollutants that contribute to global warming.
And even though PET bottles
can be recycled, fewer than half of the bottles bought in 2016 were collected
for recycling, and just 7% were converted into new bottles.
The remainder find their way
into landfills every day.
Incinerating Plastic Bottles Releases Toxic
Chemicals
Another bad choice for water
bottles, reusable or otherwise, is plastic #3 (polyvinyl chloride/PVC), which
can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into the liquids stored in them and also
release synthetic carcinogens into the environment when incinerated.
Plastic #6 (polystyrene/PS)
has been shown to leach styrene, a probable human carcinogen, into food and
drinks as well.
Safe Reusable Bottles Do Exist
Plastic bottles are not the
only reusable containers available to consumers. Safer choices include bottles crafted from
HDPE (plastic #2), low-density polyethylene (LDPE, or plastic #4), or
polypropylene (PP, or plastic #5).
Aluminum and stainless steel
water bottles, such as those you'll find at online retailers and in many
brick-and-mortar natural food markets, are safer choices that can be reused
repeatedly and eventually recycled.
EarthTalk is a 501(c)3 non-profit which leverages the power of
the media to "preach beyond the choir" on green living,
sustainability and the need to protect the environment. Our syndicated
EarthTalk Q&A column reaches tens of millions of readers every week through
our network of 800+ syndication partners, many of which are small-town weekly
newspapers across America's heartland. Our EarthTalk.org and Emagazine.com
websites reach millions more online.
No comments:
Post a Comment