|  | Public Health Safety | Food Safety

Is Reusing Plastic Bottles Harmful?

Millions of single-use plastic bottles are purchased each year. While people continue to debate the pros and cons of purchasing single-use containers, one thing seems clear: overall, they are safe to reuse, as long as you wash them.

  1. Identification

    • Plastic drinking bottles are made from either polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a composite of different resins. PET bottles are generally single-use, while the composites are usually reusable.

    Considerations

    • According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, single-use PET bottles do not contain chemicals that could lead to cancer. However, repeatedly reusing the bottles can lead to the growth of bacteria. Wash your bottles thoroughly and recycle them if cracks form.

    Benefits

    • Reusing bottles keeps you from buying new ones. It also keeps that bottle out of the landfill, should you not have the option to recycle PET bottles.

    Alternative

    • Reusable water bottles are a safe, efficient alternative to reusing single-use PET bottles, since the manufacturers have voluntarily removed bisphenol A from the containers. Bisphenol A is a chemical that has been found to disrupt hormones and over time could be toxic (scientists are still studying long-term effects).

    Fun Fact

    • According to the EPA, in 2007 36.6 percent of plastic soda bottles was recycled.

Food Safety - Related Articles