How to Refill Plastic Bottles

Refilling plastic bottles has, until recently, been seen as a positive, environmentally friendly and cost-saving exercise. However, concerns are growing about the potential dangers inherent in some plastics. This has made the practice of refilling them something that needs to be done carefully, or otherwise avoided altogether. Think about recycling them using government sanctioned recycling schemes rather than re-using them yourself. There are containers made of other materials, specifically designed to be re-used, that can take the place of plastic bottles in just about every circumstance.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn to distinguish which types of plastic bottle are safe to refill and which are best avoided for this purpose. Rigid plastic bottles designed to be refilled, like baby bottles or those used by cyclists, for instance, are safer than bottle designed for single use. Even these types of bottle should be chosen with care, however.

• 2

  Look for non-BPA alternatives to reusable plastic bottles that contain a polycarbonate called Lexon which bisphenol A (BPA) comes from. Some areas are banning BPA in products used by children. BPA is thought to cause reproductive damage and cancer. Not all reusable plastic bottles contain BPA, so search out ones without it as a precaution.

• 3

  Avoid re-using plastic bottles designed for single use such as mineral water and soda bottles. These are usually made from polyethylene terephthalate, otherwise known as PET or PETE. As well as concerns that the narrow tops on disposable bottles make them hard to keep free of bacteria, these types of bottles are the ones that are causing the most worries regarding re-use in terms of toxins. It is thought that small cracks can occur in the plastic which may causes dangerous chemicals to leak out.

• 4

  Throw away the contents of disposable water bottles that have been left in the car in the sun. Although not confirmed by official research, there is a suspicion that heat may cause the plastic to release cancer causing dioxins. To be on the safe side don't finish the drink, even once it is cool again.

• 5

  Recycle your disposable plastic bottles by putting them into recycling facilities provided by local authorities or refill them with liquids that you are not going to ingest, such as waste water for the garden or left-over cleaning products, for instance. If you use them to store non-edible products, however, be sure to label them as such to avoid them being consumed accidentally.