What Plastic Bottles Are Bad?

There are competing views concerning the safety of plastic bottles. The debate centers mainly around the chemical additives incorporated into plastic to endow it with certain qualities like squeezableness, durability, and color. Under certain conditions, such as heat exposure, these chemical additives can leak from plastic. Bisphenol A (BPA) is currently the most notorious chemical used in plastic, which is susceptible to leaking. Presently, the position of the FDA is that low levels of human exposure to BPA is safe. Other studies suggest that BPA can be toxic. As a precaution, drinking bottles containing BPA should be avoided.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Plastic Bottles

• Several authorities, such as the Washington Toxics Coalition, strongly recommend against the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic food and water bottles. Bottles made from polyvinyl chloride are less common than other plastic food and water bottles, but they are on the market. And they are to be avoided. The vinyl chloride and dioxin used in the production of PVC plastics are known human carcinogens. These plastic bottles are identified by the number three printed inside the small triangle on the bottom of the bottle.

Number 7 Plastic Bottles

• Some resin code seven bottles (where the number seven is printed inside the small triangle at the base of the bottle) do contain BPA. The number seven resin identification code stands for “other.” This is the classification designated for plastics that do not fit into the other six resin categories. Generally, the only way to access whether or not the number seven bottle you have is BPA free is to contact the bottle manufacturer.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Plastic Bottles

• When a plastic bottle has a "1" in the small triangle emblem located on the bottom of the bottle, it means that bottle is a polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET for short). Plastic bottles formed from PET do not contain BPA. But some authorities, such as the Oregon Environmental Council, recommend that PET plastic bottles made for the purpose of one time use actually be used as such. It’s not the PET plastic bottles have been proven chemically unsafe, but improper cleansing of these bottles before reuse can lead to harmful bacteria growth. To be fair, however, other authorities (such as the PET Resin Association) point out that the improper cleansing of any bottle can lead to harmful bacteria growth. The more pressing concern pertaining to the use of PET plastic bottles has to do with the billions of these non-biodegradable plastic bottles that end up in landfills every year.

Polystyrene (PS) Plastic Bottle and Cups

• Polystyrene, resin code six, plastics comprise around 30 percent of all the plastics found in our landfills. This is because recycling this type of plastic is somewhat pricey. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has found heath risks associated with short and long-term exposure to styrene when it is above 0.1 parts per million. Some of these risks include nerve tissue damage, fatigue, nausea, and depression.