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Some alternatives to plastic water bottles are not necessarily a healthy choice Photo: Rasham Nassar
As common as fog rolling in over the bay, reusable bottles have become a popular sighting in our communities. Marketed as a smart choice by manufacturers and environment advocates, consumers are being coerced into abandoning their dependence upon single-use plastic bottles of water, (like what you'd get at the gas station or grocery store), and forming a long term relationship with a reusable water bottle.
This new trend is spawned by recent discoveries which suggest that single-use plastic water bottles leach probable carcinogens into the water. In addition, the water within the bottles is not as well regulated as regular tap water because it is transported over state and sometimes national borders. The plastic bottles use a significant amount of oil in the manufacturing process, and are also a huge contributor to our problem of plastic waste.
But before you jump on the green water bottle bandwagon, there a few important factors of which you should be aware prior to making your green bottle decision.
Plastic Sport Bottles (Nalgene, similar plastic bottles)-
They're reusable, so they seem to make the grade. The problem? They are made from a hard plastic called polycarbonate, which is known to leak the carcinogen BPA. The dangers associated with BPA have only recently been studied, but nonetheless it has been determined that it poses a threat to human health and the health of the environment.
Aluminum water bottles-
This bottle is a safer choice, and definitely a common presence on the shelves of mega-stores: but many aluminum water bottles are lined with epoxy resin, which means they too leach harmful elements into your drinking water, including the carcinogen BPA. When buying an aluminum water bottle, make sure that it is from a retailer who has tested their product for leaching, such as SIGG and Laken.
Stainless Steel-
A water bottle made from stainless steel is your best option; it can handle both hot and cold liquids and are by nature guaranteed to not leach any harmful chemicals.
Remember, just because a bottle is marketed as ‘clean, green, and a good buy’ doesn’t make it a safe choice. When investing in this trendy accessory, do your research; choose a wise option which supports your initial decision to switch from harmful to healthful!
This tip is just another way you can join the universal efforts of ‘going green’; wear your badge of environmentalism proudly; show that you can 'be green' by buying reusable products!
Comments
Having a refillable water bottle is a good idea. I reuse the one my purchased water came in. It’s made of PET plastic which is tough plastic that doesn't have any BPA’s, off tastes, is safe to use and the idea of reusing something is good for the environment. I don’t recommend using water bottles that come in PLA plastic bottles. Making plastic from corn, potatoes, sugar cane or any other food based plant may see like the solution to our plastic pollution problems but there are negative consequences with using PLA plastic.
For example:
PLA production using corn reduces food crops, causes higher food prices and there is less food for exporting to countries that need the food.
PLA uses genetically altered corn that isn’t fit for human consumption…it is designed for the production of ethanol and PLA (Ethanol fuel requires more than a gallon of petroleum fuel to produce one gallon of ethanol…and there are a lot of other problems with ethanol that you might want to research).
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