Chemical Leaching. A common concern for people who reuse water bottles is chemical leaching. This is when chemicals from the plastic are dissolved into and mix with whatever liquid is inside the bottle. Chemical leaching may happen because of exposure to high temperatures or sunlight or long storage times.
Although they're a great way to stay hydrated on the go, they can also be a breeding ground for bacteria and mold if you don't give them a good scrub every now and again. “Everything that touches our reusable water bottles can transmit bacteria.
Cons: - Require cleaning: Reusable containers must be cleaned after each use, which can be inconvenient. - Bulky: Reusable containers can take up more space than disposable containers, which can be problematic for people with limited storage space.
Plastic water bottles contain chemicals, and those chemicals can leach into the water. This plastic leachate can have detrimental health effects on consumers. At certain levels of exposure, some of the chemicals in plastic, especially the chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA), have even been implicated as carcinogens.
Plastic bottles can harbor harmful bacteria, which is why most manufacturers recommend you use them only once. In truth, bacterial growth in water bottles is a much bigger concern than chemical leaching.
Reusable grocery bags are a smart choice but there could be some risk. When you carry food or other items in these bags, they may leave behind germs like E. coli or Salmonella. If the bags are not properly washed and dried before they are used again, these germs remain and can make you sick.
Reusable packaging eliminates the need to recycle or remanufacture single use packaging, reducing CO2 (greenhouse gas) emissions by up to 60%.
Recycling Can Cause Environmental Damage
Recycling can also have negative environmental impacts. For example, the process of recycling paper requires the use of chemicals and large amounts of water and energy. Similarly, recycling plastic can release harmful pollutants into the air and water.
Other single-use items that should not be reused are disposable plastic utensils, plates and cups, Styrofoam trays or take-out containers, and plastic containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, chip dip, whipped topping, margarine and milk. popsicle sticks and shish kabob skewers, are intended for one-time use.
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.
The main drawback with mechanical recycling is that it changes the molecular structure of the plastic, in turn reducing its material integrity. As a result, recycled plastic is routinely mixed with virgin plastic to make new products, and even then, it can still only be recycled two or three times.
Over time, reuse of plastic bottles may also lead to small cracks in the plastic that can be hard to spot. Bacteria can form in these cracks and may become difficult to keep clean.
The plastics in recyclable plastic water bottles are thought to be a health risk. Harmful chemicals are emitted from these bottles, and these chemicals might cause cancer. By switching to stainless steel, you can prevent harmful carcinogens from leaching into your drinking water.
The survey, by WaterFilterGuru.com, had scientists swab common household surfaces for comparison. The study found reusable water bottles had: Five times more bacteria on them than a computer mouse. 14 times more bacteria than a dog bowl.
Advantages of Reuse
saves or delays purchasing and disposal costs. conserves resources. reduces the waste stream. causes less pollution than recycling or making new products from virgin materials.
Reusable bottles are better for your wallet, the planet, and in some cases, your body too. Companies that sell plastic bottles of water often spend more time creating the ultimate marketing campaign than verifying water quality.
Paper bags are easier to recycle, are biodegradable, and even when littered, they cause a significantly less environmental impact as they will degrade much faster than plastic. Plastic bags, on the other hand, causes significant environmental damage when disposed of improperly.
Plastic packaging reuse may affect food hygienic, sensory, and shelf life standards. The migration of sorbed aroma compounds may impact the sensory quality of beverages. Repeated use enhances migration of organic and inorganic chemicals. Reuse has the potential to increase the level of microplastic particles in food.
“You can reuse Ziploc bags as long as they haven't been used for raw meat or other TCS foods,” Hutchings said. “TCS (time/temperature control for safety) foods are more susceptible to bacterial growth than shelf-stable foods, so if you store a TCS food item in a Ziploc bag, there may be more germs inside the bag.”
Reusable Produce Bag Weight
The tare weight is included on the bags. The tare weight is the weight of the bag that should be subtracted from the total weight of the bag with the produce item included, so that you are only getting charged for the produce item and not for the actual bag.
"This might seem obvious, but reusable water bottles don't last forever," said Janilyn Hutchings, Certified Professional in Food Safety at StateFoodSafety. "Over time, water, and especially more acidic drinks like lemonade, slowly breaks down the material your bottle is made of."
Not Safe to Reuse
PET plastic has a porous structure that absorbs bacteria over time and becomes more porous with each use. Because germs can reside inside the plastic, you can't always wash them away.
The more you refill a plastic bottle, the more likely it is to be cracked and thus contaminated. While these chemicals can be dangerous in large quantities, fortunately, exposure from cracks is in very small amounts. It would likely require a pattern of repeated refills for any noticeable concerns to catch up with you.