Re-using plastic bottles?

Question

I just looked on my plastic bottle which I have been refilling with water. It actually says "For hygiene reasons this bottle is intended for the EXCLUSIVE use of Volvic touch of fruit"

It never ceases to amaze me what these companies will do to make you part with your money. No harm has ever come to me by re-using a plastic bottle. Just rinse it under the hot tap when you use it?

Is there any scientific evidence that harm would come to me by re-using this bottle?!

Answer 1

Certainly, you want to wash it - preferably with soap and water (soap is better at getting rid of bacteria than just hot water).

There is some concern that the thin #1 plastic bottles begin to leach chemicals into the fluid inside the bottles after repeated use as the plastic simply grows increasingly less resilient.  But the jury is still out on this issue, scientifically speaking.

The fact is, these bottles were not made to be reused - that is why they are so thin.  But reusing them for a while is probably ok.

FYI: In other countries, like Denmark, they make the plastic bottles very thick and the bottling companies actually do sterilize & reuse them!  Like the US used to do with glass bottles.

Answer 2

Slowly the bottle will degrade but you will probably lose it before that actually matters.

Answer 3

Just use the bottle again. No harm done :-)

Answer 4

As others have said, the bottles are not made for reuse.

From the perspective of the manufacturer.  Who knows what a person is going to put into the bottle.

Bad people sue companies for problems they caused themselves.

So for their sake and yours, they recommend you use the bottle for what it was intended.

Answer 5

Hey Mermie......

Reusing plastic causes lots of germs........Don't you know that a company pastuerizes and purify what goes into that bottle.

There's been an epidemic of people getting sick because they just refill them w/o disinfecting them properly.

Even the great company Odwalla killed people in the 90's becuase they didn't pasteurize the apple juice they were selling.

C'mon.....Where's your natural feminine instincts?

It's ok to spend a little time in the kitchen instead of the softball field.........

Smooch.......If you look anything like your avatar.....Youre hot!

Answer 6

The plastic bottles have recycling ratings on them.

Most water bottles are a 1 rating.

This is low-grade plastic and is very thin and absorbent. Its thin porous material is cheap to make. Manufacturers can keep costs down.

They are not meant to be used over-and-over. Acidic fluids may leach out and leave traces of things you don't want in the "pores" of this cheap plastic.

It is not healthy. Throw them away and get a higher grade plastic bottle if you plan to reuse a bottle.

Answer 7

probably not

Answer 8

The chemical Bisphenol-A leeches out of plastic when the bottle is reused.  Bisphonol-A is a hormone disruptor which is not a good thing.  Here is a link to an article about the issue.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa

(The link is to National Geographic, not an extremely biased web site.)