7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water
We put together 7 must know facts about plastic and your water. Here at The OB Water Store we stock a wide variety of different types of plastic and glass bottles. There is a lot of conflicting information online about the safety and use of plastics. New studies are being done and revealing new theories about which plastics are safer than others. We encourage our customers to research this controversial topic themselves in order to make an educated choice in the type of container they will drink from. We are not scientific experts on the chemical composition of plastic. Here is a general guideline of information we have gathered over the years through our plastic suppliers and independent research.
Fact 1
We suggest that customers never get any of their plastic water bottles hot. Leaving them in your car too long in the summer time will damage the plastic (even BPA Free plastics) and potentially cause the plastic petro-chemicals to off gas. Additionally, plastic water bottles can often start leaching petro-chemicals when they become too old. On the bottom of most plastic water bottles is a small stamp inside a circle with the last two digits of the year the bottle was made. New research suggest how you store, wash, and use your plastic bottles determines its ability to leach plastic petro-chemicals. 7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water, fact 2 below:
Fact 2
There are several warning signs to look for to see if your plastic bottle is leaching. The first one is that the bottle will have a strong harsh chemical smell coming from it when empty. In our experience, no matter how hard you sanitize or clean the inside, the smell will return. Most plastic bottles all have a slight plastic smell to them when brand new, but when the plastic is leaching, the smell is incredibly worse. Also check to make sure your water does not taste strange coming out of the plastic container in question. When these petro-chemicals leach from the plastic into the water stored in them they can add an unfavorable flavor. The last thing to look for is to see if the color of your plastic bottle is fading or changing. 7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water, fact 3 below:
Fact 3
On the bottom of plastic bottles is a number inside a triangle. This indicates the type of plastic. The numbers go from 1 through 7. Simply put, number 1 has the thinnest plastic mold and number 7, the thickest. 7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water, fact 4 below:
Fact 4
BPA
BPA stands for Bisphenol-A and is a controversial chemical added to some of the thicker plastic bottles. Additionally, there are many different types of chemicals like phthalates that are found in most plastic bottles. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and vinyl. In the past few years there have been many heath ailments attributed to the over ingestion of BPA and other phthalates by humans. This concern brought much needed attention to the study of plastics and how to use them safely.
It was discovered that many families were microwaving plastic baby bottles and causing the plastic chemical(s) to leach into the milk. This is why it is so important to keep your plastic bottles from getting too hot. Some plastic companies have come out with special BPA-Free plastics. Adversely, some of these companies have been accused of replacing the BPA chemical with another very similar chemical that could potentially react the same or worse as BPA. Personally, we have even grown skeptical of the “non-toxic plastic” stickers that are labeled on some types of plastic bottles on the market. This makes it even more confusing to customers trying to buy the right plastic container that they will feel safe drinking from. 7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water, fact 5 below:
Fact 5
The various types of plastic play a important part in the safety of our drinking water, listed below are some of the most readily available bottles and how to distinguish from the bad to good.
PET plastic is one of the thinner plastics that has been used for many years. Because of its thinner structure, it tends to be cheaper, can break a little easier, and should be replaced more frequently for drinking use. It has always been made BPA Free.
This is what we refer to as a mid-grade plastic. According to reports, it is made with the BPA chemical and other phthalates.
Polypropylene plastic is thinner and lightweight. It has high heat resistance and excellent electrical resistance. It is very durable and not made with BPA. These bottles often have a baby blue color.
Polycarbonate plastics are some of the thickest plastics and the most durable. It has a very high heat and electrical resistance but is made with BPA. 7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water, fact 6 below:
Fact 6
BPA FREE Plastics
Some plastics have always been BPA free like #1 and #5 plastic. These types of plastics might not have a BPA Free label. However, #7 plastics that have been made without BPA will have a small stamp on the bottom or side of the container stating “BPA Free”. In our experience these special #7 Polycarbonate BPA Free plastics break the most frequently for our customers. It seems possibly that the mold has been made more fragile by its new chemical make-up. Please remember that even BPA Free bottles can leach chemicals and care should be taken to keep all plastics away from heat. 7 Must Know Facts About Plastic And Your Water, fact 7 below:
Fact 7
Glass Bottles
Glass bottles have become the supreme container choice by many customers as it is naturally free of BPA and other synthetic chemicals. It is also reusable and easier to recycle making it more environmentally friendly then plastics. Be careful of some glass bottles that might contain a BPA lining on the inside. It is also important to consider that glass is extremely heavy and not easy to carry or use in an emergency crisis.