# Reusing Empty Water Bottles: not healthy?



## Skate67 (Sep 14, 2005)

Ive heard that refilling bottles that you originally buy as "bottled water", are not healthy to refill with water or any other drink for that matter because it breaks down the plastic and when you drink from it, the plastic goes into your system.

Is this true?


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## GFR (Sep 14, 2005)

ST240 said:
			
		

> Ive heard that refilling bottles that you originally buy as "bottled water", are not healthy to refill with water or any other drink for that matter because it breaks down the plastic and when you drink from it, the plastic goes into your system.
> 
> Is this true?


I think they have to be #3 to be reusable........water bottles are #1. The number should be on the bottom of the container.


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## PreMier (Sep 14, 2005)

Do you know how long plastic takes to bio degrade?   The only reason you cant or rather shouldnt keep drinking from them is because of the sanitary issue.  Plastic disolving is bullshit.


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## Skate67 (Sep 14, 2005)

PreMier said:
			
		

> Do you know how long plastic takes to bio degrade?   The only reason you cant or rather shouldnt keep drinking from them is because of the sanitary issue.  Plastic disolving is bullshit.



hmmm ive never had an issue with sanitation before... i guess what you dont know doesnt hurt you


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## PreMier (Sep 14, 2005)

Would you use a glass for several days before washing it?  There would be all kinds of shit around the rim, same goes for water bottles.  And they arent dish washer safe, because they are cheap so..


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## Big Smoothy (Sep 14, 2005)

ST240 said:
			
		

> Ive heard that refilling bottles that you originally buy as "bottled water"....
> 
> Is this true?



1. May or may not be related to your question:

A friend of mine's dad was a chemist. He said when you make juice and put it in the fridge, you should use a _glass_ pitcher instead of plastic, because elements of the plastic, or it's components, get into to juice somehow (over a long period of use I think).

2.  I did read an article stating that if you re-use the same plastic bottle that bacteria can accumulate in it.   

I think it's also a good idea to let all of the little water droplets dry inside the bottle before re-filling it again with water.


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## Emma-Leigh (Sep 15, 2005)

It sounds he was talking about things like xenoestrogens and phenols. 

It is suggested that these chemicals found in plastic wrap and bottles) leach into foods/water etc (esp. when heated) and how these chemicals are linked to a number of illnesses (cancer, headache, ADHD, obesity etc).

There is some evidence to suggest that these chemicals CAN cause illness - but I do not know if they, as of yet, have proof that you can be affected by normal water bottles and containers... I think a great deal of it has to do with high dose of chemical exposure (eg: like when making the products) and when they are super-heated so they 'vapourise' or melt....


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## juggernaut2005 (Sep 15, 2005)

well I rinse the bottle I use (Poland spring 1.5L bottles) after every use.  If you are refering to re-filling the bottles without rinsing then thats just plain nasty .lol


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## Psch91 (Sep 15, 2005)

PreMier said:
			
		

> Would you use a glass for several days before washing it?



Uhm, the glass im drinking out of right now has been used for the past week without washing...as did the other glass this one replaced, and so on. I dont find it a problem.


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## juggernaut2005 (Sep 15, 2005)

Psch91 said:
			
		

> Uhm, the glass im drinking out of right now has been used for the past week without washing...as did the other glass this one replaced, and so on. I dont find it a problem.



lol you are one nasty mofo


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## maxpro2 (Sep 15, 2005)

PreMier said:
			
		

> Do you know how long plastic takes to bio degrade?   The only reason you cant or rather shouldnt keep drinking from them is because of the sanitary issue.  Plastic disolving is bullshit.



This has nothing to do with biodegrading, but instead chemicals leaching from the plastic into the water. Biodegrading is a completely different thing.



> When bottled water plastics are not handled properly, potentially carcinogenic compounds may leach out of the bottle plastic into the drinking water.





> According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) however, all the plastics listed above are in containers intended for *one- time use only*, in a cool, room environment.





> The reuse of these containers is done at the consumer's own risk. Over time, these plastics may lose integrity due to heat, ultraviolet light, and manual squeezing pressure on the outside of the bottle. Cracks or leaks can develop in the plastic surface. These defects may leach harmful chemicals into the bottled water.



The bottom line is that leaching can occur, even if there is no scientific link between conditions and reusing a water bottle. Also the bacteria is an issue, even with cleaning. Not too long ago a girl died from constantly reusing the same water bottle.

JUST BUY A REUSABLE SPORTS WATER BOTTLE THAT WAS MEANT FOR CONSTANT REUSE, you cheap fuckers


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## Dale Mabry (Sep 15, 2005)

How long do water bottles stay on shelves?  You could go to a store, buy a bottled water, and it has been sitting there for a month or 2.  You would figure the same kind of leaching could occur in that scenario as reusing the same water bottle.  I would imagine as long as they are stored in a refrigerator or cool dark place they are fine, save for the bacteria issue from not washing them.


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## ReelBigFish (Sep 15, 2005)

It's all a conspiracy to have us buy MORE bottled water.


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## CowPimp (Sep 15, 2005)

Just reuse the water bottles.  That sounds like a crock of shit to me.


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## AnnaDTX (Sep 16, 2005)

i only reuse my water bottles for a day or two.  This man at work reuses his bottle for  . . .  weeks now and the inside looks slimeyyyyyyyy. He must be blind?  I can see the bacteria/slime why can't he??


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## taniea19 (Sep 16, 2005)

you guys are a trip!!
LOL
Tanya


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## myCATpowerlifts (Sep 17, 2005)

Ut oh.  I never thought about this, I've been known to re-use
the same water bottle for weeks.


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## LAM (Sep 17, 2005)

MWpro said:
			
		

> Not too long ago a girl died from constantly reusing the same water bottle.



I would like to see the autopsy report on that one, sounds like bs to me


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## Dale Mabry (Sep 17, 2005)

MWpro said:
			
		

> Not too long ago a girl died from constantly reusing the same water bottle.




Yeah, but she was using it to cook black tar heroin, big difference.


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## maxpro2 (Sep 17, 2005)

LAM said:
			
		

> I would like to see the autopsy report on that one, sounds like bs to me



When I find the article I will post it, so far I have been unable to find it again. She died from the bacteria due to her reusing it for a long period of time.


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## CowPimp (Sep 17, 2005)

MWpro said:
			
		

> When I find the article I will post it, so far I have been unable to find it again. She died from the bacteria due to her reusing it for a long period of time.



That's pretty wild, but I bet it could've been avoided had she washed it with some sort of anti-bacterial soap periodically.


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## min0 lee (Sep 18, 2005)

How long can you store bottled water for?


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## min0 lee (Sep 18, 2005)

I always freeze a gallon of water (re-used gallon from poland springs) and take it with me on the road. I forgot it was in the van and when I opened the gallon it smelled like spoiled milk. Strange...


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## BigDyl (Sep 18, 2005)

i heard it causes cancer.


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## Big Smoothy (Sep 19, 2005)

*Bottled water and tooth decay.*

TORONTO, Sept. 19-Tooth decay is making a comeback, fueled by junk food, spurred by social changes, and abetted by an unusual culprit - bottled water. 

"I had a three-year-old kid come in the other day," says Toronto dentist Sheldon Rose, D.D.S., "and he had at least two cavities that I could see. I haven't seen that for years." 

Like most dentists, Dr. Rose blames the usual suspects - snack foods, soft drinks, lack of parental supervision of food. But bottled water also plays a role, he and others suspect. 

"It's not the water that's causing the decay," said Jack Cottrell, D.D.S., president of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). "It's the lack of fluoride." 

The bottled water issue was raised at the World Dental Congress in Montreal, Dr. Cottrell said, as part of a general discussion about what to do about the sudden rise in tooth decay in children. 

The American Dental Association says that more and more "health-conscious consumers are sipping bottled water." 

Indeed, says the International Bottled Water Association, in 2004 Americans drank nearly 6.8 billion gallons, for a per capita consumption level of 23.8 gallons. That's an 8.6% increase over the previous year, the association says. 

The problem is that people are turning away from tap water - which for over two-thirds of Americans contains all of the fluoride that they need to prevent tooth decay - and most bottled waters don't have enough fluoride. 

"If bottled water is your main source of drinking water, you could be missing the decay-preventive benefits of fluoride," the ADA says. 

Link: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DentalHealth/tb/1756


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## min0 lee (Sep 19, 2005)

I am one of the few but I prefer NYC tap water over bottled water any day.

I am privileged to have access to NYC tap water, for years regarded as one of the best. I tasted water from New Jersey and it was nasty.

Good post Snafu.


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## squanto (Sep 19, 2005)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Just reuse the water bottles.  That sounds like a crock of shit to me.



If you are really paranoid, just buy a new water bottle once a week, or buy a reusable water container. If you die, your family can sue me.

On another note, a lot of places won't let you refill your water bottles at their water coolers, but that's just cuz your greasy lips were all over the rim.

If you are that worried about something like that, you better not go outside, eat anything, or be alive. Because there are carcinogens all around you and they are killing you, so you might as well just die now.


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## KelJu (Sep 20, 2005)

MWpro said:
			
		

> This has nothing to do with biodegrading, but instead chemicals leaching from the plastic into the water. Biodegrading is a completely different thing.
> 
> The bottom line is that leaching can occur, even if there is no scientific link between conditions and reusing a water bottle. Also the bacteria is an issue, even with cleaning. Not too long ago a girl died from constantly reusing the same water bottle.
> 
> JUST BUY A REUSABLE SPORTS WATER BOTTLE THAT WAS MEANT FOR CONSTANT REUSE, you cheap fuckers



Naturally, bottled water sellers are going to tell you some dumb shit like the bottles are one time use only. They don't want you refilling the bottles, they want you to buy more. The water bottles get hot as fuck in trucks and warehouses for months before they even make it to the store shelves. There is 100 times more chemical pollution in the fucking air you breath, so why get all freaky scared about refilling a plastic bottle. I have and always will refill my deerpark water bottles for months until I lose them. 

LOL, some of you say refilling a water bottle is nasty and you have no clue how nasty the plates, silverware, and glasses are that you get everytime you go to a restaurant. If any of you eat at Outback, TGI Fridays, etc, you are consuming some of the nastiest shit on the planet. I have worked in both of those places my first years of college. Sorry, I am going out on a rant here, but I am just making the point that refilling water bottles has to be like number 99 on the countdown list of things that are nasty.


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## lnvanry (Sep 20, 2005)

I read an article about this in Pop. Science.  The breakdown does occur, but the risk is minimal for most people.  The greatest threat is for infant and pregnant women according to that credible mag.


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## njc (Sep 21, 2005)

MWpro said:
			
		

> When I find the article I will post it, so far I have been unable to find it again. She died from the bacteria due to her reusing it for a long period of time.


People have also died from having vending machines fall over on them, with that being said I really dont see myself staying away from them due to overwhelming fear.

I buy a 24 pack and will refill each on 3 or 4 times before tossing them

You could just wash them and reuse if you wanted


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