Facts about Plastic Bottles

Did you ever drink from a plastic bottle and see a triangle symbol on the bottom with a number inside?

Do you know what the number stands for?
Did you guess that it's just for recycling?
Then you are WRONG !!!!!!

THE NUMBER TELLS YOU THE CHEMICAL MAKE UP OF THE PLASTIC:
1) Polyethylene terephalate (PET)
2) High density polyethylene (HDPE)
3) Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) or Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PPVC)
4) Low density polyethylene LDPE
5) Polypropylene (PP)
6) Polystyrene (PS) or Expandable polystyrene (EPS)
7) Other, including nylon and acrylic

What you aren't told is that many of the plastics used are toxic and the chemicals used to create a plastic can leach out of the plastic and into the food / drink.

Think about it, how many times have you or a friend said "I don't like this, it taste like the plastic bottle ..... THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE ACTUALLY TASTING THE PLASTIC!

The WORST ONES are Nos: 3, 6 and 7 !!!

DO NOT USE BOTTLES WITH THESE NUMBERS STATED AT THEIR BOTTOM!!!

Check out this chart that breaks down the plastic, its uses and chemical makeup (I find #7 a little scary).

THE PLASTIC CODING SYSTEM:

Reusing plastic bottles by refilling them is NOT a good idea. WATCH THIS VIDEO:
http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=238518

Microwaving plastic containers affects the chemical make up of the plastic, allowing the chemical substances to destabilize and leach out more quickly into the food you are reheating. You can check out this article that ran in the Wall Street Journal:
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Microwave-Health-Problems.htm
EVEN one of my favorite "RUMOR DEBUNKING" websites, URBANLEGENDS.ABOUT.COM,
lists the information as: overblown with a grain of TRUTH.
READ the FULL 3 pages of the article!
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-microwave-dioxin.htm

AVOID re-using plastic bottles RIGHT AWAY !!!

1 – Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE). PET is the most recycled type of plastic and is found primarily in soft drink bottles. Recycled PET is used for synthetic carpeting (35% of all synthetic carpeting sold in the United States is made partly from old soft drink bottles.), fiberfill insulation, auto parts, tennis balls, shower curtains, paint brush bristles and even fleece jackets.

2 – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), second in recyclability. HDPE is found primarily in milk and juice bottles, detergent jugs, and some grocery bags. Recycled HDPE is often used for detergent bottles, recycling bins, and combs.

3 – Polyvinyl Chloride or Vinyl (PVC or V). Currently PVC is being recycled in small quantities. It has a low melting point and is used for vegetable oil bottles and food wrap. Recycled PVC is being used for drainage pipe and tile.

4 – Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). LDPE’s primary use is for grocery bags, which are being recycled through collection bins at most grocery stores. Recycled LDPE is used for garbage bags, motor oil bottles, irrigation pipes and plastic decking.

5 – Polypropylene (PP). PP can be found in flip-top lids, such as lids of shampoo and body wash bottles, syrup bottles, and ketchup bottles. Recycled PP has been used for auto batteries and plastic handles.

6 – Polystyrene (PS). PS, which includes Styrofoam, is used for hot beverage cups, fast food containers, egg cartons, and salad boxes. Recycled PS is used for desk accessories, toys, trash cans, packaging “peanuts”, and insulation.

7 – Other. This includes the hundred of plastics not listed above. It also includes multilayered plastics that may contain many different types of plastics.