Knowing that there are safe as well as unsafe plastic water bottles continues to remain a topic of great concern. Sometimes, you may even be tempted to ask “are plastic water bottles safe?” The short and simple answer is yes, there are plastics which are considered safe. However, it is still a battle knowing how to identify and differentiate the safe from the unsafe ones. I mean, it’s not like these plastics come with a “safe” or “unsafe” tag, right?
If that has been your dilemma, then learning how to identify safe plastics by their numbers will go a long way in saving you the trouble and confusion of not knowing. In this article, we would explore and also learn how to differentiate safe plastics from unsafe plastics.
How Do I Identify A Plastic Bottle?
Safe plastic water bottles are usually marked by numbers. However, you have to know what you are looking out for before you’d be able to tell if they are healthy and safe plastic water bottles or not. At the base of most reusable plastic water bottles, there are numbers either engraved on the body of the bottle or printed on paper which is then stuck to the bottle. These numbers are what can help you identify good plastic water bottles.
If you have never, prior to now, been intentional about the plastic water bottles you use and drink from, now may be a good time to begin. You would need to know the good plastic types; the types of water bottles that are considered healthy; and definitely the numbers and what they all mean. This guide will help you in your next purchase of reusable plastic water bottles. These bottles can either be labelled with numbers between 1 to 7.
Why Are Plastics Labelled From 1 To 7?
When reusing plastic water bottles, there are things (numbers) to look out for. mA reusable plastic water bottle has one number; it is either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. This number is easy to be missed or ignored, but it is highly important. This is so because it helps you determine whether the plastic used in making that bottle is safe ad healthy to drink from, or if it is not. These numbers also serve as a guide for recycling companies. This is so because not all plastic water bottles are healthy, nor do they have the same recycling process.
If you understand that these numbers are important, and know what specific number(s) to look out for when purchasing plastic based on the need and purpose it is meant to serve, you would be doing yourself great good, and probably preventing certain ailments.
What Do The Plastic Numbers Mean?
Every number stamped at the base of a plastic water bottle was done so intentionally and as such, has a purpose and meaning. Now that you are no longer wondering if plastic water bottles are safe, the next thing you are most likely wondering about is what these numbers on your plastic water bottles mean.
If a plastic bottle has any of these numbers, this is what it means;
#1: This is a Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic. This means that this is safe and healthy to be used as a drinking water bottle. These are also usually BPA-free plastic water bottles. An example of this is our Tritan plastic water bottle with straw.
#2: What this means is that this is High-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, which is commonly used to make juice bottles, milk jars, as well as some other beverages. If that’s the case, then it means plastics labelled with this number are safe.
#3: A plastic with label number 3 is considered unsafe for cooking. This type of plastic is called Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is used to make food wraps and also plumbing materials. Any PVC plastic should not be used in the heat for direct contact with food. That is, don’t use such plastics in a microwave to heat food as this is harmful to health.
#4: This is a Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and is used in making things like food wraps, grocery bags, squeezable bottles, etc. This plastic type is considered relatively safe. That is, they are safe but not recyclable.
#5: This type of plastic is used to package some food items and beverages and is considered safe. This type of plastic is Polypropylene (PP). You can use this plastic to reheat things in a microwave, but as much as you can, transfer that food to another container before consuming it.
#6: Polystyrene or Styrofoam plastic is not at all safe for consumption. These types of plastics cannot be recycled, and also takes years before they can decompose. This plastic type is harmful to the environment, as well as to humans.
#7: This type of plastic can be regarded as “everything else”. This is so because these types of plastics are usually made by combining different types of plastics. These are best avoided for consumable use as you cannot tell what types of plastics have been combined to produce this. Also, they are considered toxic because most times they contain chemicals like BPA.
Which Plastic Number Is Safe?
Whenever you see the numbers labelled beneath your plastic water bottle, your brain goes into a frenzy mood trying to decipher what numbers are safe and what numbers aren’t. To save you
all that stress, the numbers which are considered safe plastics are 1, 2, 4 and 5. Anything outside of these is considered unsafe and unhealthy.
Is All Plastic BPA-Free Now?
Lately, many manufacturers are producing more and more BPA-free plastic water bottles. Nevertheless, not all plastics are actually BPA-free water bottles. Plastics that have the identification numbers 1,2,4 or 5 are what are considered safe as they are BPA-free.
You can purchase any of our BPA-free water bottles right here. At fj, we are concerned about your health and ensure to only offer you safe plastic water bottles. Some of our best BPA0free water bottles are; the vacuum-insulated kids' water bottle 14 oz; the 25 oz stainless steel insulated light water bottle and many others.
When you purchase one of our reusable plastic water bottles, you are guaranteed of buying quality that won’t in any way tamper with your health.
Reusing plastic water bottles can be such a scare, especially if you don’t know what plastic type was used to produce that item or if you can’t interpret what the numbers mean. However, you can put all that uncertainty behind you when you purchase safe plastic water bottles from our website.
