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Is It Safe to Reuse Plastic Water Bottles?
Learn about reusing plastic water bottles, including the concerns, alternatives, and best practices.
www.webmd.com
Plastic bottles can harbor harmful bacteria, which is why most manufacturers recommend you use them only once. In truth, bacterial growth in water bottles is a much bigger concern than chemical leaching. If you need to reuse a plastic water bottle, make sure to wash it properly first. Most plastic water bottles don’t make for easy cleaning, so it can be tricky. But if you must reuse one, it’s best not to skip this step.
Bacterial growth can happen quickly just from the ordinary use of drinking out of the bottle. Even unfinished beverages left at room temperature can have a lot of bacteria growth throughout the day. It’s best to reuse plastic water bottles sparingly and wash them thoroughly because germs spread so quickly.
Additionally, wear and tear on the bottle from reuse can create cracks and scratches in the surface where more bacteria can grow. With that in mind, you might even want to skip plastic bottles and buy a reusable glass or stainless-steel bottle instead
