While people may think they're doing a good deed for the environment when they reuse water bottles for anything from orange juice in a bagged lunch to a week's worth of water refills from the office water cooler, researchers say they could be risking their health. Dangerous bacteria and potentially toxic plastic compounds have been found in the types of water bottles typically reused in classrooms and workplaces countrywide.
A study conducted in the United States suggests the kind of thorough washing that could kill bacteria might make the bottles unsafe in another way. Frequent washing might accelerate the break-down of the plastic, potentially causing chemicals to leach into the water, the study found. Preliminary research conducted by a graduate student at the University of Idaho found that with repeated use, toxic chemical compounds can migrate out of the bottles into the liquid inside. Although plastics experts contend the bottles are safe, the study ultimately concluded little is known about what happens when the bottles are used over and over again.
The Canadian Bottled Water Association advises against reusing the containers altogether. It says the containers are made for single use and should be recycled afterward, not reused. People would be unable to properly sterilize the bottles at home, and the industry doesn't evaluate the safety of the bottles for multiple uses, said Elizabeth Griswold, executive director of the Canadian Bottled Water Association. "I would assume a study done on reuse would be redundant, because that's not their purpose," she said. But while it is for different reasons, Griswold agrees with researchers that it isn't a good idea to use the same bottle repeatedly. "All I would be able to say is that it's not something we recommend."
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