Is it time to put away the plastic?

Polycarbonate plastic bottles stamped with the recycling code 7 began disappearing from retail shelves in 2007, as researchers revealed the potential dangers of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the processing of the plastic. In early 2008, the Government of Canada made the bold move of becoming the first nation to conduct a risk assessment of BPA, which prompted a banning of BPA in infant baby bottles. In fact, many reusable water bottles nowadays are marketed as being "BPA-free".

That said, recent studies have shown that bottles labelled as BPA-free can still contain chemicals similar to BPA. These substitutes may cause similar health concerns as with BPA and affect your body's hormonal levels. As a result, the Government of Canada is investigating the use of BPA substitutes to help keep consumers safe.

One-use plastic bottles offer an alternative. The ubiquitous clear plastic bottle you can buy by the case at warehouse stores or see strewn along the roadside is cheap and convenient. It's made from plastic marked with recycling code No. 1, polyethylene terephthalate, also called PET or PETE, which has been deemed a safe plastic. The downside of these one-offs is that they are one-offs. Use a PET plastic bottle more than once, and you run the risk of drinking down bacteria. And while this type of plastic can be easily recycled, the bottles often end up discarded and piled up on landfills.

On the other hand, reusable bottles offer a simple, affordable, healthy way to stay hydrated and conserve precious resources. When you fill up a reusable container with tap or filtered water, you skip several costly and wasteful steps: the manufacturing, transportation, and recycling of a one-use plastic bottle.

Whether you choose to use a one-use plastic bottle or a reusable bottle, be sure to consume water from a bottle safely.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2023. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Water-Whats-New