The trend towards thriftiness and taking care of your health has done its job: the popularity of reusable water bottles is now at its peak. In this article, we will show you how to choose a suitable bottle, how to properly care for it, and how to recycle it if it suddenly breaks.
Plastic bottles
At first glance, they are not much different from each other. However, the type of plastic used affects how the container behaves during long-term use, whether it can be washed in the dishwasher, and whether it is suitable for hot water and other drinks.
The market offers the best water bottle made of different types of plastic: polyethylene (recycling code – 2), polypropylene (5), acrylonitrile styrene (7), and tritan (7).
The main difference for the user is that some bottles are suitable for hot liquids, while others will deform or release harmful substances due to high temperatures.
The safest and most durable plastic is considered to be plastic marked 5 – polypropylene – it is approved for the production of children’s tableware. This plastic is used, for example, to make lunchboxes that can be heated in the microwave. Polypropylene bottles can hold both cold and hot drinks (however, remember that a container without double walls will be uncomfortable or impossible to hold if it is filled with very hot liquid).
Manufacturers, however, often advise limiting yourself to warm water – up to 40 °C. The point is the durability of other materials used in the body or lid.
Another important difference between plastics is their recyclability. The popularity of plastic bottles marked 7 (other) upsets environmentalists: this material is not recycled in Australia, since mixed raw materials are used for its production. But the circumstance that saves the reputation of such bottles is their long lifespan, which means a reduction in the number of disposable containers.
Bottles made of Tritan are popular among athletes – this is the marketing name for food-grade plastic, specially designed for drinking glassware. Tritan is lightweight, durable, and resistant to impacts and scratches. Bright, glossy sports and cycling tritan bottles are in demand.
How to recycle a drinking bottle
All plastic bottles on gifts.ru are marked with a recycling code. In Australia, recycling of plastics numbered 1, 2, 4, and 5 has been established – most likely, in large cities, you will not have any difficulties finding a collection point for such bottles. Keep in mind that at a minimum, you will have to remove the silicone seals and make sure that the lid and body are separately labeled. For detailed rules, check with recycling collection points.
Safety of plastic bottles
During production and import, all personalised water bottle are tested and certified. Experts check the quality of the paint coating, and the resistance of materials to acids and soap solutions, and if there is a print, they also check it. The purpose of the tests is to ensure that the product will be safe during use and will retain its appearance.
The fears are not unfounded: in an attempt to save money, factories may add impurities to plastic or use the wrong grade of steel, for example. Another important factor is the content of biphenyl A, a carcinogen that can be part of non-food plastics.
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