How to Reuse Water Bottles

Reuse and refill common "convenience" bottles with tap water.

Reusing water bottles is a smart thing to do on many different levels. They can help you stay hydrated whether you're at home, work or school, or whether you're riding in a car or climbing a mountaintop. When you reuse a bottle, you do the environment a big favor. Every time you drink from a reusable bottle, one less bottle is thrown on top of a pile of plastic in a landfill.

Instructions

1. Reuse plastic bottles containing water, sodas and juices that you purchase from convenience and grocery stores. Once the original content has been consumed, refill them with juices from larger containers so that you can take the bottle to work, while you are out jogging, or when you are travelling.

2. Use convenience bottles to freeze bottles of water without worry. According to studies by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government regulatory agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is perfectly safe to refill everyday "convenience" plastic bottles with water and freeze them. Bacteria require warm and moist environments to thrive. The cold temperature inside of a freezer does not present a welcome habitat for bacteria to form.

3. Eliminate any concerns you have about bacterial build-up by making sure you clean your reusable water bottles on a daily basis, just as you would with any drinking utensil such as glass or a coffee mug.

4. Use hot, soapy water and a bottle brush to give the inside of the reusable bottle a thorough scrubbing and cleaning. Take your dishwashing cloth and run it around the mouthpiece to ensure that area is extra clean. Put dishwasher-safe reusable bottles inside of the dishwasher and use a hot water cycle.

5. Read the bottom label on new bottle purchases. Look for bottles made from any of these materials because they are deemed safe to drink from by the FDA: HDP (high-density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) and PETE. Remember that most bottles from the grocery store are made of PET, which is also FDA regulated. No bottles intended for food or beverage contact are allowed on the market until they pass FDA standards and regulations.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for bottles that are spill-proof, sturdy, and have wide mouthpieces for easy cleaning.

References

• Plastics Info: The Safety of Plastic Beverage Bottles
• CDC: The Three R's of Going Green
• Good Housekeeping: Best Reusable Water Bottles
• Green Living: Water Bottles; Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco
• Shape: Cleaning Your Reusable Water Bottle;Gloria Dawson
• FDA: Use of Recycled Plastics in Food Packaging: Chemistry Considerations; August 2006