PET Plastic Bottles - Bottled Water Information

What is PET Plastic?
PET plastic otherwise known as polyethylene terephthalate plastic or #1 plastic is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family. This plastic makes for a very popular package for food and non-food products. PET plastic is a desirable packaging material for manufacturers because of its thermo-stability, strength and transparency. Consumers on the other hand like PET plastic because it is recyclable, inexpensive, lightweight, re-sealable and resistant to shattering. PET plastic can be easily identified by the #1 code on or near the bottom of bottles and containers.

What are the benefits of PET plastic for Bottled Water?
Since the PET plastic bottle was first patented in 1973 it has only grown in popularity each year. With the growth of the bottled water industry the PET bottle has become the container of choice for single serve bottled water. As a strong, transparent plastic that stores easily and safely, PET plastic provides an excellent container for water. Contrary to some rumors, PET bottles can be re-used and refilled.

As an inert plastic PET does not leach harmful materials into its contents -- either when a beverage is stored unopened, or when bottles are refilled or frozen. One note of caution is that opened bottles can harbor bacteria, just like mugs, glasses or any other beverage container. However, PET bottles are no more likely to foster bacteria than any other packaging or drink container and can be re-used provided they are properly cleaned and sterilized.

What are some of the newest developments with PET Plastic Water Bottles?
In recent years the bottled water industry has witnessed a growing controversy related to polycarbonate water bottles that contain Bisphenol-A (BPA). Although more research needs to be conducted there are signs that Bisphenol-A could potentially be harmful for humans. As it stands now, polycarbonate water bottles, marked by the #7 symbol, are the overwhelming industry bottle of choice for re-useable 5 gallon and 3 gallon water bottles.

Thanks to PET plastic a new option for 5 gallon bottles is emerging in the bottled water marketplace. Bottled water delivery companies are now beginning to carry BPA-free bottle options including PET 5 gallon bottles. PET plastic is completely BPA-free yet still provides the same durability and ease of use as polycarbonate plastic. Although, only a few progressive water delivery companies carry these PET 5 gallon bottles they are now available for bottled water drinkers looking for BPA-free options.

Copyright Jason Matthews, Bottled Water Connoisseur.

Choosing the right bottled water and bottled water delivery service is a very important decision for your health and well being.

To learn more about bottled water and to find the perfect company for bottled water delivery please visit http://www.DrinkMoreWater.com

Plastic Water Bottles - Environmental and Safety Issues

Americans buy over $22 billion plastic water bottles per year, which translates to over 70 million bottles consumed daily. Recent reports have many consumers confused as to whether it is safe to drink from these bottles. Since only 17% are recycled, there are also environmental concerns.

The safety reports about Bisphenol a (BPA) in plastic are not generally found in the single use plastic water bottles purchased by most people. If there is a resin recycle code #1 on the bottom of the bottom, it uses PET, which is generally considered safe. The resin code that can indicate the presence of BPA is #7, although not all code #7 bottles contain BPA.

Even though most plastic water bottles do not contain BPA, they can still leach chemicals into the drinking water. To minimize this risk, keep bottles out of extreme heat, which can accelerate the leaching process. Internet rumors about freeze risks are false (however since water expands when frozen, drink a little before freezing to allow room for the expansion).

Plastic water bottles can be reused, but you must make sure to wash thoroughly with soap and water to eliminate bacteria. Allow to dry before refilling. I recycle mine after several uses or if it gets exposed to heat or the water develops a funny taste.

Bottled water can cost 2500 times more than tap water. Many brands of bottled water, including Dasani, are simply filtered tap water. Bottled water costs about $3-$5 per gallon. Regular community tap water, which is perfectly safe and tested regularly, costs about $2 per thousand gallons. You can buy a faucet filter and make your own filtered water for about $0.10 per gallon, or use a tabletop model like Brita for about $0.25 per gallon. To eliminate chlorine without a filter, you can use a trick I learned when I worked for a garden center about removing chlorine in irrigation water for delicate plants: leave the water uncovered overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate.

Plastic bottles certainly have their use, and there are places where it can be impractical to bring a permanent reusable water bottle, but whenever possible, it is best to use a stainless steel or aluminum reusable water bottle.

Unfortunately, less than 20% of water bottles get recycled, despite demand for the resin from companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi which have pledged to use 10% recycled resin in their bottles. Few states have deposit programs which have been shown to increase recycle rates. In addition, only about half of all Americans do not have curbside pickup of recyclables. While becoming more common, most public places do not have water bottle recycle bins next to trash cans. We throw away close to 60 million plastic water bottles each day.

The bottom line is that plastic water bottles are safe, but harmful to the environment. The responsible choice is to use a reusable water bottle whenever possible, and make all efforts to recycle the plastic water bottles when a metal water bottle is impractical.

Kit Parks is the president of Ecoroot, a reusable products company which donates 20% of its profits to environmental education programs. She writes about environmental and lifestyle issues. Parks can be contacted via the Ecoroot website http://www.ecoroot.com

Getting Paid to Recycle Plastic Bottles Instead of Throwing Them in Landfills

Water. It's the ultimate in going green for our bodies. Bottled water is the fastest growing beverage in the America. We've been told to drink more water; it's healthy. So we've stepped up. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, bottled water consumption has more than doubled over the last ten years, from 10.5 gallons in 1993 to 22.6 in 2003. But this newly acquired habit is not so healthy for Mother Earth.

And think about why. Bottled water is portable. You drink it at work, at the park, at the mall, in your car, on your walks, at the gym...the list goes on and on. The problem with all this drinking is there usually aren't recycling receptacles available at these places.

It's estimated that only about 12%-16% of plastic water bottles are recycled-which is less than other bottled drinks such as soda or beer. Wow...it's staggering to think that up to 88% of all the millions of water bottles sold end up as litter or stuffed into our landfills.

But the good news is there is something YOU can do about it. The Container Recycling Institute is hoping that a nationwide bottle deposit law would create the desire to recycle. There are currently eleven states that already have such a bill in place. And the Institute claims that States like Michigan that do have a bottle deposit law see a whopping 95% recycling rate!

The best part of such a bill is it gives individuals and organizations the chance to raise funds for whatever they may need. Collecting bottles from neighbors, picking up litter and putting recycling receptacles in local businesses to then turn in the bottles for cash (usually about $.05 per bottle) is a wonderful way to get paid, save energy as well as help keep the Earth healthy.

Okay, now back to what you can do. In 2007, Massachusetts Representative, Edward Markey, introduced the Bottle Recycling Climate Protection Act of 2007 into the U.S. House of Representatives. If the bill passes, it will mean a $.05 deposit on every plastic bottle container sold.

So to make it super simple for you to help, the Container Recycling Institute has set up an online toolkit so you can help to get the word out and get this bill passed. You can become an activist for this worthwhile cause. The toolkit comes with all sorts of goodies like press releases, reports, opposition tactics, letters to the editor and much, much more. Go to toolkit.bottlebill.org to access the toolkit and do your part to help keep Mother Earth healthy.

Go to http://www.howyoucangogreen.com/blog to sign-up for the How You Can Go Green Newsletter and to be the first to get updates on green issues, products and ideas.

Plastic Bottle Recycling - How To Keep Plastic Bottles Out Of The Landfills

Abundance of plastic bottles are progressively growing and it has created environmental and other undesired problems. How can we avoid this from happening? This is a very good article about how we can recycle tonnes of plastic bottles and further educate the society to implement the idea.

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It is an unfortunate fact that plastic bottles are piling up in the landfills rather than being given a second chance to serve another round on the market due to recycling. With bottled water growing in population, in addition to the countless numbers of soft drink bottles that are disposed of each day, the amount of plastic bottles being thrown into garbage cans all over the world has grown exponentially. However, since bottled water is being consumed more and more each year, it has become the largest growing beverage over soft drinks, juices, and alcohol and is also becoming one of the largest contributors to landfill waste in the form of plastic bottles.

It is said that in the last decade, the consumption of bottled water has increased to 22.6 gallons per person per year, which is up from 10.5 gallons recorded ten years prior. The number of bottles sold in 1997 was 3.3 billion, whereas the number sold in 2002 was 15 billion. This is incredible growth, which has resulted in a significant growth of the number of plastic bottles being thrown away. Most of this water, as well as other beverages, are not always consumed in the home. People consume these beverages in their offices and various other places where there is no way to recycle the bottle when it is thrown away.

It is said that only 12% of plastic water bottles even see recycling. That means there are around 40 million bottles being thrown into the trash each day or is thrown out a car window to the side of the road. However, in terms of soft drink bottles, there is a recycling rate of 30%, but the low recycling rate associated with water bottles brings down the number of all plastic bottles that are recycled. As of 1993, 19% of all types of plastic bottles were being recycled, compared to 53% just nine years before.

The best way to keep these bottles out of landfills is for states, cities, offices, and other businesses to implement recycling programs. If there were more curbside pickup services and programs within businesses, the percentage of bottles ending up in garbage cans would go down and the percentage of bottles being found in recycling centers would go up.

Some have even proposed that laws requiring bottle deposits would be the way to go. However, in terms of businesses, which have a high percentage of workers consuming beverages in plastic bottles each day would benefit from implementing an in-house recycling program. By placing recycling receptacles throughout the business in places such as restrooms and break rooms, employees would be more likely to recycle plastic bottles. Once the receptacles are full, the business can engage the services of a recycling service to pick up the recyclables or can make arrangement for the bottles to be taken to the recycling center.

Since compensation for recycled materials is a great incentive for recyclers, a business can benefit from recycling plastic bottles. The money that is collected from recycling can be used to have an office party or some other reward that will create a great incentive for the employees to recycle. The same applies to homes. With such services as curbside pickup, residents would be more likely to recycle. Some communities do utilize these services, but not all.

Through taking a proactive approach toward recycling plastic bottles, the environment will see benefits and you will save money. Every little bit of pocket change helps and it really doesn't take a lot of effort to designate a separate area for bottles. In the end the consumer is happy, the recycling center is happy, and the environment is happy.

Saving money the next time you move is important. Using environmentally friendly used moving boxes is a great way to maintain your bottom line. Help reduce excess landfill waste by choosing biodegradable packing and shipping products.