Monday, March 12, 2007

Just curious...

A few years ago I saw previews for a story that would be on the evening news. It was something about how it's dangerous to refill plastic water bottles. They seemed to imply that if you re-used the bottles by re-filling them with your own water from home, then something would happen, like toxic chemicals leaching out of the plastic or something.
For some reason, I didn't end up seeing the actual news broadcast. Yet now and then I wish I had, because I wonder what they'd said. IS it a bad idea to refill water bottles? If I take my 24-ounce bottle of Dasani and re-fill it with tap water, will I be dead within the week? Will I grow an extra appendage in an especially inconvenient spot?
(Well, actually I probably would, but that's just because my tap water is hideous. That's why I drink bottled water instead).
Anybody out there have opinions, one way or the other?
Do you refill your water bottles?
If so, are you still alive and well, with the correct number of appendages and a reasonable grip on reality and sanity?
(Hint: if you laughed out loud when you read that, that's probably a bad sign).

10 comments:

Unknown said...

The biggest issue is if the plastic gets heated. That is when the leaching (not to be confused with leeching) occurs. A bigger concern than water bottles (although I know a site that specializes in cool steel water bottles) is putting food in plastic containers in the microwave. That's when the extra appendages begin to make their appearance!

Unknown said...

Ooops...forgot to include the link:

http://www.kleankanteen.com/

Roberta said...

A friend of mine told me to refill it no more than 2 times. Her reasoning sounds like what you said about the plastic breaking down. No side effects yet.

Schmoop said...

I have heard the same caution. I dont think I have sufered iny lawng tirm effex.

Janna said...

Mr. Fab: Can you tell a difference in taste between the Dasani and the Culligan? As for the detrimental effects, um, yeah... I've been reading your blog for the past month or so. ;)

Steven: Wouldn't the steel ones be extra-heavy, breaking your toe if it got dropped? I'd worry; I'm always dropping things.

Amisare: Two times, huh? Ok... If only my tap water wasn't so horrible, I would probably refill these.

Matt-man: Stop re-using plastic bottles immediately.

Lexa Roséan said...

right my girlfriend actually did see this on the news and read about it. I'll have to ask her where she read it. anyway, she forbids me to refill the water bottle. in general, plastic is weird, no? can't be trusted. lives forever and all that.
my honest opinion is that it's a rumor started by the water bottling companies because they want you to continue buying their overpriced water. still, I get in big trouble nowadays if I reuse the bottle:)

Mo and The Purries said...

I'm with Lexa: I think the big soft drink companies (they're the ones who make Dasani and Aquafina, remember!) just want you to keep buying more bottled water.
And hello - plastic. Won't break down for the next ga-zilliion years.
If there was going to be "leaching" don't you think it would happen sitting in the sun in the convenient store's window or in the infernally hot delivery truck on the way to the store, as it sits there for months, waiting for you to come and buy it?
I think it's a crock, and we refill our bottles over and over.
From the reverse-osmosis filter thingy, but still, over & over.

Ever wondered why a 16 oz soft drink (let's say from McDonalds) is like 99 cents, but a 16 oz bottle of water is TWO BUCKS?

And it gets worse when it's hot...
and you're trapped. Like at the county fair. Or the zoo. How can you get a soft drink from the zoo for $2 (highway robbery) but it's like $4 for a BOTTLE OF WATER?

Okay, I need a drink.
Of water.
From the reverse-osmosis thingy.
In a re-used bottle.
gulp.

Janna said...

Lexa and Morgen: I know, it definitely sounds like a marketing ploy by the drink companies. And I wouldn't put it past them... the thing is, that news report wasn't FROM the drink companies; it was on the evening news-- presumedly an impartial source...? So surely there must be something legitimate about it...? Huh? Or am I just being gullible?
Hmm. I need to do more research on this topic.

Mo and The Purries said...

You don't think big corporations buy time on news broadcasts and pass them off as 'news'?
where have you been, living under a rock???
;)

No, seriously, with media outlets cutting back on journalist payroll, more and more corporations are buying "news" time and presenting paid programming within news broadcasts. Most consumers don't know that what they're watching is a cleverly disguised ad. Why pay a "human interest" journalist when you can have Pepsico give you a 5 minute faux-news tape about the horrors of recycling Aquafina bottles -- whose point of the story is "buy bottled water ONLY".

something to think about...

Welcome to America, 2007.

Janna said...

Morgen: Hmmmm...