Know Your Plastics

The plastic bottles we drink out of every day, be it sodas or water, have a number rating within the recycling triangle. Actually, all the plastics we use daily have a rating. The rating system is 1-7, but that does not mean 1 is greater than 7 or vice versa. The numbers are given to more easily recognize what they are made of, what they are used for, and how they are recycled. For instance, the number 1 bottles are recommended for a one time use only and should never be refilled. These would be your bottles of water or sodas that we drink every day. This is even found in your mouthwash and plastic salad dressing bottles. The problem with these plastics is that they leach chemicals into the beverages or foods and then we consume them. Sometimes you can even taste the plastic. Temperature can affect this as well, so your one time use bottles may already be contaminated. You don't know what temperatures your beverage endures before it is delivered to the store. It could range from cold, Denver like temperatures to Dallas and Phoenix heat. I know you have walked in groceries and found many palates of water sitting outside in the sun.