PLASTIC. REUSABLE?

Remember what we told you about recycling?

Put that aside for today, but don’t go about forgetting it as today we will be telling you more about
RE-USING.

Let us begin this topic with something that is closely related to us,

It is something that all of us have at least interacted with at least once in our lives, 

Plastic Bottles!

Its been around since we were born, but now comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Can you spot the difference between the 2 bottles above?

Yes yes yes, you might say we are dense to ask such a question as one is clearly more better looking, more expensive looking,  has better branding and the list goes on.

Even a child could tell you that, but here's something a child will not be able to tell you
(Even if the child could spot the difference, he/she would not be able to explain it.)

Lets take a look at the bottom of both bottles,

Notice the difference between the 2 numbers?

You might be asking what the numbers represent, it has 2 meanings,

The first being what material its made off (Thus how to recycle it),

The second reason will be the bottle's reusability.

Plastic bottles that have a lower number should not be reused,
Why? you might ask. Because lower numbered plastic bottles releases cancer causing chemicals as it decomposes over time (In layman terms as the full explanation is too theoretical). The lower the number the more dangerous it is.

So, if you're in the habit of reusing your disposable plastic bottle of yours, throw that away or you might just be throwing your life away.

Don't worry as here is a guide on how to properly pick your water bottles.

#1

The best reusable bottles you can get your hands on for both your health and Earth's, are made from aluminum or steel (E.g. SIGG) or glass (E.g. VOSS). But glass is heavy and fragile while steel can be expensive (Especially for those who lose them constantly).

These bottles are essentially non-plastic and are extremely durable thus they can last for an extended period of time.

#2

The second best bottles are those made of plastic with the symbol at the bottom that reads 7. These are known as hard bottles (E.g. Nalgene) and are made from polycarbonate plastic. These bottles are rather durable and easy to wash, very much like their steel and glass counterparts.

#3

3rd on the list, soft bottles (E.g.Platypus) made from polyethlene (Symbol 2) or polyproplyene (Symbol 5). These plastics are commonly used in other packaging like yogurt tubs. Since it is a soft bottle, bottles made from such plastics are not as durable and thus will not last as long as a Nalgene.

#4

The last and the least, disposable water bottles, those sold in vending machines, convenient stores. Cheap as they can get but that's really the only advantage such a bottle provides, such bottles are hard to wash and crumple easily, allowing for bacteria to grow and shows how unreliable it is in terms of durability. Disposable bottles are generally created from polythylene terephthalate hence the name PET Bottle usually carry the symbol with a number 1 on it. 

We highly advice you not to reuse such bottles unless you are dirt poor and live in a cardboard box at some MRT station or void deck.