22
votes
How worried should I be about plastic water bottles?
I'll be brief.
I have a collection of plastic water bottles including a large 12 liters container. I am in the process of replacing them with metal, but large metal containers can be expensive (I'm not in the US). How much risk do quality plastic water bottles really poses to my health?
Thanks!
For reusable plastic containers, the appropriate level of concern is approximately 0, as long as you clean them regularly, and you're not leaving them with water in them under the dashboard of your car for long lengths of time.
Realistically probably not much, but studies around that kind of thing are extremely difficult and we still don't understand the effects of all the different kinds of plastics on human health.
Do you need a 12 liter water bottle? What's the use case, I'm assuming not just for personal drinking or anything. If you want something like long term storage of water, there are better solutions than a big metal container.
I keep a large water container in my office. A large container makes it less likely that I'll empty it out and forget to refill.
You're probably fine with a plastic container there, but you could also look into something like glass like those ones you see in hotel lobbies.
Edit: I'm thinking something like this, comes with risk of shattering if you drop it, but I think if you're careful that's not that big of a deal.
The good thing about glass is that it's incredibly strong for what it is but most of its applications use that strength to make products that are so thin it creates the image of fragility. A properly thick glass container can last generations, even unintentionally, like the ones found in landfills.
There is so much that we do every single day that is cumulatively much worse for us. Not eating enough fiber, not getting enough vitamin D, and paradoxically not protecting ourselves from the sun are probably the most common. Each of these have proven negative outcomes and are shown to increase our risks or premature death. Plastics have no conclusively proven negative outcomes at the levels we are exposed to them from using them in our households, and avoiding using them is not conclusively proven to actually reduce your exposure.
The real concern is the accumulation of plastics on a global level. Limiting or banning plastics by a government is the actual solution to that. Car tires are likely to be the worst source in our lives, and they have very little regulation since they're not made to be in contact with our bodies, yet they release particles that we breathe in all day. Polyester in fabrics is probably the second biggest source of microplastics in the water and air.
Donating blood is probably the best step you can take to reduce your levels of plastic in your body. If you actually want to make a change to do it, donating blood should be the first one.
Unfortunately I am prevented from donating blood due to the medications I take every day. However, that is very interesting. I am glad I learned about this and I will spread the knowledge. Thanks!
You could always start a leech colony, if you're desperate....
The podcast Search Engine had a great episode on this exact question. It's probably worth limiting but there isn't enough evidence on the long term effects to be certain. Also the anxiety over limiting that type of consumption could have even worse effects given thw prevalence of plastic in our world.
I consider it a good idea to remove plastic utensils and containers from my home. It’s an easy win.
It's one of the (many) things that's hard about disability. Disposable utensils and plates are really helpful or crockpot liners and other things. I've tried to cut back but I think my partner is accidentally throwing out our flatware and while I need to just get a new set, at some point plastic forks are just.... Easier.
Sigh
This kind of thing seems to sneak up on good intentions. I have a friend who can only really drink with a straw; she had real issues when the city outlawed plastic straws. That was before metal straws were common. Things are easier for her nowadays but dealing with a dirty straw away from home can be a real challenge when you have ataxia.
Yeah silicone straws can be a solution for some folks. They also make better biodegradable straws now - they don't dissolve in 30 min or less anymore.
It also never made sense to ban straws and not a dozen other larger sources of commercial disposable plastic usage. Straws do keep my partner from spilling but thankfully he can use a metal straw with silicone tip easily enough.
You could purchase PLA utensils. I have to imagine the compostable plastic made from corn starch is less problematic when ingested incidentally.
Probably but they cost over 50% more, if you're buying a thousand of them.
I don't buy plastic plates but I don't buy the cheapest paper ones either because usability (sturdiness and size, not burning or soaking through in a lap that can't notice pain for example) is important. But "solo" style plastic cups are a thing we use too. (And our actual real tumblers are also plastic, because glass breaks when you drop it and plastic bounces. )
Realistically plastic isn't going to be what kills him. And I can hardly take care of me much less worry about my microplastics. I just don't like doing it from an environmental standpoint. I just pick my battles.
PLA is only industrially compostable. It requires bacteria that only grows in higher temperature environments, and that means that, effectively, they need to be sent to specialized facilities with heated chambers that you likely don’t have locally. My husband buys bowls coated with it and they have the rather hilarious disclaimer printed right on the eating surface that says “recycling facilities may not exist”.
Makes sense, our sustainability office will provide compostable supplies for lunches, but we have campus compost bins for this (and I believe our dining uses the compost as well) so yeah appreciate knowing that.
I have to ask because I've had no luck looking for any outside of traditional mortar and pestle options, do you know of / have any spice mills that you could recommend that don't use plastic in the grinding mechanism?
Possibly relevant: https://tildes.net/~enviro/1oxu/glass_bottles_found_to_contain_more_microplastics_than_plastic_bottles
Not so relevant in this particular case. The plastic in that situation is mostly coming from the plastic-coated single-use metal caps of the glass bottles.
Though the current news is dominated by microplastic pollution, the biggest concern is consumption of plasticizers and other chemicals (bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, etc.). They're present in any flexible plastic material, and leach into food and drinks in amounts that vary with heating, composition of the contents (fats, oils, and acids degrade soft plastics and accelerate release), UV exposure, and oxidation.
There's also evidence that these chemicals accumulate in the food chain, and one way to minimize your exposure may be adopting a vegetarian diet. Foods and beverages packaged in plastic-lined cans and bottles seem to be high-risk.
The best available advice is to minimize plastic use, relying on metal, glass, or ceramic materials instead. If you must use plastics, "avoid plastics with recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene), and 7 (bisphenols) unless plastics are labeled as “biobased” or “greenware,” indicating that they are made from plants and do not contain bisphenols". [These are US recycling codes - the plastic material reported to have lower plasticizer leaching is HDPE (high-density polyethylene).] Plastic containers and packaging shouldn't be heated (e.g. microwaving, boiling, or dishwashing), or used for long-term storage. Note that this is advice from pediatricians directed towards protecting infants and children - your risk tolerance may be higher.
Silicone alternatives are expensive and vary widely in quality. Although FDA food grade high-quality silicone bags, bottles, cups, and utensils should be relatively safe, poorly cured products or bakeware can release toxic chemicals as well. They're also susceptible to degradation with age, and more supportive of bacterial and fungal growth if not kept perfectly clean.
I remember having a similar conversation with a good friend whose judgement I trust. I’d been reading too much news and got quite worried about exposing myself to too much plastic.
He basically reminded me that microplastics and the health effects of plastic in general were present in previous generations too, but those generations were just less aware. Bottled beverages aren’t that novel. Then, he passed away a few months later, unbelievably, in a hot air balloon crash.
Now I believe it serves us best to exercise regularly, drive carefully and not sweat the small stuff. Maybe limiting plastics helps a little on the margin but it probably matters fairly little to you and me; my friend’s cavalier plastic consumption ultimately provided a hell of a lot of convenience without any impact on his health outcome at all.