Reused Plastic Water Bottles Loaded with Bacteria

Everybody knows that disposable plastic water bottles are bad for the environment. Plastic isn’t biodegradable — a lot of it ends up in landfills, oceans and other bodies of water.

For this very reason, people have started to reuse disposable plastic water bottles in an effort to reduce plastic waste. Although intentions are good (and green), reusing those plastic water bottles may be bad for your health. They’re most likely full of bacteria.

An Oregon laboratory tested several people’s water bottles for bacteria colony counts and found alarming rates, even in the ones that were recently washed.

A bottle washed the day before the test contained 2,400 colonies. But it was Amy Blue’s bottle that topped the list. While she washed it a few days before the test, the bottle contained 4,100 bacteria colonies.

Yuck.

Use Stainless Steel Water Bottles

The best solution I can see is to not use plastic water bottles at all. Use stainless steel water bottles instead — stainless steel is a healthy alternative to plastic and is naturally bacteria resistant. With all we know about plastic - it leaches chemicals, doesn’t break down, and harbors bacteria - why continue using it? You can find stainless steel water bottles online and at specialty stores. Klean Kanteen and Sigg are both great brands.

(If you insist on using plastic, be sure to wash it daily with warm water and soap. Recycle it immediately if you see any cracks forming — cracks produce chemicals and harbor bacteria.)