Are water bottles really reusable?

Many of you may view plastic water bottles like Tupperware. You wash them when you are done using them, then re-fill and re-use them another day! You throw them in the freezer, in the dishwasher and the back of your very hot car without a care in the world. Well, we have got one piece of advice- STOP! According to a recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, for the sake of your health, it may be time to stop reusing your single-use plastic water bottles. When not sanitized, water bottles can become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria that can make you sick. Unfortunately, combating bacteria through frequent washing may actually have its own equally dangerous repercussions. In fact, exposing the thin plastic of your water bottle to hot water, fierce scrubbing or aggressive cleansers may contribute to the breakdown of the plastic itself, causing harmful chemicals to seep into the water, and into you! In a nut shell, the more use you get out of your single-use water bottle, the more you risk exposing yourself to harmful bacteria and chemicals. Single-use bottles are meant to be used once.