I recently came across another chain mail, about the numbers below plastic bottles we use. According to this mail, the number (generally within a triangle) written at the bottom, which ranges from one to seven, indicates how many times that particular plastic is recycled in reverse order. I dug a little deeper. Apparently, the number printed has nothing to do with the number of times plastic has been recycled. It’s just the type of plastic which is used for that particular bottle. 5 is polypropylene and 1 is polyethlyene terephthalate etc etc.
One primary use of having the numbers if to help recyclers to sort into appropriate groups. In other words, identification number.
1 – PET, polyethlyene terephthalate
2 – HDPE, high-density polyethylene
3 – PVC, polyvinyl chloride
4 – LDPE, low-density polyethylene
5 – PP, polypropylene
6 – PS/PS-E, polystyrene / expanded polystyrene
7 – OTHER, resins or multi-materials
Here is copy paste of that mail
How to avoid:Check on the bottom of the bottle there is a triangle sign and there will be a number on it. If the number is higher than or equal to 5 –> then this bottle is safe to use.Whatever number under 5, will release the chemical. For most bottle water, the number is 1.Did you know chemical released by plastic water bottles can cause cancer(It is not the water that affecting you but the chemical releasing from the bottle)Pass this to all your friends and also make them aware of it…How to avoid:Check on the bottom of the bottle there is a triangle sign and there will be a number on it. If the number is higher than or equal to 5 –> then this bottle is safe to use.
Whatever number under 5, will release the chemical. For most bottle water, the number is 1.
Did you know chemical released by plastic water bottles can cause cancer(It is not the water that affecting you but the chemical releasing from the bottle)
Pass this to all your friends and also make them aware of it…
The Bach 
Another Link: http://steelwhitetable.org/2007/12/07/bad-plastic-in-water-bottles
The good numbers are 1, 2, 4 and 5. The bad numbers are 3, 6 and 7, which are apparently full of all kinds of nasty chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health problems.
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That is not correct. The number 1 is the what is on most water bottles and sports drink bottles. These are for one time use only. 2, 4 and 5 are the numbers you should be looking for if you plan to reuse the bottle.
http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles
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hey
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you guys actually believe all this number crap?? lol…that is the funniest thing ever!!!!!!!!!! If its the numbers that im thinking of…the one in the middle of the recycling triangle symbol on most bottles ?? if so i hate to burst your bubble when i say that those numbers are for sorting reasons only at recycling centers!!!!! high number or low number….your not getting cancer from that bottle. Its simply a mark to determind the resin value of the bottle so during the recycling process “like” containers are grinded up together, seperate from the other numbers. This ensures that the end consumer…who ever buys the raw ground up product gets more options when determining what grade of product will be the proper one for their specific needs. and that my folks is the reality of it all!!!!
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Hey JohnnyBoy,
are u working for some plastic making company. Because what u are spouting out is a whole load of nonsense. The number may or may not appear in the triangle. most bottles may not even used the numbers within the triangle.
Everyone please visit these websites to get a better idea.
http://household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/2008/04/plastic_bottle_numbers.php
(the above even have a link to MSNBC news)
http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles
(explains better)
http://healthobservatory.org/
(Hell a lot of useful information from IATP)
Look under IATP’s Smart Guide.
Thank you all.
Warmest Regards,
Concerned Individual
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prove it then.
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and as for the story up top about the girl carrying the same bottle around for months…..i wonder how many times she rinse and properly washed that bottle…and i mean properly….and who she shared with….alot of factors there!!!!
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Um, just looked on the water bottle and I have number 60 on it! What does that mean ha ha? And its not the recycling on in triengle – that number is ‘1’
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tell your story
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I like and dislike the numbers, one thing i look at is what bottles would you reuse for some purpose or not. I use mostly the 1 bottles, i drink out of them and rinse them, put a little water in it and put it in the freezer to fill later an carry cold water with me. I’ve been doing this for years, when my bottle starts looking too beat up i just throw it away and get another. I have filtered water with a rainsoft system so it’s not unfiltered from the tap. I’m not sure what the real deal is on this stuff but i’d assume if there was liquid in it to begin with and it was stored in hot climate the cool climate then it would be filled with toxins anyway right. Gatorade bottles, water bottles, milk and water gallon jugs and 1 gallon tea containers filled with already made tea all have 1,2 and 5 on them. I use them, especially the milk jugs to fill and take up the extra space in my freezer so it stays colder longer with out having to work.
All this and only to tell you i’ve been drinking out of water bottles and reusing them for 3-4 years and i haven’t had a sickness or illness yet and i don’t think i will. Like i said, the containers come with liquid in them already. If they weren’t safe then we’d all be filled with cancer by now right.
I probably won’t find this site again ever but thought i’d send my 1/2 cent of info. I too was looking for info on the numbers. Got a new 1 gallon jug with a handle with a 5 on it. Looks great for a long day of drinking water then reuse again and again. Who knows how long it was filled with tea first.
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if its for sorting then why do recycling centres ask you to crush them as hard as you can? the numbers at the bottom of the bottle cant be seen…get a life
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No. are used for recycline purpose nothung else.
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