We buy it almost instinctively. At a gas station, in a shop, at the airport, or on the way to work. Bottled water seems like the simplest choice, but an increasingly common question is: is it really the best choice for our health?
Just a few years ago, the discussion focused mainly on the environmental impact of plastic. Today, scientists are also paying increasing attention to what happens to the bottle itself during everyday use. In particular, they are looking at microplastics, which have now been detected not only in oceans, but also in food, water, and even the human body.
Does that mean every plastic bottle is dangerous? No. But it’s worth knowing how to use them properly and when it may be better to choose an alternative.
The PET plastic used to make most water bottles is approved for contact with food. This means that buying a bottle of water from a store does not pose a direct health risk.
The problem is that many of us treat single-use bottles like reusable water bottles. We carry them around for days, refill them with tap water, leave them in the car, or put them in direct sunlight.
That’s not what they were designed for.
Over time, microscopic scratches can develop on the surface of the plastic, creating places where bacteria can grow. High temperatures can also accelerate the aging of the material and may increase the release of tiny plastic particles into the water.
Microplastics are currently one of the biggest areas of interest for scientists.
They are microscopic fragments of plastic that we cannot see with the naked eye. We now know that they are found virtually everywhere: in drinking water, fish, sea salt, the air, and even human blood.
This does not yet mean that they cause specific diseases. Research is still ongoing. However, more and more experts point out that if we can reduce our exposure to plastic without much effort, it makes sense to do so.
It’s somewhat similar to the discussion around cigarette smoke several decades ago. First came the questions, then the research, and only later did clear answers emerge.
Most of us have probably left a bottle in the car on a hot summer day at least once.
The problem is that the temperature inside a car can exceed 60°C (140°F). Under such conditions, plastic ages much faster, and the water itself can develop an altered taste.
That’s why food safety experts generally recommend avoiding drinking water from a bottle that has been sitting in direct sunlight for many hours.
There’s no need to go to extremes.
If you occasionally buy a bottle of water at a gas station, nothing bad is going to happen. The problem arises when we buy another single-use bottle every day, even though most Polish cities provide access to safe tap water.
That’s why more and more people carry a reusable water bottle. It’s more convenient, cheaper, and significantly better for the environment.
This is the moment when many people go back to buying plastic. You’re out for a walk, travelling, or in the city centre, and the easiest thing to do is simply walk into a shop and buy another bottle.
But more and more restaurants, cafés, and service businesses are happy to refill your bottle with tap water.
The problem is that it’s not always obvious which places offer this.
That’s why the Tovoda app was created. It features a map of restaurants and other locations where you can drink water for free or refill your bottle. This means you don’t have to buy another plastic bottle just because you’ve run out of water.
Is drinking water from plastic bottles harmful? There’s no reason to panic, but there are increasingly good reasons to reduce our use of plastic wherever possible.
An occasional single-use bottle is unlikely to cause harm. But if you can choose tap water and a reusable bottle, it’s a better decision—for both you and the environment.
