That is a good point indeed. I am very particular about this especially for my kids. I use Tupperware products for a their lunch box and water bottle. As you rightly said there is a rectangle shown in the bottom side with a number inside. If the number is 5 that denotes the it is food grade plastic and we can use it to store goods and also freezer safe. But if the number is 1 it's a use and throw and should not be reused. Most of the drinking water bottles are not of food grade plastic and I have seen people reusing them to carry drinking water. That is really not good. I use the large bottles for container gardening and I got a nice well maintained vegetable/fruit garden on terrace.
They survive because they know what they are selling. What I mean is, they know how to market their products properly. I know that they are a luxury when it comes to container lines but they've been around for quite a while so a lot of people still follow them and trust them more compared to other brand of containers. Another thing is, it's an International brand, so their market is spread all through out the world.
Yeah, that is true and let's face it, they have specialized shapes and sizes that make their boxes adequate for the specific needs we have, while when we use other containers it's all the way around, we need to adjust our needs to what we have. The plus here on this last case is that those containers are free.
I only reuse glass or can bottle containers such as Snapple bottles or Jumex bottles. Both have their own cap and the can bottle actually cools liquid in it a lot faster than a plastic or glass cup.
You see this dog in my avatar picture? She absolutely loves plastic bottles to play with once I have finished with them. They make so much noise and she goes crazy for them. I have used hundreds over the years that I've had dogs, can't be bad once I have finished what was in the bottle, the dogs get a free toy to play with.
Yes I do recycle plastic bottles and other containers, particularly ice cream containers. I use them to put meat in the freezer as well as other foods in the fridge. I do recycle plastic bottles but don't really put water in them. Instead, I made a sofa out of them (plastic bottles) together with plastics and paper, at least I have an extra sofa to use. And I'm actually planning in making more
I reuse tubs for storage wherever I can. Especially if the tubs are large and would be easy to reuse. I've turned old soda bottles into a method for watering my plants in the yard more easily and turned a load of old ice cream tubs into storage around the house, as well as for storing food again as well. I've also wallpapered old boxes and used them for storage in bedrooms. I don't buy storage unless I really have to because there are so many things that could be used that I probably have around already.
I generally re use plastic bottles, but not forever, as they are subject to crush injuries. I think using them long term is probably not a great idea, but short term usage probably does no harm, and it makes you feel thrifty, and you are getting more use out of the product. I don't have a problem with it.
I have been a victim of this re-used ice cream containers LOL! It got me all pumped up and excited to eat ice cream and then, I get disappointed once I have opened the container. We do not re-use such containers just to be safe. Well it is fine to use those plastic bottles to store water but for me, I do not use them to store drinking water.
I hardly reuse soda bottles and other plastic containers nowadays as I already have enough containers to use. I've used ice cream tubs as dipper and bread box in the past. I now prefer to sell them to people who go around the village to buy scraps like plastic bottles, empty oil bottles, and old newspapers. That way, the used plastic containers get recycled.
We use them for storing water in refrigerator during summers but we keep changing them constantly. The good news is that waste material merchants have started buying used bottles for recycling units recently so we do not have to worry disposing them otherwise. I hear these bottles are used to manufacture cheaper plastic material by small scale industry.
