We don’t generally encourage the purchase of bottled water. Manufacturing the bottles is awful for the environment (and we think the environment is awesome!) and the water is usually just tap water from wherever it was bottled.

Often times, bottled water companies steal water in mass quantities from arid communities that live in drought. That’s no fun. That said, I do always keep a pack of bottled water in my car.

You never know when you might be stranded somewhere and a little water could mean the difference between life and death.

But when I’m stocking my emergency water supply, I check the label on the bottom of the bottles.

Why it’s important to check the labels:

The letters you see in the recycle symbol, like PP and HDP, can tell you a lot about the plastic itself. This is what you need to know:

PET or PETE

The plastic bottles may have leaked metals and chemicals into the water that impact hormonal balance in your body.

HDP or HDPE

Your water is likely the safest out of any type of plastic. it’s the least likely to leak harmful substances into your water.

3V or PVC

Don’t drink it. They release toxic chemicals that impact your hormonal balance.

LDPE

That’s weird, because LDPE is only used to make plastic bags.

PS

The plastic can leak carcinogenic substances. It’s usually used when producing coffee cups and fast food casings. Also known as Styrofoam.

PC, or simply not labeled at all

It’s likely to contain BPA, an endocrine disruptor. This is most common in sports water bottles and some food containers.

Source: This article was originally featured on SimplyOrganic, and was used with permission from the author.