BetterBottle PET Purity

What's that I hear about PET? Chain E-mails, Web sites, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, have all disseminated stories describing health risks associated with the use of PET; however, BetterBottle is not aware of a single one that amounts to anything more than urban myth, either completely untrue or a gross distortion of the facts. BetterBottle PET is an extraordinarily safe plastic. It can be safely re-used, washed, heated or cooled, left in the sun, or burned. It does not contain: BPA (Bisphenol-A); ortho-phthalate plasticizers or any other plasticizers; chlorine; dioxins; toxic additives, or even remotely hazardous levels of heavy metals, such as Antimony. And it does not take up or release flavors and odors to a significant degree. For a detailed discussion of PET purity and safety please refer to the Purity/Safety section under the Technical tab at the top of this page.

Exactly what is an Urban Myth? – An urban myth is a form of misinformation/disinformation story that spreads with great speed and efficiency, because those circulating it are usually convinced they are passing along factual, often urgent, information.1 The story may start as an idle comment, a spoof, a serious hoax, or a misinterpretation of fact; however, stories that are of particular interest to a community can snowball to mythic proportions as more and more people repeat them and they gains credibility by virtue of having been already heard. Spread-the-word, chain E-mail letters, permit stories to gain mythic proportions quickly, remain persistent, and resurface easily. Those who actively promote an urban myth in order to foster a particular agenda often stoke the forwarding of a chain E-mail by giving the impression that a respected source is responsible for sending it (false attribution). Planting a myth in gullible media and then citing the media as a source is another way of building credibility. Urban myths can significantly affect the ability of a community to make truly informed decisions on important issues, so it is critical that myths be debunked.2,3

Would I be fooled by an Urban Myth? – The urban myth about the lady, who was killed by spiders making a nest in her big hair, has been around for a long time, but most serious people would not take it seriously. However, the urban myth that water swirls down a toilet in the clockwise direction north of the equator and in the counter clockwise direction south of the equator is widely accepted and the authors of at least one college-level physics text were taken in. The Coriolis Effect (i.e., rotation of the earth) does not cause water in the toilet to swirl in a particular direction; it is the design of the toilet and the way the water squirts into the toilet rim that controls the circulation.4 In fact, if the Coriolis Effect were strong enough to affect the swirling in a toilet, the toilet would swirl in the counter clockwise direction north of the equator. There are an incredible number of urban myths relating to food and beverage packaging. To access a factual discussion about bottles and carboys, with references, use the Technical tab at the top of this page.

1 Urban Legend – Wikipedia (Referenced 04/20/10)
2 Snopes.com
3 BreakTheChain.org
4 Coriolis effect. Wikipedia (Referenced 04/20/10)