Is There Bottled Water Without Microplastics?

Are any brands of water bottles free of microplastics?

No. Single-use and reusable plastic water bottles have or will shed microplastics into the liquids they contain. The inconvenient truth about microplastics and their smaller counterpart, nanoplastics, is that they can now be found in nearly every water source on earth. Even if the water was filtered adequately, the microplastics are reintroduced into the water if the bottle itself is made of plastic.

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What are microplastics anyway?

Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that break off from their original source such as plastic water bottles, plastic cookware, synthetic clothing, care tires, or essentially any other plastic product.

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These particles can leach into our water, air, food, and even our skin when present in the surrounding environment. These tiny invasive elements wreak havoc on our hormones, lungs, gut, brain function, and in more ways that still have not been fully researched. You can read more about microplastics on our article covering the topic.

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My reusable bottle is "BPA-free" - shouldn't I be safe from microplastics?

The term BPA - bisphenol A - is an industry chemical used to make some plastic since the 1950's. In recent years, many brands have advertised their products, specifically water bottle and kitchenware brands, as 'BPA-free', since studies have shown that this plastic chemical could affect the health of developing children, fertility, and cause irregular sexual functions for both men and women. Chemical and plastic industries have since then replaced BPA with other bisphenols such as BPS and BPF, but unfortunately these substitutions are proving to be just as bad for our endocrine systems, if not worse than BPA.

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In reality, it is best to limit or remove all plastic exposure from your daily routine. Even other plastics that are regarded as 'safe', such as silicone, a material commonly used for drinking straws, baby bottles, and kitchenware, have also found to leach plastics into liquids over time.

Another common 'BPA-free' brand of reusable water bottles, Nalgene, uses a patented Tritan copolyester-based plastic material claiming zero endocrine disrupting properties. However, if there has been controversy in the past decade about the credibility of these titles after the chemical company responsible for producing Nalgene's Tritan plastic material successfully sued independent neurobiologists who concluded that Nalgene's safety claims were not true.

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What are my alternatives to bottled water?

Given growing research and studies of microplastic effects on human health, especially through drinking from plastic water bottles, it is essential to replace your old plastic bottles and invest in a plastic free reusable bottle.

In our product guide on the best plastic free water bottles, we recommend several options for stainless steel, glass, copper, and titanium bottles, including variants that are 100% plastic-free (no plastic lid, straw, internal components, etc).

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How can I filter microplastics from my water in the first place?

While replacing your plastic water bottle with a plastic-free option is a great start to reducing microplastic ingestion, you should definitely consider investing in a high-quality reverse osmosis filter to ensure your drinking water is microplastic free before it enters the bottle. Reverse osmosis filtration is the most reliable method of removing the smallest microplastics from water sources.

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We have curated and researched the best consumer and installation-friendly countertop and under-sink filters, but we also have an an an article on whole-house RO filtration if your goal is to expand your microplastic removal to showers, washing machines, and more.

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How can I continue to reduce my microplastic exposure?

We have curated a list of essential steps and substitutions you can start making today in order to reduce you and your family's microplastic exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption.

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