There is one more chain mail; it’s about the plastic bottles we use. There is a number written on the bottom of every plastic bottle, which varies from one to seven. Hoax Chain Mail claims that the number indicates how many times that particular plastic is recycled in reverse order. So anything above 5 is good.
It’s actually nothing to do with the number of recycling of the bottles. It’s just the type of plastic which is used for that particular bottle. 5 is polypropylene and 1 is PET that is polyethlyene terephthalate. The numbers below is useful while sorting the collected bottles while recycling. In other words it is plastic identification number.
1 – PET, polyethlyene terephthalate
2 – HDPE, high-density polyethylene
3 – PVC, polyvinyl chloride
4 – LDPE, low-density polyethylene
5 – PP, polypropylene
6 – PS/PS-E, polystyrene / expanded polystyrene
7 – OTHER, resins or multi-materials
Google yourself if you are not satisfied. But don’t panic if you receive the same chain mail tomorrow.
Here is copy paste of that mail

How to avoid:
Check on the bottom of the bottle there is a triangle sign and there will be a number on it. If the number is higher than or equal to 5 –> then this bottle is safe to use.
Whatever number under 5, will release the chemical. For most bottle water, the number is 1.
Did you know chemical released by plastic water bottles can cause cancer
(It is not the water that affecting you but the chemical releasing from the bottle)
Pass this to all your friends and also make them aware of it…
Technorati Tags: polyethlyene, terephthalate, PET, bottles, plastic, recycle, hoax, chain, mail
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Thanks for the info. Snopes.com is a good resource whenever you receive such dubious email forwards. This one also explains why this chain mail started in the first place:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/petbottles.asp
Hello Everyone,
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A short while ago, a very good friend of mine told me about a great golfing equipment and accessories website that has discounted prices on all their products, same day shipping in most cases and there is no state sales tax, they are paying that.
So if any golfer here is ready to save some money on quality products at highly discounted prices, you might want to check out their site at; http://hoffmangolf.com
what about soft drink bottles
r they safe cause i didnt get any indiactor number on the pepsi coke bottels
Good info..
numbers 2, 4, and 5 are safe. with 6 and 7 being the WORST to use. this is according to oprah’s broadcast and the health network.
I think you have the numbers wrong on the bottom of the plastic bottles….you said numbers above 5 are safe…but I understood that numbers under 5 are the safest…
avoid numbers 3, 6 and 7 these are most toxic
3 is made of unplasticised chloride
6 is made of polystyrene
7 is made of nylon and acrylic
all cancer causing materials
4 being the best it is made of Low density polyethylene
contact hubert @ headen@ymail.com for more info.
that is some real bull shit your site didnt help me at all
numbers 5 or 7 is better n safer to use?
Another Link: http://steelwhitetable.org/2007/12/07/bad-plastic-in-water-bottles
The good numbers are 1, 2, 4 and 5. The bad numbers are 3, 6 and 7, which are apparently full of all kinds of nasty chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health problems.
That is not correct. The number 1 is the what is on most water bottles and sports drink bottles. These are for one time use only. 2, 4 and 5 are the numbers you should be looking for if you plan to reuse the bottle.
http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles
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hey
you guys actually believe all this number crap?? lol…that is the funniest thing ever!!!!!!!!!! If its the numbers that im thinking of…the one in the middle of the recycling triangle symbol on most bottles ?? if so i hate to burst your bubble when i say that those numbers are for sorting reasons only at recycling centers!!!!! high number or low number….your not getting cancer from that bottle. Its simply a mark to determind the resin value of the bottle so during the recycling process “like” containers are grinded up together, seperate from the other numbers. This ensures that the end consumer…who ever buys the raw ground up product gets more options when determining what grade of product will be the proper one for their specific needs. and that my folks is the reality of it all!!!!
Hey JohnnyBoy,
are u working for some plastic making company. Because what u are spouting out is a whole load of nonsense. The number may or may not appear in the triangle. most bottles may not even used the numbers within the triangle.
Everyone please visit these websites to get a better idea.
http://household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/2008/04/plastic_bottle_numbers.php
(the above even have a link to MSNBC news)
http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles
(explains better)
http://healthobservatory.org/
(Hell a lot of useful information from IATP)
Look under IATP’s Smart Guide.
Thank you all.
Warmest Regards,
Concerned Individual
prove it then.
and as for the story up top about the girl carrying the same bottle around for months…..i wonder how many times she rinse and properly washed that bottle…and i mean properly….and who she shared with….alot of factors there!!!!
Um, just looked on the water bottle and I have number 60 on it! What does that mean ha ha? And its not the recycling on in triengle – that number is ‘1′
tell your story