Plastic Menace - Contd..

In Continuum with the theme of the Tirupathi Experience post, I would like to share a few insights..

Have you ever taken a look under plastic bottles? Did you notice the Recycle Triangle with number in it? Ever wondered what that number meant? Ever wondered why sometimes water stored in plastic bottles in cars and other places tastes like plastic? Go on..

The taste is so because of a process called "Leaching". When we store water or any other liquids in the bottles, chemicals gradually leach from the bottle into its contents. Now we need to know what are those chemicals and what effects they have on us.
Beneath the bottles, we have the numbers from 1 to 7. These are nothing but the type of Resin used to make the bottle.

1. PET bottles. You might have heard of the name. Poly Ethylene Terephthalate
2. HDPE. High Density Poly Ethylene
3. PVC. You're aware of it.
4. LDPE. Low Density PE (as in 2)
5. Poly Propylene
6. Poly Styrene
7. Mixed
The following images describe about them in detail.

But based on inputs from various health sources and FDA it has been recommended that only the bottles with the numbers 2,4 and 5 are safe for "re-use". The Mineral Water bottles we generally buy have 1 beneath them. That is why they say "Please crush after Use".

The bottles with number 7 are the most dangerous of all. These bottles leach BPA (Bis Phenol-A). BPA is a "xenoestrogen", a known "endocrine disruptor" (it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies). Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly dangerous to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.

Bottles with number 2 as per my understanding and FDA suggestions are the safest for re-use. In any case, use mild soap and hot water to clean the bottle once in a while though.
Now why is all this info given? Instead of buying Mineral Water bottle wherever you go (Very Easy and no hassles), carry your own bottled water (Costs Rs.20-30. One time investment for atleast 2 years to go). The only draw back with this is you have to carry it all along and you'll end up with an empty bottle. You know what the advantages are?

1. You have the satisfaction of saving the environment by cutting the use of plastic.
2. You fill it up with Refilling centres (charge 3/- per liter. So you save 9/-).
3. If you don't have Refilling centres around, fill it up with tap water. You'll have an initial cough and cold and occassionally diarrhoea. But your Immunity will gradually improve to survive the toughest conditions.(Remember! Keep pinging the body with Antigens and stay Immune. Don't give time for the body to relax!)
4. And you can avoid your chance of being in the situation shown below someday!!

That is the Pacific covered with Plastic bottles twice the size of Texas !!!

Plastics when introduced faced intial hiccups due to high costs (The same story that we hear for Bio-degradable plastics these days) and then later became so inexpensive that there is no place where we can't get them now! Hope Bio-Degradable plastics also become so cheap that they should replace the toxic plastowaste.

Let us contribute in Saving the Earth. A big structure starts with a single brick!!! Join hands together!!