UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI: According to research, the plastic used for manufacturing water bottles contains bisphenol-a (BPA). The US Department of Health and Human Services has endorsed a study that showed that BPA caused behavioural changes.
Because of the negative effect that plastic has on the environment, I propose that reusable, disposable water bottles as well as bottles made of nalgene — a high quality, re-usable, laboratory manufactured plastic — be used by people. Another alternative is the use of glass bottles for soft drinks and drinking water.
Firstly, glass bottles can be reused multiple times. This will help cut down on the cost of manufacturing plastic bottles, as well as reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, along with eliminating the problems caused by BPA. I understand that there are arguments against the use of glass, which include the monetary and environmental costs in terms of transporting and sanitising these bottles. However, with new processes being devised to reduce the adverse impact that glass may have, this could turn out to be a viable option for Pakistan’s bottling industry.
Areeba Hussain
Department of Economics
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2012.
