No No No to plastics.

Hi friends,

       Gone are the times when we used earthen pots and metal containers at our homes. In recent times, almost all households in India have moved over to plastics. Fair enough, considering that it is convenient, light-weight and easy to use. But, let us also be aware of the potential harm that these hold.
     Studies report that some plastic containers are hazardous to human health, because they contain chemicals which could cause health problems. Drinking out of water bottles made from PET plastic pose a human health risk.
     Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastics. Polycarbonate plastic is commonly used to make plastic products like water bottles, spoons, containers and most important of all, toys and baby bottles. Bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter (it causes hormone imbalance) and it could also cause cancers in humans. Mothers' exposure to BPA makes their children prone to a fertility defect. BPA in the plastics used to make baby bottles could cause behavioural changes in babies or contribute to early onset of puberty in girls.

     Another chemical of concern in plastic bottles is Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP or BIS in short), a chemical used in making single-use plastic containers. DEHP is also believed to have a potential for endocrine disruption, and it has been linked with obesity.
     The above chemicals present in plastic bottles can leach into their contents. Regular use of such plastic containers can result in leaching. Leaching can be caused by damage to the bottle, heat exposure (certainly yes, considering the Indian weather conditions), and cleaning chemicals. Anyone drinking from the bottle might ingest those chemicals. For people who use a lot of plastic bottles, long-term exposure through leaching could lead to health problems in the future.  When these foods and liquids are consumed, the chemicals get into the human system, disrupting communication between brain neurons which is vital in understanding and remembering.
     In India, where regulatory bodies may not impose any strict guidelines before the harm is done, it is better to become aware by staying informed.
     Having posed a problem, what is the solution?

• Never reuse the packaged water bottles that you buy. As far as possible, carry your own water and refill it when necessary.
• Try to look for non-plastic packaging in all products that you buy. If there is no alternative, it is fine. But, when there is a choice, go for the metal /glass packaging.
• Return to the good-old ways. Use  earthen or metal (preferably steel) containers and glass jars for food storage.
• If you find it very difficult to give up plastic (I do), Switch to BPA-free,  BIS-free bottles and containers. Look for the BPA-free certificate. Recently, I bought a water bottle for my little one to take to school. (Difficult to enforce the metal container blablablah... with children) I picked it at Lifestyle Home Centre, Mylapore for my little one. It has a mark of BPA-free and BIS-free. A word of caution to those die-hard Tupperware users. All Tupperware products are not BPA-free. The microwave containers, in particular, contain BPA. I remember seeing some comments and reviews, some time back. I'm not sure if the company has done something about it. Lock & Lock has BPA-free BIS-free water bottles. 
• Store water in ceramic containers or metal containers. At home we use this ceramic pot for storing boiled water. I picked it from Timber, Nungambakkkam. Have a look at their site online. Now they have really fancy designs. http://www.timberteak.in/cwc.htm It cost me Rs. 750 for the pot Rs. 350 for the lid (yes, really!) and Rs.50 for the tap. Those who buy 20-litre water cans can use this pot as a water dispenser. The plastic tap started leaking within a day and so picked a tap (can't seem to avoid plastic completely) from Aquaguard service centre for Rs.220.
• Alternatively, terracotta pots with metal taps are available with platform vendors all over Chennai. These cost about Rs.200. 
• Instead of plastic fridge bottles to store water, use metal ones. I picked this one from Ratna Stores, Pondy Bazaar for Rs. 220. But this one started rusting within a week. In addition, the neck is too short and so it is convenient to drink out of the bottle. It is heavy as well.
  
• I picked this other one from Lifestyle Home Centre, Mylapore.


It looks like a thermos, but it is not. It costs Rs.260. Light-weight, handy and very convenient, it is very useful. It is from SWANVAC. Check out these steel bottles at http://www.swanvac.net/ The above are locally available. I'm not sure where to buy these in other cities, though. You could also buy klean kanteen steel bottles from http://www.kleankanteen.com/ - colourful exteriors and wide range of sizes and models. The other company is Sigg http://www.sigg.com/ . This is again an international brand and so it is expensive.

       There might be better models and products available in other cities. It only takes some time to research and find out. That time would be well-spent. What do you think?

Have a plastic-free life!