Don’t take those plastics for granted….. We use plastic containers, cups, bottles and an everyday normal article.
They look innocent, help us with whatever purpose we use them for , are cheap and the common misconception is that all plastic now can be recycled.
Let’s take a closer look at them.
When we drink a bottle of mineral water or bottled water (By the way both are different and there is a whole lot of unknown facts about the differences between the two and where they come from which will be discussed in a future post) , how many of us bother to look below or usually somewhere close to the bottom part of the plastic bottle we are drinking from?
Have you ever noticed a number in the center of an arrowed triangle?
Ever wondered what this means?
These are the classification numbers that tell us what type of plastic is used to make that bottle, cup or container. Pay close attention to this as not all plastics are good to be used with food. Chemical leeching can occur particularly when these plastics are heated up.
You might ask who would heat up a bottle of water as such but remember that time you drank from a bottle lying around in the car which was parked outside in a very hot area especially in the Middle East? That’s hot enough.
Another common practice is to drink hot tea or coffee in polystyrene cups (white color foamy ones) from the good old tea shops scattered all over U.A.E. The authorities have asked cafeterias to stop serving in these cups and use paper cups instead but the use of polystyrene cups are still very high. Best option would be to carry your own tea glass/cup in your car and drink in this rather than in the cups given at the tea shop.
Have a look at the classification of plastics below.
Each of the numbers have been highlighted with a green, orange or red color recycling icon. Green indicates safe , orange indicates moderately safe but not good for reuse or heating, red indicates avoidance at all costs.
Try and use this guide to reduce your exposure to plastics, it might help you in not being a container for plastics in the long run.
