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This month reflection - Global Warming::Green in IN!


A wonderful thought from Priyanka Soni

We talk about Global warming and keeping the environment clean as an aware citizen of this world. As we understand that the time has come to act and save our environment, we say ‘Green in In’.
In a group discussion my friends and I were discussing on keeping the environment clean and specifically on no usage of plastic bottle in our organization. Though I religiously follow the environmental friendly habits in my day- to-life, I was against the motion for throwing away plastic bottles. That sounds strange but yes, I have to be honest. However, I have my own points here to share.


My points on “not throwing away plastic bottles”:

• Any polymer/plastic once manufactured and got in a person’s possession cannot be digested by nature in any way, if I need to exact, to degrade a plastic the nature takes
• We have concepts like recycling to increase the life of plastic already existing in the human society, so that we need not create more. To reduce the demand for manufacturing new plastic.
• The idea is to give longer life to an existing plastic bottle. We can only restrict ourselves to buy new plastic in any form.
• Tupperware plastic is bio-degradable and could be used instead normal plastic
So how do we stop people from buying new plastic and using plastic already bought responsibly.
• We should make people aware of the fact that reusing plastic bottles like Bisleri, Maaza, etc for drinking water, may actually be harmful for their own health. Below are the few I could mention from internet

*Chemicals May Contaminate Food and Drinks in Reused Plastic Bottles. Reused Plastic Bottles Can Leach Toxic Chemicals. Even Plastic Water and Soda Bottles Should Not Be Reused. (Source: http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/plastic_bottles.htm).

*Refilling water bottles can result in contamination of the water with bacteria, for example from the hands or mouth of the person filling or using it. With time and in warm conditions, bacteria can multiply to harmful levels, but safe handling and proper cleaning can help prevent this from happening. Recent reports have specifically suggested that a common plasticizer, DEHA, can leach from plastic soft drink bottles into the liquids they hold, particularly with reuse. However, the majority of plastic water and soft drink bottles are made with a substance called PET, and do not contain DEHA.

While current research indicates chemicals are not released into water by reuse, many of these bottles are manufactured to be recycled, not reused. Some plastic bottles can warp when exposed to heat in the cleaning process.

It is therefore important to ensure that after the bottle has been washed in hot water and left to air dry that it is intact and has not been damaged.


• To promote on usage of tetra packaged food, which has lesser percentage of polymer than plastic cans, bottles. This would cut down the source of plastic bottles.

• Don't discard the non-biodegradable plastic pet bottle into drains and streams. Encourage people to sell it for recycling.

• Keep separate garbage can for degradable and non degradable items. So that the non-degradable item could directly go for recycling.Commons gaps between thinking of person using plastic bottle and the one on a plastic free drive.

Hope we have an environment friendly campus, city, country and world soon.

(Source: http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety-topics/chemicals-in-food/waterbottles/index.htm)
Repeated use of plastic bottles can cause cancer.
(Source: http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/184531)


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