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Plastic water bottles are easy to find and inexpensive, so more people are using them. PET, an abbreviation of polyethylene terephthalate, is a type of plastic frequently used to manufacture water bottles. PET water bottles generate significant amounts of waste and carbon dioxide emissions. Petroleum is the primary component used to manufacture plastics. It requires 24 million gallons of oil to produce one billion plastic bottles. Seven hundred years are needed for the complete decomposition of plastic. Approximately 80 per cent of all plastic bottles manufactured today are not recycled. Globally, plastic recycling rates are not particularly high, and, as a result, a significant amount of this material ends up in landfills, where it decomposes slowly over hundreds of years. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has placed the elimination of plastic waste at the top of its list of environmental concerns. In the UAE, many PET water bottles are used per person. The average individual will consume 450 bottles of water per year.

Plastic water bottles have the potential to contaminate the environment in several ways if they are not discarded properly. Some of these ways are the destruction of ecosystems, the disruption of ecological processes, and the effects on aquatic organisms. Also, when sewage systems in cities, particularly in developing nations, become clogged with garbage, this makes it easier for mosquitoes to spread diseases like malaria and other illnesses they carry.

The most significant worry is that the microscopic plastic particles contained in those bottles, known as microplastics, might get ingested into human food when they are swallowed by marine life. Plastic polymers are thought to have contributed to the development of certain diseases. Cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting properties are attributed to most chemicals used to produce plastic. In addition, some of the compounds used to manufacture plastics have been linked to various adverse health effects. Bisphenol A and phthalates are two examples of such substances. For example, the linings used in water bottles are made with a chemical known as bisphenol A, sometimes known as BPA. The potential health consequences of BPA exposure on the brain and prostate glands of fetuses, newborns, and children raise concerns. Children’s behavior may also be impacted. Besides, if phthalates are allowed to escape into the environment, there is a significant risk they may cause damage to the ecosystem. Phthalates, classified as hormone disruptors, can inhibit the production of androgenic hormones.

Because most plastics do not decompose in natural environments, the primary objective is to reduce the amount produced while properly managing and recycling the waste that is still produced. Recent investigations in the field have shown that discarded plastic water bottles might take more than 400 years to biodegrade. Many research projects worldwide are now focusing their attention on examining the impact of recycling plastic on preserving the natural world and promoting sustainability. Recycling is a crucial part of the global effort to lessen the eight million tons of plastic deposited in the ocean each year. Plastic can be recycled by creating new products out of scraps of plastic or trash made of plastic. Future rules that support recycling programs and businesses, provide places to separate and collect waste, and teach people how to do these things would get more people to recycle and protect the environment.

Dr. Rahaf Ajaj
Assistant Professor in Environment, Health, and Safety
Department of Environmental and Public Health
College of Health Sciences