What is the quality of my tap water in Dubai?

Posted by John Smith on July 22nd, 2017

We all know that plastic is usually very hard to recycle, which is why there’s this new kind of plastic now called PET plastic, which is considered to be 100% recyclable. But what becomes of the plastic in the end? We’re here to tell you exactly that.

What is PET Plastic?

PET is the plastic that makes up the water and beverage bottles we use. Unlike all the other kinds of plastic, PET plastic is 100% recyclable, strong but still lightweight, and durable. So next time you’re buying bottled water or something, make sure it’s in made of PET plastic. You can tell by looking for the #1 identification enclosed in a triangle formed with 3 chasing arrows.

What Happens After You Throw Away PET Plastic?

Recycling makes us all feel good about ourselves as if we're doing all we can to help the environment. But do any of us know what happens to the PET plastic after we throw it away?

The PET plastic is picked up, and that is where its journey starts. It enters an elaborate system of being sold, shipped, melted, resold, and shipped again and finally being used again.

The important thing about recycling PET plastic is that it should be clean. Even the most recyclable plastic is at times difficult to recycle if it’s not clean. The cleaner the plastic, the easier it will be to recycle and reuse it.

First, the PET bottles are sorted according to many different aspects such as size or color. The bottles are then crushed and pressed and packed into bales, now ready to be sold to recycling companies. At those companies, the plastic is washed, further separated and dried. Then the PET is shredded into smaller pieces, and since these pieces still contain residues of items such as stickers, labels and plastic caps, those are all sifted out. After some further shredding, all that is left is pure PET “flakes” which are then reused to make other products.

How to Reduce Need of PET Plastic

The above-described process of recycling PET is a long and expensive one. Instead, think how easier it would be if we didn't need PET at all because we didn't buy bottled water. And how do you do that? By using tap water instead. We know you think tap water is filled with contaminants and you're right, which is why you should filter the water.

How to Filter Tap Water

Use a purifier water system at home to get rid of any harmful substances in the tap water. Filter the water by investing in either a purifier water system for your entire house or even by buying a small filter pitcher, which is cheaper and still gets the job done.

Now you know what happens to the PET plastic, and how much money goes into recycling it that can be used somewhere else if we give up on PET and start filtering and using tap water instead. So go ahead and start introducing the positive change in your lifestyle.