Concerted College
Hosted a cafe on:-
Plastic drinks bottles: How safe are they?
Date: 17th July 2009
Speaker: Denis Olwenyi Otika, medical clinical officer
This is the 21st Century!
One student was concerned that the café seemed geared towards discouraging students from using plastic bottles. This was the 21st century, not the era of our great-grandfathers, when people drunk water from calabashes! He was suspicious that the speaker had come with a hidden agenda against the general use of plastics. In the intense, yet cordial café atmosphere, Denis reminded the students that the use of plastics was everyone’s concern. ‘It is important for students to be aware, equipped with information and take appropriate action’, said Denis.
Plastics are incredibly useful, yet misuse poses health risks. Some plastics leak substances which have been implicated in cancer, genetic modifications and reproductive health problems. The manufacture of plastic bottles consumes high amounts of oil, which ends up increasing levels of carbon dioxide, a chief contributor towards global warming.
Falling back on culture
Perhaps it is time to go back to the Ugandan culture of calabashes, drinking water wells and clay pots; they are free and environmentally friendly, outdated as they may seem. Cooking food wrapped in banana instead of polythene fibres is safe. Baskets make good in food storage.
Where to go from here?
Recycle plastics
- Ban polythene bags
- Copy Rwanda and draw strict policies towards use of plastics
- Public water points must be made safe.
