Custom designed bottles for recycling - eNidhi India Travel Blog

Custom designed bottles for recycling

It has never been a secret that hawkers recycle used mineral water bottles, fill it with tap water (ok, a believed to be fit for drinking water, with no visible impurities) and sell it back to thirty passengers who neither have patience to check the purity of the water, nor have an alternate option to quench their thirst.

What surprised me, that some manufacturers of mineral water bottles, knowingly or unknowingly are directly assisting this “sell new water in old bottle” lobby, due a faulty design of bottle caps.

Ideally, a cap of a sealed mineral water bottle will have two parts- the main cap and a circular ring which is factory sealed with the main cap. (I don’t know exact technical term-assume description given gives an idea what I am referring to) When you buy a new original mineral water bottle and twist open its cap, the seal breaks, the cap comes out and circular ring remains in the bottle neck. Since ordinary hawker can’t reseal the bottle easily (without necessary equipment and other facilities), by and large one can believe that water is pure and original if the seal is not tampered with.

Now see the below image. Here, the cap came out, along with the sealing ring. The bond between the sealing ring and main cap is so thick and loose, the seal doesn’t break when you twist open the cap. Instead, cap comes of along with the sealing ring. With this kind of bottle cap design, it is extremely easy to recycle- just fill water and force the cap. This is either carelessness of the manufacturer, or done intentionally to aid the lobby which sells tap water in old bottles. I suspect the later.

 (Unless the manufacturer is hand in glove with the refillers, it is loss for him to facilitate refilling like this)

Be a bit careful next time.

Related: Supermarket Super savings- A word of caution * Indian Railway goes crazy-adds extra berth

8 comments:

  1. well its a light in the fridge phenomenon - one wouldnt know unless they open the bottle :)... but thanks for pointing it out

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Vikram,

    Just lift the cap-if it comes out without effor then it is fake...

    ReplyDelete
  3. hi,heloooo

    even sometimes fake water bottles have filthy water;about this we forget and buy that for cheaper rates?.

    we all must spread awareness regarding fake ones.

    thanks your's
    ravikumar.a

    ReplyDelete
  4. I guess you meant Genuine water bottles..?

    ReplyDelete
  5. God knows how many are registered.. I am speaking of the one that is sold in Bus stands and Railway stations.. So better carry your own bottles whenever and wherever possible...

    Nidhi- Comments URL is blocked in my office.. have been following ur post but could not comment..

    -JOJO

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi JOJO

    Thanks for taking trouble and commenting. You can send your feedback as an email and I can publish it on your behalf.

    Yes, it is better to carry our own water or buy from a shop near our home and carry it than buying it at railway station

    ReplyDelete
  7. Recycling the plastic in itself good (like melting it and reforming it to make other item). But reusing them to sell contaminated water is illegal.
    So if you have a minute, call the company and let them know. If a lot of people call and let them know, the company will make an effort to take care of the flaw.

    The bottling companies like aquafina or others will be at a loss if someone else makes use of their brand to sell impure water and making profit at their cost. So it does not make any sense for the bottling companies would intentionally design a flawed cap which would finally affect their brand and their profit.

    ReplyDelete
  8. C,
    So you believe the company unknowingly did this...it better be...

    I should have tried calling and explaining..will do it next time and see how they respond.

    ReplyDelete

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