Water bottlers vs bottle-makers : Toxic bottle Plastics alarm

Compulsory SLS certification for bottle materials :

by Rukshana Rizwie

The Government last week imposed tight quality controls on water bottle plastics but two industries - water bottlers and bottle-makers - seem to be tossing the blame between each other over the use of carcinogenic and fertility damaging plastics.

The money equation Plastic bottles are ubiquitous, but the cost of producing them varies, depending on the differences in the raw-material cost. The main type of plastic used, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is made from naphtha, an oil derivative, which can be partly substituted with ethane, a natural-gas derivative. Very little ethane is traded internationally, so that only the areas where natural gas is cheap and are abundant, use it to make PET. Because of its shale-gas boom, they now include America as well as the Middle East. Europe and Asia rely only on expensive naphtha. In these places the higher cost of fuel and electricity also push up the production cost of plastic bottles. (economist.com)

Last week, all bottled water companies were mandated by the law to ensure that the bottles bear the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLS) certification of the plastic used for the bottles. The regulatory move was meant to clamp down on unscrupulous traders using substandard plastic bottles. However, when the Sunday Observer combed the market many companies were yet to obtain the certification.

"We have asked for a grace period, so the polymer manufacturers from whom we purchase the bottles will be able to acquire the certification and incorporate the logo," said Anura Kumarasinghe, President of the Asia and Middle East Bottled Water Association. "It is not the companies that need to fall in line but the bottle manufacturers; we are being penalized for their standards."

Last month, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) under the direction of Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen announced that it would strictly enforce the SLS standards from September 1.

"Low quality PET bottles affect the quality of water in the bottles," Minister Bathiudeen said. "The CAA detected a number of brands using substandard Polymer/ Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. In 2014 and 2015, the CAA detected 26 brands with questionable bottle quality."

The SLS requirement was gazetted in 2015 through Gazette Extraordinary No. 1918/18 dated June 11, 2015, but has not been enforced until now. According to the gazette notice, all producers and distributors of bottled water will not be allowed to sell, store or display drinking water in bottles that do not bear the SLS certification.

Kumarasinghe, who is also the President of the Sri Lanka Water Bottle Association and Chairman of American Premium Water Systems told the Sunday Observer, that only a few polymer manufacturers had obtained the SLS certification as of this week.

"We have written to the CAA on behalf of the manufactures, asking for time. We held discussions and have reached an understanding, as the process requires some time,"he said.

Director Consumer Affairs and Information at the CAA, Chandrika Thilakaratne told the Sunday Observer that so far only six companies had obtained the SLS certification. "We held a meeting with SLS officials and were informed that many had applied and were awaiting certification."

But, she said, the law was in place and the CAA would conduct sporadic raids to check if the companies have complied. "Once the gazette notice is issued, it is legally binding. Informally, we cannot give grace periods. All manufacturers of bottled water have to comply with the law,"she said.

Kumarasinghe, on the other hand was concerned about the bottled water available in the market, at present, and said, it would not be possible to take them off the shelves as they were manufactured prior to this date. "Our concern is over the 19 litre container, which is a polycarbonate PET bottle that has been recycled over 50 times. We've asked for it to be exempted as there are many in circulation and it would not be pragmatic to label them all now," he opined.

Over the years, studies have shown that the plastic material used in bottled water made out of small molecules or monomers, together with their additives, can migrate into the fluids during packaging, manufacturing or storage. Plastic bottles contain chemicals which interfere with the hormones in the body - this includes bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates among others. Both these chemicals, if absorbed in to the body in any form, potentially cause various cancers and damage human fertility, among other dangerous side effects.

Different types of plastic are indicated by the number in the triangle of arrows at the bottom of the bottle. Bottlers generally use the type of plastic labelled '1', identified by the letters PET or PETE.

An official from the product certification department of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution told the Sunday Observer, it is now compulsory for water bottle manufacturers and distributors to ensure that the SLS mark is denoted on the label. "At first, it was an optional marking scheme, which only a few manufacturers chose to follow," he said. "It is unhealthy for consumers to consume water from such substandard bottles."

The senior officer said, during the last few weeks and months, several manufactures had applied for the certification and a few received it. "The certification pertains to the quality of the plastic and not the water, which is certified by the Health Ministry."

The official pointed out that since the Gazette notification was issued a year ago, both manufacturers and companies had ample time to apply for the certification before September 1 this year.

This year alone, SLS has conducted two training programs on quality assurance practices for the manufacturing of bottled water, with one more program due in October. The Sri Lanka Standards Institution observed, that the sale of bottled water has increased exponentially, in the country, as a result of public perception on the purity of water driven by advertisements and promotions.

According to the law, it is mandatory to obtain one of two registrations, namely, 'bottled drinking water' or 'bottled natural mineral water' issued by the Ministry of Health, in order to manufacture and market the product .

The SLSI also provides an additional independent certification scheme, now mandatory, for the two definitions of bottled water, namely, SLS 894 for 'bottled drinking water' and SLS 1038 for 'bottled natural mineral water'.

The official said, the Health Ministry works closely with the SLSI and has nominated the SLSI to carry out all audits and analyses (micro biological and chemical) of the source of water and the finished product, prior to the registration being issued to an applicant.

Type of chemicals present in bottled water

BPA – Bisphenol A or BPA is an estrogen-mimicking chemical linked to a host of serious health problems including:

Learning and behavioural problems

Altered immune system function
Early puberty in girls and fertility problems
Decreased sperm count
Prostate and breast cancer

Diabetes and obesity

If you are pregnant or nursing, your child is also at risk. If you are feeding your baby or toddler from a plastic bottle, switch to glass to avoid BPA contamination.

Phthalates - Phthalates are widely used in the United States to make plastics such as, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible. Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to a wide range of developmental and reproductive effects, including:

Reduced sperm counts

Testicular atrophy or structural abnormality
Liver cancer (Mercola.com)