The advent of sachet (or “pure”) water in Nigeria in the 1990s came with several advantages. It was cheaper especially for the low and middle income class which make up about 63% of the total population and also provided employment for a lot of Nigerian youth. About 50- 60 million sachet water is consumed daily, majority of which end up in landfills.

The sachet itself is made of polyethylene, a polymer of ethene, which is one of the most widely used plastics in the world.  It is not easily biodegradable although once degraded, can give birth to new materials and products. Recycling of sachets and disposal is supposed to be managed by the local government and waste management agencies but due to poor technological advancement and corruption, they have been left uncared for.

Many years down the line, the disadvantages are now glaring with the most important being pollution. Several times I’ve seen people throw these sachets out their car windows or throw them in gutters as they walk by. These thermoplastics end up blocking waterways leading to excessive flooding during the rainy season. They also cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and diarrhea, occupy ample amount of space in landfills and death of aquatic life because fish and marine animals ingest them.

So, what are the possible solutions?

If government decides to ban sachet water, it will lead to rise in plastic pollution because people will shift to bottled water. It could also cause dehydration in the low income class who might not afford bottled water. Hence, we can recycle the sachets. A report published by the International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Applications broke down recycling process of the sachets into four: heating, melting, cooling and solidification. The end product is super wax which can be used to manufacture candles, cosmetics and matches. But of course, this process can only be accomplished at an industrial level, and will require skilled manpower and incur considerable costs.

Alternatively, we can use water dispensers with refillable bottles. We can also refill our personal water bottles using the dispensers instead of buying bottled water.

Let’s end the menace of plastic pollution today!

References

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216445918_Laboratory_Conversion_of_Used_Water_Sachet_Polyethylene_to_Superwax_Gloss_Like_Material

https://omnexus.specialchem.com/selection-guide/polyethylene-plastic#:~:text=Polyethylene%20is%20a%20lightweight%2C%20durable,plastic%20parts%2C%20laminates%2C%20etc.

https://www.vuma.earth/petitions/stop-single-use-plastic-sachet-water-producers-from-littering-the-environment

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F280325412_Menace_of_Sachet_Water_Waste_in_Benin_City_Nigeria&psig=AOvVaw1ICn94dnKIWbPiPwH0l0d0&ust=1600710064048000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLC3-56P-esCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bebedoro.JPG