4 ms·

This business of single use stuff is seen as a symbol of progress in many 3rd world countries. Many restaurants offer bottled water and sachets of condiments ra

This business of single use stuff is seen as a symbol of progress in many 3rd world countries. Many restaurants offer bottled water and sachets of condiments rather than taking them out of a container. Many shops offer paper bags that are very flimsy but "biodegradable". I imagine that given the production costs of the paper, it's an overall loss. Heavy consumerism does help the economy grow doesn't it? Which probably means that the incentives are misaligned and this whole mess is just going to increase.

rootusrootus 7y ago
In developing countries, the bottled water is also about sanitation. When I go to India, I am very careful to never let tap water or anything that might be tap water near my mouth. That means lots and lots of bottled water, sealed until it gets to my hands. And I still get sick periodically. :/
- noufalibrahim 7y ago
  This is a valid concern if you're a foreigner. Two counterpoints though if you're Indian 1. This is not much of a concern if you're Indian. I regularly drink from restaurants and other places when I travel and I don't get sick. 2. I carry a bottle which I fill regularly when I eat and use that instead of buying bottles.
  - rootusrootus 7y ago
    My Indian experience is quite limited (I almost never go anywhere but Hyderabad), but I was under the impression that locals mostly don't drink the water either? Something like 20% do, if I remember correctly (which is questionable). Certainly none of the developers in our office there admit to it. For whatever that's worth, which ain't much. The limited research I've seen from Indian sources suggests that, at least in Hyderabad, it remains a problem. Some of the contamination is related to human feces, but some of it is non-biological and probably not something you can really develop a tolerance for. May not make you immediately ill, but not something to drink if you don't have to.
  - talonx 7y ago
    The place you drink at also matters. Some restaurants, even small places, keep packaged water cans and serve water from there these days.

rootusrootus 7y ago

In developing countries, the bottled water is also about sanitation. When I go to India, I am very careful to never let tap water or anything that might be tap water near my mouth. That means lots and lots of bottled water, sealed until it gets to my hands. And I still get sick periodically. :/

noufalibrahim 7y ago
This is a valid concern if you're a foreigner. Two counterpoints though if you're Indian 1. This is not much of a concern if you're Indian. I regularly drink from restaurants and other places when I travel and I don't get sick. 2. I carry a bottle which I fill regularly when I eat and use that instead of buying bottles.
- rootusrootus 7y ago
  My Indian experience is quite limited (I almost never go anywhere but Hyderabad), but I was under the impression that locals mostly don't drink the water either? Something like 20% do, if I remember correctly (which is questionable). Certainly none of the developers in our office there admit to it. For whatever that's worth, which ain't much. The limited research I've seen from Indian sources suggests that, at least in Hyderabad, it remains a problem. Some of the contamination is related to human feces, but some of it is non-biological and probably not something you can really develop a tolerance for. May not make you immediately ill, but not something to drink if you don't have to.
- talonx 7y ago
  The place you drink at also matters. Some restaurants, even small places, keep packaged water cans and serve water from there these days.