Page 26 - Plastics News December 2017

FEATURES

Is bio-degradable plastic an option?

Rather than to address Litter-a problem having negative social and environmental impact the government
is working hard to ban Plastics whereas some people believe that one way to tackle this problem is to use
biodegradable plastics. Will it work in India..

ven as the state government plans a complete ban on manufacturers and mineral water firms to set up recycling
Eplastic bags from March 2018, environmentalists have plants for bottles, without which they have to down their
said it (decision) was impractical and would be difficult to shutters. The companies were asked to comply with the
monitor. According to officials from the state Environment plastic waste management rules, according to which they
Department, all plastic bags, irrespective of thickness, are required to recycle plastic bottles. However, none of
will be banned. Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said, the units have recycling facilities.
“Plastic bags will be completely banned. Four teams will
So then do we have any other options available. A few
countries have explored biodegradable plastics as an
alternative to regular plastic, but it requires firm resolve
and enormous investment if it has to become a viable
option for mass packaging in India.

As many of us know that there are many a types of
biodegradable plastic, of which the oxo-biodegradable
variety is used in the US, Germany and Africa` But it
requires a set of ideal climatic conditions, including
sunlight and oxygen, which is very difficult to achieve.
Starch and potato-based biodegradable plastic is very
costly. It starts disintegrating in three months. The third,
a new discovery, is degradable additives, which very few
companies make.
Consumers fear the plan to phase out plastic will disrupt
their daily lives. "It would be better to implement existing
rules. Maharashtra had banned plastic bags less than
50 microns thick years ago yet these are still sold in
neighbourhood markets. They continue to clog the drains.
Why not ensure safe disposal of garbage first?" says Shankar
Iyer, a resident of Kandivli (east).

An attempt has been made to ban plastic in the past but
failed. If not plastic, what else? Paper is not a viable
be visiting Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka to packaging solution as it requires you to cut many more
review the implementation, alternatives, legal framework trees. Citizens must be given a functional alternative.
and the reasons behind the ineffectiveness of plastic
bans. We will have all the perspectives on the issue and Experts say biodegradable plastic may not be an answer
will be in a better position to decide the alternatives and in our state, at least for now. "Biodegradable plastic
effective implementation.” requires specific micro-organisms to degrade. With such
massive amounts of littering, it will not work. The facilities
Effective waste management is the need of the hour as to collect waste and take it to a composting area with
government has failed in implementing the ban on plastic
bags below 50 microns. More than plastic bags, littering, favourable conditions for it to degrade are inadequate,"
said RN Jagtap, head of department, Institute of Chemical
collection and recycling of plastics bags are the problems. Technology. Lets us understand some facts
The Maharashtra government has asked plastic bottle

Plastics News December 2017 26