Page 75 - Plastics News December 2019

FEAturEs

such policies at the state level will be difficult. The 70-80,000 MT of plastic packaging had been collected and
best solution is to have a uniform policy with the main recycled/co-processed. Rag-pickers / Urban Local Bodies
emphasis on segregation, collection mechanisms while (ULBs) / recyclers etc. were involved in the supply chain
strengthening the working of ULBS,” states Jain. UFlex and lots of awareness campaign were organised at various
manufactures multi-layer plastic, which is recyclable. “We levels. In future, if this will continue with more brand
are betting that increasing awareness about sustainability owner and producer with 100 per cent EPR, then one day,
will offer opportunities for growth and more and more we won’t have a single pouch of plastic litter on the road
consumer product companies will embrace green and we had such example in past.”
packaging. However, the real challenge that needs to be Most countries practise the system of collection-
addressed is not plastic but plastic waste management. segregation and recycling model when it comes to
Pillai opines, “We need to have an infrastructure for its Multilayer Packaging (MLP). MLP being light in nature,
proper segregation and collection of plastic waste. If we does not create an economic value creation, for a
start attaching an economic value to this plastic waste, manual collection and segregation system. Automatic
this waste can be turned into wealth. The government Municipal Waste Sorters hence are used to segregate
and industry need to come together to work on waste the garbage into organic waste and recyclables, by most
management such that rag-pickers get incentivised to sort developed countries, including China. The municipality
out waste and get that plastic waste to its right stream or the townships collect and deliver the garbage to the
for recycling or reprocessing.”The end-consumers should sorting companies. These companies against a receipt
also be made more aware about not littering and how to of a small payment then segregate the garbage and sell
segregate waste at their end. “Historically, we have seen the recyclables for meeting the day-to-day running and
that penalties bring about a change in human behaviour operating expenses. The fee paid to the sorting companies
even if it forced, so imposing fines on both sides of the comes from the EPR which is collected from the brand
equation, i.e. corporates and consumers help, should be owners/producers. This is a win-win business model
considered too,” added Pillai.
wherein the consumer bears the cost of a healthy living
India v/s countries abroad and a clean environment.
Countries abroad are also fighting with plastic menace. Dash informed, “ Some countries or their specific states
In the United States, less than 10 per cent of plastic is have different kinds of bans on plastic usage including the
recycled in the US and less than a fifth of all the plastic developed ones like the USA or Australia or the emerging
economies like Kenya or Zimbabwe. We can learn from
their adoption of innovative technologies that are capable
of replacing plastics.” It is often opined by experts that
poor segregation, collection and disposal mechanism
are the main reasons behind plastic menace in India.
However, lack of awareness and responsibilities among
the consumers and lack of efficient design of packaging
could also be added to the list. Pillai added that source
segregation itself is missing and all recyclables are mixed
with garbage before being sent to landfills. “As the plastics
are light in weight, it becomes difficult to encourage
the rag-pickers to pick them up from the land-fills. And
is recycled globally. However, various corporates and hence remain dumped. Support from the government is
non-profits are working rigorously in this area. Jain from required in terms of CAPEX participation for automatic
IPCA informed, “I think extended producer responsibility MSW sorters. These types of sorters are being used to
(EPR) is a good and doable example and companies are segregate plastics waste from households and municipal
acceptable to the concept of EPR. Many brand owners and garbage in many developed countries and it’s time we
producers are doing their EPR at the national level and on a take a cue from that.”
good scale. In the last two year, due to EPR, approximately
(Business World)

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77 December 2019 Plastics News