Page 11 - Plastics News February 2018

unbreakable because of excellent impact strength and Also, cost increases in countries like Japan, Taiwan, Korea
hence there is no risk of water contamination owing and Thailand are pushing manufacturers to India. This is
to leakages and breakages which are common in pipes especially so in the case of automotive, IT and appliance
made out of other materials. Another example is the sectors. In fact many producers have relocated their
new explosion proof, translucent, rust proof and production of plastic components to India with a focus on
lightweight LPG Cylinders being introduced across global distribution. “Lowest Cost to Produce”, continues to
the country.Even if we were to look at the not-so- be the prime agenda and India is well equipped to offer this
distant applications and just consider two main end- advantage. Moreover, with a huge domestic market, India
use sectors – packaging and healthcare, plastics are provides multiple opportunities for product and business
making strong meritorious inroads. model innovation, both, while offering robust IP safeguards.
They enable us to preserve food without refrigeration. Need to be Sustainable & Regenerative
New plastic packaging can store and preserve milk
at room temperature for over 30 days. Similarly, However, a lack of a collective and systematic recycling
other dairy products, processed food, sea food, fruits of post-consumer plastics is becoming a big issue. An
and vegetables can now be packed and preserved estimated two-thirds of all the plastic produced annually
under normal conditions. Nanotechnology is being across the world ends up in a landfill or is disposed-off in
increasingly used to improve barrier properties of an unplanned manner. Here, the plastics’ best property
plastic wrappings for food, and plastic bottles for – that they can weather the forces of nature – turns into
soft drinks and juices. As regards healthcare, plastics a curse. As it won’t degrade naturally, a plastic simply
are used in external applications as well as implants accumulates and becomes a pollutant, affecting the
to assist, prolong or augment human functions - with entire ecosystem – Deep oceans to urban infrastructure.
artificial limbs, blood bags, stents, bionics among Already, multiple regulations have been enacted across
others. countries to curtail the environmental ill-effects of
Going forward, Fibre Reinforced Plastic Composites plastics. In India production of plastic carry bags with less
will empower innovations across industries than 50mm thickness has been banned. New plastic waste
with applications in futuristic market segments management rules prescribe phasing out non-recyclable
like aerospace, mass transport systems, space multi-layered plastic in near future. Government of
technology, oil & gas, automotive, renewable Maharashtra is pursuing an objective to be plastics
energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, marine, free by April 2018.With the menace of un-recycled
military, and sports & recreation. Composites will plastics growing, the industry runs the risk of more
help strengthening the world around us and enable stringent regulations and consumer backlash. For this,
innovations hitherto deemed difficult. Numerous proactive steps are needed towards creating a ‘circular
application of composites are of high strategic economy’ for plastics. This will necessitate investments
relevance to India – aerospace, metro rails, defense, to be stepped up across the entire ecosystem, including
automotive, gas cylinders and infrastructure. Size of collection, sorting, cleaning, processing and reuse of
the India’ market for composites is around ~ USD 1.6 plastics. Governments will need to pass enabling policies
B in materials and ~ USD 3.5 B in end-market. Focus and citizens will need to be motivated to comply with
on ‘Make-In-India’ campaign is likely to increase the best practices of plastic disposal.Similarly, we will need
rate of growth beyond the current 15% pa. innovation to make this process economically feasible.
2. Market Development: Our domestic industry has To Conclude : The story of Polymers & Plastics is about
long been a converter of plastics. While, most of enabling the existence of human life at great scale.
the products are aimed at the domestic market, Polymers will continue to help produce greater quantities
this is now changing in a significant way. Exports of of more stable food, protect against disease and injury,
plastic products to high-value, emerging markets reap the benefits of modern medicine, and break the
will contribute significantly to the development of physical limitations of the human body.
our industry. Already, there are many processors who Advances in polymer chemistry, if managed
have witnessed organic growth mainly by expanding responsibly, will enable a healthier, safer, and longer
its customer base outside the boundaries of India. life – and we at Reliance are truly honored to be
In certain sectors like FIBC bags, exports actually able to contribute to these amazing applications,
constitute more than 90% of the entire industry and in turn play a vital role in India’s growth story.
output.

11 Feb ruar y 2018 Plastics News