Page 21 - Plastics News June - 2020

How the Corona virus Crisis Will Change Plastics Processing

There are many lessons to be learnt, Processors of all that converts plastic waste to pavement tiles, and has
shapes and sizes will need to think more strategically been trying to source plastic from the Authority but in
about their supply chain vain. “We have executed pavement building projects for
some corporates and the municipal corporations of
Since March we have been through testing times and at Hyderabad and Gurugram.” Saluja said.
times experiencing contrasting situations. On the one
hand, I'm regularly hearing stories and getting press Saluja has partnered with local scrap vendors, NGOs, as
releases about processors ramping up quickly to turn well as schools to collect their plastic waste. “We pay
lines that had been running conventional plastics about Rs 60 per kg for things like milk bags. Once the
products into very specific personal protection waste is collected, we segregate it manually,” he said.
equipment in the fight against the coronavirus
“There might many a reasons for unavailability for it was
pandemic. We have been hearing stories of molders
calling their machine builders and even mold makers to a fear psychosis during the pandemic and one wonders
run parts for them due to their own capacity restraints. did segregation of waste would have happened then”,
says Medha Tadpatrikar ,co –founder Rudra
On other hand when one visits a grocery shop one could Environmental Solution an organistion that is working
observe many essential perishables food and dairy across cities in Mumbai and Pune collecting plastics
products are in demands. Be it Bread, Milk packets, hand waste from residential premises as well . Restarting its
wash, shampoos and many more alike. One could activities with Unlock 1.0 Rudra have collected 0ver a 15
conclude from the shelf; that are either empty or are tons of plastics waste. Medha adds, “There is a need to
create greater awareness among
public against littering and I am
sure it works, for that's how we
have received over 1 ton of
plastics waste every day since
the unlock. During the lockdown
we have been guiding people
how they could collect all their
plastics; be it wrappers,
packets, bag, bottles, disinfect
it and not to throw it.”
But lessons must be learned first.
Processors of all shapes and sizes
will need to think more
strategically about their supply
chain. They will need to build in
redundancies. They will need to
put in place crisis-management
initiatives that have not only a
Plan B, but a Plan C and D. They
will need to rethink about
materials and spare-parts
half stocked in any store, that it's the (MLPs, Tetra, PET,) inventories. They will need to reconsider technologies
packaging that's in demand. To put it simply one could that are more common in plastics-processing operations
say, its lots of pallets, lots of stretch film. in other parts of the world, such as automation, lights-
However it seems clear that business is strong in medical out manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 tools such as remote
and packaging, and soft in other segments. Clearly these accessibility to processing machinery and predictive
are not robust times for anyone supplying the maintenance.
automotive or housing markets. And then processors need to be ready for when OEMs and
other customers make the inevitable, long-overdue
Plastics Upcycling is not easy either, though it should
have been ideal in these times considering the decision to reverse their complex and tenuous supply
increased use of SUP in the times of Pandemics. The case chains and bring more manufacturing back.
in the point is Paras Saluja, who runs an upcycling unit

June 2020 21 Plastics News