Page 18 - Plastics News March 2017

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Industry should make sustainable plastics for infrastructure

Effective use of plastics in railway can alter the economies of scale resulting in energy efficiency

s part of an effort to grow while preserving the
Afragile environment, industry should try and make
sustainableplastics for developing infrastructure, said
Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways, at a ‘Conference
on plastic processing’, organised by FICCI last week.
He underlined the need for developing sustainable
infrastructure and creating opportunities for moving to
the next level of a sustainable paradigm. Despite having
a good growth potential, the plastic processing industry
faces many challenges in terms of environmental myths,
lack of advanced technology, limited infrastructure
and high volatility in feedstock prices. To overcome
these challenges, according to Charu Kapoor, principal -
chemicals, Tata Strategic Management Group, significant sustainable products,” opined Prof Anil Wali, managing
efforts will have to be made by all the stakeholders to director, Foundation for Innovation and Technology
realise the real potential of this industry. Transfer, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Experts believe that plastics will play a major role in three Speaking on the use of PVCs (polyvinyl chloride), Ravi
areas - energy efficiency, protection & safety and resource Ahuja, GM - marketing, Chemplast Sanmar Ltd, said, “The
efficiency. “With a burgeoning population, efficient use government is focusing on infrastructure development
ofplastics can help in raising standards of living. However, and smart cities which would boost the demand for PVC.
there was a perception that plastics and chemicals were However, to meet the present demand, PVC is being
bad products. This needed to be corrected for encouraging imported and with increased demand in the years to come,
the widespread use of plastics,” commented Mukesh it was essential to augment the domestic supply.”
Malhotra, Co-Chairman, FICCI chemical committee & S B Dangayach, managing director, Sintex Industries Ltd,
country manager, Solvay Specilaities. said that as plastics were non-biodegradable, they become

According to Achal Thakkar, president, organization a choice for sustainable growth. But there was a need to
of Plastics Processors of India (oPPI) & managing carry out innovation in this sector, promote value-based
director, Tipco Industries Ltd, the benefits of plastics in marketing and go for solution-centric approach. Greater
infrastructure were well-known but there were three use of plastics in the construction of road, railway coaches
sectors - transportation, agriculture and clean air, water and infrastructure and scaling up of existing work could
& energy - whereplastics could play a fundamentally lead to sustainable development.
significant role. For instance, effective use of plastics in As economic growth gathers momentum, the application
railways can considerably alter the economies of scale of plastics is expected to increase manifold in future.
resulting in energy efficiency. Therefore, according to Dr Annapurna Vancheswaran,

However, to drive innovation in this sector, industry- senior director - sustainable development outreach, The
academia partnership is the key. “An open innovative Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), there is a need for
paradigm is needed where industry can engage with a behavioural change in people towards plastics and the
research channels and academia. The academia’s novel industry needs to look for ways to useplastics sustainably
ideas can be scaled up by the industry to develop as we move into the plastic-age.

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