Page 32 - Plastics News March 2025
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS
natives, encouraging event organizers and the With increasing awareness about plastic pollu-
public to adopt sustainable practices. tion and its long-term consequences, the Kerala
High Court’s decision sets a precedent for other
This ruling reflects Kerala’s progressive stance states to follow. The focus now shifts to effective
on waste management, following previous initia- implementation and public cooperation in ensur-
tives such as plastic bans in markets and gov- ing a cleaner and more sustainable environment
ernment offices. Environmental advocates have for future generations.
welcomed the move, urging authorities to ex-
pand plastic-free policies across the state and Source: India Today
implement stricter penalties for violations.
Kerala High Court Bans Plastic Bottles at Weddings,
Calls for Stricter Waste Management
posed to seawater, it dissolves within hours, and
in soil, it completely degrades within 10 days.
This makes it a sustainable alternative to con-
ventional plastics, significantly reducing long-
term environmental damage.
Eco-Friendly and Climate-Conscious Innova-
tion
Beyond its rapid biodegradability, this plastic has
lastic pollution has long been one of the additional environmental benefits:
most pressing environmental challenges,
Pwith vast amounts of plastic waste ending ♦ Enhances Soil Fertility: Unlike traditional
up in the oceans, harming marine life, and dis- plastics that persist in soil for decades, this
rupting ecosystems. Now, scientists at Japan’s biodegradable variant transforms into or-
RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science have ganic matter when discarded, enriching the
developed a groundbreaking biodegradable soil and improving its carbon content.
plastic that dissolves in seawater within a few ♦ Reduces Carbon Emissions: Traditional plas-
hours, offering a potential solution to the global tics release carbon dioxide when they de-
plastic crisis. compose, contributing to climate change.
A Revolutionary Alternative to Traditional However, this new material does not emit
Plastics CO , making it a more sustainable choice.
2
♦ Fully Recyclable: The plastic can be repur-
Traditional plastics take hundreds of years to
break down, accumulating in oceans, landfills, posed multiple times, reducing reliance on
new plastic production and lowering overall
and ecosystems. They fragment into microplas-
tics, which enter the food chain, affecting both environmental impact.
wildlife and human health. In contrast, this newly Source: Trak.in
developed plastic has been designed to decom-
pose rapidly in marine environments. When ex-
32 PLASTICS NEWS March 2025
