Plastic Misconceptions

Introduction

These days when somebody says plastic the first that comes to your mind is environment and this is true many times for the vice versa too. But we still continue to use plastic and most of continue to be misguided by misconceptions so my EVS project was to clear some of these misconceptions about plastic. This was done by means of a visual workshop where I made the following points

Point

And cloth bags are better alternatives than plastic bags

Counter Point

·      If plastic bags/packaging is replaced with traditional materials like paper,cloth,jute,metal,etc., it would lead to a major penalty on the economic system.

·      Phenomenal increase would be affected in increase of

Weightof packaging   -300% increase

Volume of waste         -160% increase

Energy Requirement   -110% increase

Cost of Packaging         -210% increase

Hence, there are no eco-viable alternatives to plastic in modern society.

Point

Paper and cloth bags are better alternatives than the plastic bags

Counter point

Paper is not eco-friendly

We need to need to remind ourselves that making of paper and products consumes a lot of chemicals and requires a large amount of water and effluent problems are severe. Besides paper, unless coated with polymeric materials(or wax), cannot withstand wet conditions which are widely prevalent in India, particularly in the monsoon season. Paper making also consumes a lot of energy. In the Indian context the most serious problem is the availability of pulp. Environmental degradation has unquestionably occurred due to pulp manufacturing activities as commercial forestry, on large scale, is still a taboo.

Padmabhushan Prof. M.M. Sharma(FRS)

Point

Paper and cloth bags are better alternatives than the plastic bags

Counter point

How eco-friendly is paper?

·       Globally 5^th largest consumer of energy

   10% of all industry Energy consumption

   4% of World Energy Consumption

                 

·       One of the Largest Users of Water

·       1 m of Paper(7000-8000 copies of News paper) 10 to 17 trees needed.

·       Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely; Maximum 4 Times

·       Recycling is also energy intensive and requires chemicals for bleaching/deinking.

·       Rated Medium in Biodegradability with Associated Hazards like leachates.

Paper imposes heavy burden on environment. If we do not ban paper, why ban plastics?

Source: the World Resources Foundation, UK

Point

Paper and cloth bags are better alternatives than the plastic bags

Counter point

·       The smaller volume of plastic bags can help conserve landfill space

·       Nothing degrade fast enough to extend the useful lives of modern US landfills ………. Not paper, not plastics, nothing.

·       30 % less material is used to produce today’s plastic bags than the bags made just 5 years ago.

·       Compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags:

   Consumes 40% less energy than paper (1.34 million MJ Vs 0.58nmillion MJ for 1 million bags)

   Generate 80% less solid waste

   Produce 70% fewer atmospheric emissions.

   Release upto 94% fewer waterborne wastes.

Source: Dr. William Rathje, University of Arizona Garbage Project, USA/German federal office

Point

Paper and cloth bags are better alternatives than the plastic bags

Counter point

How eco-friendly is cotton?

Growing Cotton

·        One of the Most Chemical intensive Crops

·        Contaminants->>>>>>>>>>àIntensive use of soil fertilizers and Pesticides

Processing Cotton

·        Bleaching->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>àContaminated Effluents

·        Dyeing->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>àSynthetic dyes not biodegradable, Biodiabolic

·        Mercerising->>>>>>>>>>>>>>à40% remains as waste

·        Anti-felt Finishing->>>>>>>>>àHeavy metals Cr,Cu,Cd

·        Water proofing ->>>>>>>>>>>àEnters the food chain

·        Water proofing->>>>>>>>>>>àReleased by clothing when worn

·        Silk weighing->>>>>>>>>>>>>àReleased by clothing when worn

    Auxiliary agents ->>>>àAbsorbed by skin

    Washing for reuse->>àDetergents, Solvents

When you wear cotton, you also wear Toxins.

                                                          

Point

Ragpickers find thin gauge plastic bags unviable to collect causing problems in disposal

Counter Point

·        Along with the Ministry of Environment and Forests(MoEF) industry has taken initiative on the following:

    Increase the thickness of virgin carry bags to minimum thickness of 20 microns(vs 5 microns at present)

    Increase the thickness of recycled carry bags to minimum thickness of 25 microns.

·        Increased thickness/ weight will provide adequate economic incentives to ragpickers to pickup waste bags and channel them into the recycling chain which is well established.

Plastic bags are already recycled into useful products like films and mats.

POINT

PLASTIC BAGS HAVE NO REUSE

COUNTER POINT

·     The thick gauge bags are retained by  consumers  for multiple secondary usage over extended period of time.

·     Thereafter they are collected and recycled into very useful products like

 the barsati film,nursery bags,etc.

FOR  VERY THIN BAGS ,INDUSTRY HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED INCREASING THE MINIMUM THICKNESS TO MAKE REUSE AND  RECYCLING VIABLE.

POINT

PLASTIC  BAGS ARE MANUFACTURED BY 10000 UNREGISTERED UNITS

COUNTER POINT

·       Virgin plastic bags are manufactured by high quality organized units whose quality products are also exported to develop countries like Germany and  USA.

·       Recycled jhabla bag manufactures are in tiny, cottage small and unorganized sector.

·       There is a need of government /MOEF/.local authorities to provide adequate infrastructure like recycling zone and parks with common effluent treatment facilities.

·       Industry is commited to upgrade technology  for better products & working conditions  through ICPE .

·      LET US SUPPORT INDUSTRY &ENTERPRISE.LET US NOT KILL IT BY MISCONCEIVED IDEAS.

POINT

PLASTIC BAGS CHOKE DRAINS IN MONSOON RESULTING IN FLOODS.

COUNTER POINT

·      The root cause is dumping of all types of waste by public into open sewers and drains.

·      Plastic bags form a miniscule % of the dumped waste.other objects like waste tyres and rubber products, discarded footwear,metal cans,bricks,mortar and garbage have been found dumped in drains &sewers leading to chokage.

THE SOLUTION LIES IN PROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT &TIMELY CLEANING OF SEWERS AND DRAINS

BEFORE MONSOONS.

POINT

PLASTIC/PLASTIC BAGS CAUSE LITTER

COUNTER POINT

·      Ultra thin carry bags are exported from India to Germany/other countries but these are not found littered on streets due to good civic sense and supportive waste management systems.

·      Most countries have adopted two bin culture segregating dry and wet garbage.

·      Plastics industry in India has been pleading with local governments for proper segregation system and provision of bins.

·      Government should consider harsh penalties and detterants for littering

INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEM SUPPORT IS A MUST FOR PROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT.REMEMBER,PLASTICS DO NOT LITTER BUT PEOPLE DO.

POINT

Industry has not taken any initiatives on recycling and waste management.

Counter point

·     Conducted national and state level seminars &workshops and meet with public NGOs .Industry is commited to continuing education awareness and multimedia communication program.

·     Industry has already formed  INDIAN CENTRE FOR PLASTIC IN THE ENVIRONMENT (ICPE), an autonomous national bodies registered under societies act with a capital of 2 crores to handle all issue related to plastics and environment in the country.

PLASTIC INDUSTRY IS A RESPONSIBLE AND

  CARING INDUSTRY