Plastic

Say No! - to Plastic Bags

By

V.KRISHNA MOORTHY

WHAT ARE PLASTICS?

Plastics are synthetic substances produced by chemical reactions. Almost all plastics are made from petroleum, except a few experimental resins derived from corn and other organic substances.

"Plastics" derived their name from their properties to be molded, cast, extruded or processed into a variety of forms, including solid objects, films and filaments. These properties arise from their molecular structure. Plastics are polymers, very long chain molecules that consist of subunits (monomers) linked together by chemical bonds. The monomers of petrochemical plastics are inorganic materials (such as styrene) and are not biodegradable.

Plastic has many properties which has made it a raw material of choice for Manufactures of plastic Bags and packing materials. Cost of production, light

weight, strength, easy process of manufacture, and availability are few of the properties. There is nothing wrong with plastic as a material. Man has simply not put the plastic to the right use/ or using it without taking proper care of other related norms of usage.

PLASTIC AS PACKING MATERIAL

Plastic has replaced the traditional material ( paper/cloth etc) as packing and carry bags because of cost and convenience which is possibly a wrong choice of material for such use. Even though plastic bags can preserve food and can be used for growing vegetables in a controlled environment, their method of disposal has creates unprecedented pollution problem.

Plastic has many more uses other than Plastic Bags and Packing material. It is used for manufacturing of protective covers and parts for many machines, which should be the preferred utility for plastic.

SHOPPING CULTURE IN EARLIER DAYS ( Pre Plastic age 1970 + )

Before the advent of poly-bags, people did shop, buy things, bring eatables from the market, and did the same marketing as is done now. How did they did it? The raw material for the bag was decided by its usage. Cloth bags for lighter items, Gunny bags/Jute bags for voluminous and heavier goods. The cost did not justify use and discard attitude. These bags were washable and reusable lasting for six months to a year.

PLASTIC HAZARDS

The hazards plastics pose are numerous. The land gets littered by plastic bag garbage presenting an ugly and unhygienic seen. The "Throw away culture" results in these bags finding their way in to the city drainage system, the resulting blockage cases inconvenience, difficult in maintaining the drainage with increased cost, creates unhygienic environment resulting in health hazard and spreading of water borne diseases. This littering also reduces rate of rain water percolating, resulting in lowering of already low water levels in our cities. The soil fertility deteriorates as the plastic bags form part of manure remain in the soil for years.

It has been observed that the animals eating the bags sometimes die. Plastic goes into the ocean which is already a plastic infested body of water. Fish and other marine species in the water ways, misunderstanding plastic garbage as food items swallow them and die.

SHOULD PLASTIC BE TOTALLY BANNED?

Many household utility items like needle, scissors, blades can heart if not handled properly. Children need to be trained in their proper handling. These utility items are not banned. But because of throw away culture and no objection from passer by, the advise on sensible disposal of plastic bags are not heeded by general public forcing the government to consider banning of plastic bags all together.

"Should plastic carry bags and bottles be banned in totality?" - is a heated issue today. Average Indian uses one kilogram (kg) of plastics per year, the world annual average is a alarming 18 kg. But too many do it as our cities have huge population. The country yet to take a serious view of the issue and have a uniform nation-wide law for indiscreet disposals of plastic bags. People should be educated on the proper ways of plastic bag usage and the disposal. The teaching should start right from the primary schools.

"Plastic is an eco-friendly material. The real problem is littering", some claim. But there is hardly anybody who agrees with such viewpoint.

Thinking rationally, the whole idea of educating people about plastic bags, although very ambitious, and it is as difficult as banning smoking The conventional older and tested alternatives offers an easy, if not fully equitable and practical solution.

And all the hype that poly-bags pollute is not totally false. It is not that poly-bags are responsible for the ills, of course not, it is the humans. It is ignorance ( or who cares attitude). We have not banned sewing needles they pierce through the skin. It's a stupid idea. Whether it is the common citizen, the government official or the hard-hit plastic bag manufacturer, all of them agree on one point - firm steps are required to be taken against littering of plastic bags and bottles all around.

THE GLOBAL DIMENSION

More than a 100 million tonnes of plastic is produced world-wide each year. Though plastics have opened the way for a plethora of new inventions and devices it has also ended up clogging the drains and becoming a health hazard. Many countries, including India, are trying to increase the amount of plastic that is recycled. But commercial interests create hindrance for effective legislation to remove plastics from goods where they can threaten public health. Also there is a clear trend of shipping off the plastic waste of developed countries to under developed and developing countries. India imported 7,841.8 metric tonnes of plastic waste from the US in the first half of 1994. India is the fourth highest Asian importer of plastic waste behind Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia.

FUTURE ALTERNATIVE - ECO-FRIENDLY PLASTICS

However newer technology is also being developed in this regard. This entails the use of DEGRADABLE PLASTICS. The principal is to incorporate into the plastic some chemical that is photodegradable/biodegradable or chemically treatable.

By adding starch, biodegradable plastics are generally made. On burial such plastics are attacked by bacteria feeding on starch, which breaks these down into tiny particles that disappear harmlessly into the soil. Some common examples of biodegradable plastics are the use of "non-removable" suture materials in surgery or capsules for drugs, which dissolve slowly in body fluids.

Chemically degradable plastics can be broken up by spraying them with a solution that causes them to dissolve. For example such material can be used as a protective wax covering for new cars, that washes off at the dealer's garage by a specially formulated spray. This spray reacts with one of the components of the plastic and causes it to dissolve into harmless materials which can be flushed down the drain.

Photo-degradable plastics contain chemicals that slowly disintegrate when exposed to light. In France, strips of photo-degradable plastic about 3 ft (1mtr) wide are used to retain heat in the soil and produce early crops. They last for about 1 to 3 years before rotting into the soil. But they have to be used in places with consistent amount of sunshine so that they decay at a predictable rate. In the USA, about one quarter of the plastic yokes that link beer cans in a six pack are made of plastic called Ecolyte, which is photo-degradable. But to stop them decaying too early, they must be stored away from direct sunlight, which can be of some inconvenience to the retailer.

However degradable plastic can have a few other problems. For example, it cannot be recycled because there is no easy way to measure it's remaining life span. The biggest drawback is the cost of it's production. Japanese scientists however claim that they will soon be able to produce much cheaper multipurpose biodegradable plastic. In order to obviate the disposal problems and to prevent

Environmental pollution caused by routinely used polythene packaging materials, it would be prudent , for the present, to use eco-friendly paper packaging. The manufacturers of plastic packaging like soft drink bottles/mineral water bottles etc must come forward and develop appropriate methods of disposal/own responsibility for disposal.

A ban on plastic bags (below 20 microns) has already been imposed by various states and also in a few towns and districts in India. It is going to extend this to other parts of the country also.

Plastic bags are so light and strong that they can carry normal weight, cheap and is used in all types of shops in our daily life. For example: bakeries, medical shops, grocery stores, hotels, etc. People are so accustomed to it, that they find it very difficult to part with it. Plastic bags have made it possible for people to go without bags to market or work place as these bags are availably for asking and can be thrown without a second thought.

People who go on picnics, visiting historic places, hill stations etc., to enjoy their holidays or just for a change carry with them eatables in containers, plastic bags, mineral water bottles (plastic), plastic plates and plastic cups and generally leave it in the open air after consuming the contents. One can find this in tourist centres scattered all over. Road-side vendors also use plastic cups to serve coffee or tea. The customers throw these cups on foot paths or near drains after consuming the contents.

These plastic materials are so light that they are carried away by the speed of the moving vehicle, wind etc., scattered all over, making the surroundings look ugly. There are instances wherein these materials have clogged the underground drains. People are in the habit of throwing things they don't need wherever they like irrespective of the final result. People should be specially educated regarding the use of plastic in our daily life, as it is environment unfriendly. Boys and girls, men and women with bags on their backs and a stick in one hand walking long distances, picking up plastic waste, paper, bottles etc., from dust bins, road sides, is a common sight in Bangalore. These rag pickers sell the waste collected, to the collection centre to earn their livelihood. These materials are recycled. Bangalorians must be grateful to them, as they dispose off a part of non-degradable waste material, 'plastic', in particular. The BMP has given on contract basis, the cleaning of roads in residential areas and other parts of the city.

The waste materials collected are of all types including plastic materials, such as plastic bags, plastic cups, plastic bottles etc. Instead of carrying these wastes away, they are burnt on the road side polluting the area with thick smoke which produce toxic gases (because of burning of plastic material) posing a health hazard. Inhaling of such gases causes lung diseases and even cancer. They resort to burning of waste material with the main intention of reducing the number of trips a lorry has to take. Burning of waste material in public is a serious offence and violation of Corporation bylaws.

This should be properly monitored by the Health Department of the BMP and immediate action taken on violators. Arrangements must be made to segregate recycling items such as plastic, paper, glass etc. Leaves and other degradable waste can be converted into manure. While traveling in trains, we generally find coffee and tea being served in plastic cups (use and throw) which the traveling public after consuming it throw them away in village fields and field channels on the way. There is the likelihood of this collecting near the outlet of the channel obstructing the free flow of water into the fields. Plastic being non-degradable, when buried under the ground, arrest the percolation of water into the ground. Animals grazing in the field consuming this plastic waste along with grass cannot be ruled out. Now-a-days, in almost all functions, it has become a practice to use thin plastic sheets to cover the dining tables to give it a good look and also so that it is easy to clean the table, as left over can be removed by rolling the sheet at a stretch. These are thrown near the dust bin.

Besides this, thin plastic cups are also used for drinking water, which also finds a place in the dust bin. One can find near the dust bin, waiting slum children, crows, stray cows, dogs to share the leftovers. In this process, they fight amongst themselves and stray cows in majority of cases have consumed thin plastic sheets along with left over, leading to untold sufferings and also found dead on many occasions. It is therefore, suggested that a ban be placed on the use of plastic sheets, plastic cups, along with plastic bags. Plastic industries manufacturing plastic bags (below 20 microns) thin sheets, thin cups and thin bottles, should be informed about its ill-effects on the environment and advised not to manufacture such items.

If the industry is located in a residential area, action should be taken to shift it immediately. The factory management should take all measures to control the pollution created, within the stipulated norms by the KSPB and the pollution board should monitor it regularly. The public should be educated regarding littering dumping and unnecessary burning of wastes. The Health Department of the BMP, municipalities of cities and towns, Karnataka Pollution Board has a greater role to play in making Karnataka eco-friendly and a place to live in safely for the future generation.

THE SOLUTION

The solution lies in finding

1. alternative suitable for making Bags and packing material at competitive rate and convenience without having any negative aspect.
2. R&d to make plastic more environment friendly.
3. Educate users to the right disposal methods.
4. Reduce the no of users by reducing the population in the long run.
5. Process vegetable. etc to higher density so as to reduce the no of bags required to pack and carry. 6. Encourage reusable bags from traditional materials by suitable advertisements to make it fashionable. ( this may be the overwhelming factor in favour of traditional material). ( Ladies use bags made of snake skin/ rabbit skin/lion skin etc only for fashion and looks )
7. Cost of mfg bags with traditional material can be subsidized by printing advertisement on the bags.

In recent times due to widespread awareness drive by NGOS and government and to lesser extent by educational institutions has resulted in increasing the consciousness among few shopkeepers they have shifted back to the old system of wrapping up goods in paper bags or newspapers, Some people are slowly getting habituated to going to the market with cloth bags. Besides a few NGOs, even school students have come forward to take up a promotion campaign for the use of paper or cloth bags.

It has also been suggested "Rather than spending money on anti-plastic campaign, the authorities should gear up its machinery for effective waste management and disposal of plastic".

Unfortunately, many states do not have units to recycle the plastic while the plastic manufacturers are not prepared to take it up as a social responsibility.

The plastics industry is jumping on the "green" bandwagon with a new line of "environmentally safe" products. In reality, these products are no friend of the environment.

Each year, as industry produces more and more nonessential products individually and excessively packaged, we throw away more and more trash. To a large extent, our garbage problem is a result of a corporate ethic that puts profits before people -- and the environment. Industry is pushing disposability because it pays. Plastic razors can only be used a few times before disposal, then more must be bought, making the plastic and razor industries rich and happy. Appliances designed to become obsolete guarantee you'll have to buy new ones next year.

Over 84 percent (by weight) of municipal solid waste could be reused, recycled or composted instead of being buried or burned. An exception is plastic, which comprises about 7 percent by weight or 20 percent by volume of municipal solid waste. Due to technical and financial limitations, less than ten percent of plastic is currently "recycled." Furthermore, "plastic recycling" only defers the plastic disposal problem, since most plastic items can only be manufactured from virgin plastic. Recycled polystyrene foam (also known by the brand name Styrofoam) can be used to build marine docks but not to make a new polystyrene foam cup. New plastic will have to be produced from non-renewable oil stocks to make those cups, and eventually all the plastic will have to be disposed of.

The Plastic Panacea

In 1989, the U.S. used over twelve billion pounds of plastic for packaging designed to be thrown away as soon as the package is opened. In the 1990s, this figure doubled. Fortunately, more and more people are becoming aware of the damage plastic does to the environment. They are speaking out against it, protesting irresponsible industries and getting laws passed banning polystyrene and other plastics.

However, the plastic itself, which generally comprises over 90 percent of the material, is not biodegradable. Although so-called "biodegradable" plastic products typically contain chemicals that help them fragment, the additives do not render the plastic biodegradable.

The second technique is simply bad science. Manufacturers conclude from poorly designed tests that the actual plastic in a "degradable" plastic product is converted to fragments that can be consumed by microorganisms. Having examined data from actual tests of biodegradability, we only find evidence that plastics are not fully metabolized by microorganisms. Therefore they are not legitimately entitled to the term "biodegradable" and may leave behind harmful fragments of plastic and plastic additives.

Plastic Production: Environmental Nightmare

While the plastic industry promotes its new "environmentally friendly" products, they deliberately ignore the highly toxic nature of plastic production, whether the product is called "degradable," "recyclable" or any other "green marketing" catchword.

Among the 47 chemical plants ranked highest in carcinogenic emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 35 are involved in plastic production. Certain plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used for indoor and outdoor plumbing, electrical cables and countless other products, are potential sources of highly toxic dioxins when burned in municipal incinerators or in accidental fires. Polystyrene foam products are often made with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), both of which are ozone-destroying chemicals.

In sum, there is no good evidence that "degradable" plastics actually eliminate the environmental hazards associated with ordinary plastics. But there is good evidence that the real purpose of marketing these products is not so much environmental improvement as it is to cash in on the American public's desire for environmental improvement.

"[Degradable bags] are not the answer to landfill crowding or littering . . . Degradability is just a marketing tool. We're talking out of both sides of our mouths because we want to sell bags. I don't think the average consumer even knows what degradability means. Customers don't care if it even solves the solid-waste problem. It makes them feel good." -- Mobil Chemical Company spokesperson.

Educated choices by both producers and consumers, followed by efficient recycling, can drastically reduce worldwide pollution. Right now we are recycling only one percent nationwide, although some communities do far better than that, recycling 50 percent or more of their solid waste. Every year, we throw out enough aluminum to quadruple the size of our air fleet, enough steel to literally rebuild Manhattan and enough wood and paper to heat 5 million homes for 200 years.

With current technology we can recycle newspaper, office paper, cardboard, glass bottles, aluminum cans, scrap metals, large appliances, automobile tires and motor oil.

Paper bags: expensive but biodegradable

A CASE STUDY -

POLYTHENE BABA: BABA WHO MAKES PLASTICS DISAPPEAR !!

Prabhat K Upreti, a college, lecturer lovingly called the "polythene baba" after his successful campaign against polythene bags in the Pithoragarh valley in Uttar Pradesh. Prabhat K Upreti, along with seven other residents of Pithoragarh have proved that where there is a will there is a way, even without the help from the local administration. They have also shown that sustainable campaigns can be successful even with meager funds.

Pithoragarh is around 215 kilometres from Kathgodam. When Upreti, a lecturer, was transferred to the Government Post Graduate College in Pithoragarh, he found that the Chandrabhaga river, which flows nearby, was clogged with plastic bags. Upreti then approached the municipal corporation but it did not respond.

Therefore, he decided to take help from the local people and slowly started cleaning drive which gained momentum with time. His colleagues as well as people from all walks of life teachers, journalists, ex-army officers, doctors, shopkeepers and school children all joined his drive against the menace of plastic bags. After a report on Upretis campaign was published in Amar Ujala, a local newspaper, and its internet edition he received numerous letters and phone calls supporting the campaign.

"We targeted the shopkeepers first, especially the wholesalers of plastic bags," says C S Negi, one of the members of Upreti's anti-plastic campaign group. The wholesalers understanding the gravity of the problem stopped supplying plastic bags in Pithoragarh.

"Every Sunday we would go to various residential areas and pick up plastic bags from the roads and clear clogged drains with our own hands. At first the residents were a little amused but once the area was cleaned they understood the importance of our work and started joining the movement. Our belief was that we have to show the way and then only people will listen to our message," reminisces Negi. The team with the help of schoolchildren also painted posters, distributed leaflets and organized meetings to sensitize people about the harmful effects of plastic. The members paid all expenses from their own pocket.

They also took the anti-polythene message to the neighboring areas like Munshiyari, Julaghat, Chandag and Champawat. The message spread to Almora, Haldwani and Nainital as well.

This is not the first campaign that Upreti has been a part of. Earlier he had campaigned against plastics in Gopeshwar in 1998. "I saw the ponds in Gopeshwar littered with plastic bags. Several cows were found dead with bloated stomachs full of polythene bags," he says.

"I met a farmer in Gopeshwar who told me that birds were destroying their crops because they could not eat garbage, since everything was being packed in a polythene bag before being thrown," he added.

However, at Gopeshwar shopkeepers were not enthusiastic about Upretis campaign. "The then district magistrate Uma Kant Pawar helped me a lot and he imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone found dumping plastic bags. After the fine was announced people started listening," he said.

But for now, Upreti is happy. After seven months of hard work Pithoragarh is polythene free except for some stray cases. "Paper bags are more expensive, but since the customers have said an emphatic no to them we have to abide by their wish," says a shopkeeper. For some the cause was more important than their business interests. Mahesh Joshi, a printing press owner is one of them. "I get a lot of orders to print logos on plastic bags but I refuse to do it. Of course this means loosing a lot of money but as it is for a good cause, I do not mind," says Joshi.

The movement has also created job opportunities for many poor families, as they are able to make paper bags and sell them. However, the activists are sad that the local administration has not done much about their cause. Upreti fears that in the coming days things might change if the campaign is not sustained.

Biodegradable Plastic

Once upon a time, household plastic products stayed unchanged in landfills, in forests, in oceans and along the side of the road for hundreds of years, creating environmental issues throughout the world. Finally, the technology is available to put this problem to rest.

Recycling is beneficial when natural resources are truly saved. However, in many cases the recycling of products such as trash bags and food packaging consumes more natural resources than simply throwing the products away and making new.

ECM Bio-Films, Inc., located in Painesville, Ohio, produces an additive that enables common plastics to naturally biodegrade. Since very small amounts of the additive are needed during manufacturing, the physical properties, functionality and appearance of the finished products remain the same.

This biodegradation process can take place aerobically and an aerobically. It can take place with or without the presence of light. These factors allow for biodegradation even in landfill conditions that are normally not conducive to any degradation.