Alternative of Single-use Plastics

• 22 Sep 2021

Why in News

Recently, the researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) have found a way to make a substitute for single-use plastic (SUP) that can, in principle, help mitigate the problem of accumulating plastic waste in the environment.

Key Points

• About the Research:
  
  • In the research, Non-edible Castor oil was used in this process of making the polymer which involves allowing them to react with the cellulose (from agriculture stubble) and di-isocyanate compound.
  • These polymers can be moulded into sheets having properties suitable for making bags, cutlery or containers.
  • The material so made is biodegradable, leak-proof and non-toxic.
• Possible Advantages:
  
  • Addressing the Problem of Single use Plastics (SUP): Given the surge in the usage of single use plastics and the challenge of managing the landfills choked with SUPs, such alternatives could bring paradigm shift especially in the packaging sector, the largest consumer of SUP.
  • Tackling Agricultural Stubble Problem: Agricultural stubble burning is responsible for air pollution in several northern states in India.
    
    • In Delhi, for example, the air quality index dips to indicate “severe” or “hazardous” level of pollution every winter, and this is due in part to the burning of agricultural stubble in the surrounding regions.
    • Using agriculture stubble for replacement of single use plastics will not address the problem of air pollution, but will generate additional income opportunities for farmers also.
  • Use in Healthcare Facilities: As the material is biodegradable and non-toxic, researchers are planning to use the material for healthcare applications also.
• Other Alternatives to Single-Use Plastics:
  
  • Long-lasting plastic alternatives that are available right now are, Stainless steel, glass, Platinum Silicone, Bamboo, pottery and ceramics, etc.
  • Other than these, bioplastics can be used to replace traditional plastics.
    
    • Bioplastics are a type of plastic that can be made from natural resources such as vegetable oils and starches.
• Need to Address Plastic Pollution:
  
  • According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board of India, for the year 2018-2019, 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste were generated by Indians.
    
    • Moreover, several reports suggest that it is an underestimation.
  • Another alarming statistic is that of all the plastic waste produced in the world, 79% enters the environment.
    
    • Only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled.
  • Accumulation of plastic waste is detrimental to the environment and when this waste finds its way into the sea, there can be major harm to aquatic ecosystems, too.
  • SUP is so cheap and convenient that it has replaced all other materials from the packaging industry but it takes hundreds of years to disintegrate.

Initiatives to Curb Plastic Waste

• Rules for Banning Single-Use Plastics from 1^st July 2022
• Swachh Bharat Mission
• India Plastics Pact
• Project REPLAN
• Un-Plastic Collective
• GoLitter Partnerships Project

Way Forward

• Circular Economy: Countries must embrace circular and sustainable economic practices throughout the plastics value chain to reduce plastic pollution.
  
  • A circular economy depends on reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling of resources to create a closed-loop system, minimising the use of resources, generation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions.
• Behavioural Change: Citizens have to bring behavioural change and contribute by not littering and helping in waste segregation and waste management.
• Extended Producer Responsibility: At the policy level, the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), already mentioned under the 2016 Rules, has to be promoted.
  
  • EPR is a policy approach under which producers are given a significant responsibility – financial and/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.

Source: TH