3. Replacing Traditional Materials
…Due to Superior Properties
• Safe & Hygienic – Inert and Chemical Resistance
•Light Weight & Non-Breakability
•Excellent Barrier Properties - Enhancing Shelf-life
•Superior Impact Resistance
•Transparency as well as Opacity
•Lower Fuel Consumption and Product Loss during
Transportation
All These… at Lesser Cost
Material Energy Requirement
KWH Kg-1
Aluminum 74.1
Steel 13.9
Glass 7.9
Paper 7.1
Plastic 3.1
WHY PLASTICS ?
Scott, G and Gilead, D., editors, Degradable
Polymers, Principles and Application,
Chapman & Hall, London, 1995
4. • Global Consumption of plastics ~ 180 million
tonnes (Per Capita ~ 28kg)
• Indian Consumption of plastics ~6.5 million
tonnes ( Per Capita ~ 6kg)
• Plastic carry bag accounts for less than 1% of
total plastic consumption.
PLASTICS
6. PLASTICS :
TOP GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION SAVER
In 2005, Total Global Emissions was 46
GtCO2e
It could have been 51.2 Gt CO2e, but for
the savings by Chemical Industry
Savings by Chemical Industry 11%
Plastics save green house gas emissions
And save the earth from Global Warming
Among The Top 10 Green House Gas Emission Saving Sectors - 4 are Plastics
Insulation Materials Packaging Automobiles
Piping
Source: McKinsey cLCA study for International Council of Chemical Association
7. GHG EMISSION SAVING BY PLASTICS PACKAGING
Total Saving ˜ 220 Mt CO2e
Plastics Carry Bags reduce GHG emission
Source: McKinsey cLCA study for International Council of Chemical Association
8. ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTICS CARRY BAGS?
• Jute
• Textile
• Paper
• Degradable Plastics
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS
9. ENERGY SAVING:
1 LAC MT. OF ATTA PACKAGING
Energy consumption in GJ for
Manufacturing Raw Materials, Packaging
and Transportation of Atta
Energy saving – 81%
Energy recovery with plastics waste-35 GJ
Source: LCA Study by IIT (Delhi)
Jute Vs Plastic
The comparison holds good for Plastics Vs Jute Carry Bags
10. **Values are for Packaging of One Lac MT of Atta
* High potential for Global Warming
During production of raw
Material & bags
Source – Report by Centre for Polymer Science and Engineering, IIT - Delhi
ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN…
During transportation of the finished bags
Jute Bag Vs Plastic Bag
11. AIR & WATER POLLUTION
Source: Scott, G and Gilead, D., Editors, Degradable Polymers, Principles and Application, Chapman & Hall, London, 1995
29
67
9.9
28.1
6.8
10.8
1.53.8
1
6.4
0.5
6.8
0.5
107.8
0.2
43.1
0
50
100
150
EnvironmentalBurdenon
CommonScale
GJ SO2 Nox CH4 CO Dust COD BOD
Polyethylene
Paper
Energy for ↑
Manufacture
Polyethylene Vs Paper
Figures for 50, 000 carry bags
Emissions →
12. PLASTIC & TEXTILE BAGS
• Plastics manufacturing consumes 400 kwh/mt while
composite textile mills consume 1310 kwh/mt
• Textile contributes 30% SOx (second highest by any sector)
and 23% NOx (highest by any sector)
Source : Warmer Bulletin, July 01
This gives a comparative analysis of environmental
burden generated by paper, jute & textile bags which are
not visible to naked eyes though, in comparison to plastic
bags!
13. • Increase shelf-life of contents
• Essential for packaging / carrying
of confectionery, bakery products
• Essential for packaging / carrying
hygroscopic products like sugar / salt / jaggary
• Convenient for carrying fish / meat / poultry and other wet food
products – no other appropriate alternatives
• Essential to carry commodities during rainy season
• Add convenience to day-to-day life
PLASTICS BAGS / CARRY BAGS
14. PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
Plastic carry bags generate 60 % less GHG than uncomposted paper
bags & 79% than composted paper bags
Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
15. PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
Plastic grocery bags consume 40% less energy during production
and generate 80% less solid waste after use.
Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
16. PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
Plastic grocery bags consume 40% less energy during production and
generate 80% less solid waste after use than paper bags.
17. PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
18. PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
Paper bags generate 70% more air pollutants and ~ 50 times more
water pollutants than plastic bags do.
Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
19. PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
Plastics and Paper both can be recycled. However it takes 91%
less energy to recycle a kg of plastic than a kg of paper.
Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
20. • 150,000 plastic bags of
20 cm x 30 cm x 40 micron needs 1
small tempo for transportation
• Paper bags of same size & number
need ~ 10 such tempos for
transportation - due to higher weight
and volume Consuming more fuel and
causing more air pollution
PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS
21. DESPITE ALL THESE POSITIVE
ATTRIBUTES …
PLASTIC BAGS ARE UNDER SCANNER
22. MAJOR ISSUES
Health & safety
Toxicity
Biodegradability
Disposal & waste management
23. HEALTH & SAFETY
Polythene is approved safe material for
Use …
• In contact with food, pharmaceuticals and drinking water
• As implants within human body
• In medical applications like IV bottle, Packaging of tablets
• For Packaging of Liquid Milk
Plastic Carry Bags are generally made from Polyethylene
24. TOXICITY
Issue:
Plastics are termed as toxic and injurious to health
Fact:
• Plastics are inert materials and do not pose any danger of toxicity
• Emissions during processing of plastics are well within regulatory norms
(study by SIIR – Delhi)
• Additives used in plastics are approved as per BIS / FDA standards
• Emissions at fire situation have similar or lesser implications in
comparison to situation involving natural organic materials like wood,
paper & cotton
• Emissions during burning of paper and polyethylene are similar
25. BIODEGRADABILITY
Issue:
Non-biodegradability property of plastics carry bags is termed as the
major reason of waste management problem
• Plastics are useful for its long life characteristics
• Nothing decomposes substantially in modern landfills. It
requires additional mechanical action for composting degradable
waste
• Indian Landfills does not practice Composting Activity
26. BIODEGRADABLE OR RECYCLABLE PLASTICS ?
• Compostable plastics will degrade/compost only in composting
conditions
• The concept of Biodegradable Plastics will encourage littering
• Spurious products cannot be detected in market place causing flooding of
fake bags
• A mixture of degradable and non-degradable plastics will disturb the
plastics recycling activity
• During decomposition stage biodegradable plastics emit CO2 and CH4 –
both green house gases
27. BIODEGRADATION OR RECYCLING ?
• Biodegradable Plastics have been developed
• However these are required in applications where recycling
is not possible or difficult
• Developed countries – major manufacturers of BD Plastics –
have not mandated use of Biodegradable Plastics Carry Bags
in their countries
Reuse and Recycling is preferred
over degradation to encourage Resource Management
28. USE OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS
Recommended applications of BD plastics:
• Nursery Bags,
• Mulch/Agricultural film,
• One – time use Cutlery / Cups etc to be Carried in
Ships / Remote areas
• Lamination on jute – paper for Relevant Packaging
Applications etc
29. DISPOSAL
Issue:
Plastics are blamed as the major cause of MSW problem
Facts:
• According to studies plastics form about 5% of total MSW in
major Indian Metros
• A recent study at Deonar dumping area (Mumbai) reveals
that ~ 90 % of plastics waste brought to the landfill are picked
up by rag pickers and sold to waste trades for recycling
31. ISSUE – INDIAN CONTEXT
WHILE ALL SOLID / THICK PLASTICS WASTE IS
SYSTEMATICALLY PICKED UP BY THE WASTE COLLECTORS
FOR RECYCLING, DISPOSAL OF THIN PLASTIC CARRY BAGS,
SINGLE-USE PLASTIC WASTE AND MULTI-LAYER PACKETS,
ABANDONED BY THE WASTE PICKERS, HAVE CREATED SOLID
WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM
32. PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : GLOBAL MATRIX
• No developed country in the world has any thickness restriction of Plastic
Carry bags
• No country in the world has mandated use of Biodegradable Plastics for
any mass commodity product like Carry Bags
• In California - USA, initial measures for banning of normal plastic bags in
favour of biodegradable plastics / paper bags has been stricken down by
the Superior Court asking for conducting LCA study on the products
• France dropped its earlier proposal for banning of normal plastic bags in
favour of Biodegradable Plastic Bags on the direction from EU Parliament
33. PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : GLOBAL MATRIX
• Australia has plans to reduce the use of thin HDPE bags by 50%
over a period of three years
• Some developed countries levy tax on all packaging materials
including plastic carry bags – to meet the cost of managing the
waste
• Many developing countries including China & India have
thickness and size restrictions
• Only Bangladesh and some African nations have imposed ban on
plastic carry bags
34. PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : INDIAN RULES
• IN THE STATES OF MAHARASHTRA, GOA, WEST BENGAL,
MEGHALAYA, PUNJUB, HIMACHAL PRADESH, KERALA THE
THICKNESS RULE VARIES FROM 30 TO 70 MICRONS
• IN DELHI , CHANDIGARH AND J & K, PLASTICS CARRY BAGS
ARE BANNED
• ALL OTHER STATES FOLLOW MoEF RULE OF 20 MICRONS
35. SOLUTION TO DISPOSAL PROBLEM
• Segregation at source – awareness among citizens against
littering
• Proper system for collection of segregated wastes for facilitating
recycling
• Incentives / encouragement for recycling
• Upgradation of the existing mechanical recycling technology
• Encouragement for alternate methods of recycling / recovery of
energy
38. Rag pickers with van Loading of dry waste in
Municipality van
Dry waste being carried
for loading into
Municipality van
Dry waste at housing
colonies
Municipality van with
dry waste on way to
segregation area
SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE
‘A’ – WARD
MUMBAI
39. Segregation of dry waste
Packing of segregated
dry waste
Storing of segregation dry
waste in secured place
Segregation of dry waste being weighed
and sold to recyclers / traders
‘A’ – WARD
MUMBAI
SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE
40. A comparative assessment of the
segregation activities in select
Mumbai Wards
There is wealth in Waste
DRY WASTE SEGREGATION DATA
MUMBAI WARDS – A, D, F(N), M (E & W), S & T
BMC provides dry waste collection
vans and secured segregation area
free of cost
44. NON-CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING AND RECOVERY
– Co-processing in Cement Kilns / Energy Recovery
– Conversion to Fuel
– Construction of Asphalt Road
– Conversion to Basic Chemical
45. Invention by Indian Scientist
Dr. Alka Zadgaonkar
Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur
FUEL FROM WASTE PLASTICS
46. SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION TO PLASTICS WASTE
DISPOSAL WITH RECOVERY OF ENERGY
ACC Plant at Kymore - MP
All types of plastics waste – laminated, mixed & uncleaned, can
be co-processed in Cement Kiln in partial replacement of coal
CALORIFIC VALUES (MJ / KG) : Plastics ~ 45
: Coal ~ 29
CPCB HAS APPROVED THE PROCESS
47. PLASTICS WASTE
IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION
ASPHALT PLANT OF BMC, WORLI,
MUMBAI
Prof. V S AGHASE ROAD DADAR,
MUMBAI
48. Vidyasagar Street – Kalyani, West Bengal
PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION
50. RECOMMENDATIONS
IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGING WASTE
RULE SIMILAR TO THOSE PREVAILING IN DEVELOPED
COUNTRIES
PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
(MANAGEMENT & HANDLING) RULE, 2000 OF MoEF, GOVT OF
INDIA
UNIFORM PLASTIC CARRY BAG THICKNESS RULE IN THE
ENTIRE COUNTRY AND PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
SAME
51. RECOMMENDATIONS
ENCOURAGEMENT AND INCENTIVES FOR RECYCLING
ACTIVITY AS PER RECOMMENDATION IN THE SUPREME
COURT COMMITTEE REPORT ON SWM IN CLASS I CITIES OF
INDIA – 1999
MANDATING CO-PROCESSING OF PLASTICS WASTE IN ALL
CEMENT KILNS IN THE COUNTRY
