PLASTICS and the ENVIRONMENT

Transcription

1 PLASTICS and the ENVIRONMENT

2 Key End Uses of Plastics Carry Bags - Why Plastics? Plastic Bags Common Misconceptions Alternatives to Plastic Bags and Environmental Burden Issues Solutions Waste Management & Recycling Recommendation

3 Plastics~ A Part of Everyday Life Automobiles Appliances Fibres & Filaments Infrastructure Housing Spacecrafts Plastics Plastics Plastics Plastics Plastics House wares Agriculture Packaging Bulk Packaging Health Care Materials solutions for better quality of life

4 PRODUCTION OF PLASTICS World 175 Mn Tons + Per Capita ~ 25 Kgs India 6 Mn Tons + Per Capita ~ 6 Kgs 2008 Figure

5 Sector wise Applications of Plastics - India Figures inmmt Packaging Infrastructure Agriculture Consumer Goods Health Care Others Packaging Constitutes about 50 % of use

6 Plastics in Packaging Replacing Traditional Materials Due to Superior Properties Light Weight & Non-Breakability Safe & Hygienic Inert and Chemical Resistance 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 Aluminum Steel Glass Paper Plastic Energy Requirement KWH Kg

7 Plastics in Packaging Environmental Benefits

8 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% Among The Top 10 Green House Gas Emission Saving Sectors - 4 are Plastics Insulation Materials Packaging Automobiles Piping PLASTICS SAVE GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SAVES THE EARTH FROM GLOBAL WARMING Source: McKinsey clca study for ICCA

9 GHG EMISSION SAVING BY PLASTICS PACKAGING Total Saving 220 Mt CO2e Source: McKinsey clca study for ICCA

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11 Alternatives to Plastics in Packaging? Glass Jute Textile Paper Degradable Plastics Others LET US MAKE A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS

12 ENERGY REQUIREMENTS OF VARIOUS MATERIALS Mg-DIECAST Al-DIE CAST Zn-DIE CAST STEEL ACETAL MOD.PPO PA-6 PA-66 PET PC PMMA PP ABS PVC PS HDPE LDPE BTU Metals Engineering Plastics Commodity Plastics

13 EFFICIENT PACKAGING Alternate to Plastics Would Increase - Cost of Packaging Energy Consumption Volume of Waste Without Plastics With Plastics Weight of Packaging Source: GVM, Germany-1987 / 91 (APME) Plastics - The Best Packaging Medium

14 ENERGY SAVING One Lac Ltrs of Milk Packaging Glass vs Plastic Energy consumption in GJ for Manufacture of Packaging Raw Materials, Packaging and Transportation of Milk Energy Saving 86% Energy Recovery with Plastics Waste - 20 GJ Source: LCA Study by IIT (Delhi)

15 ENERGY SAVING One Lac MT. of Atta Packaging Jute vs Plastic Energy consumption in GJ for Manufacturing Packaging Raw Materials, Packaging and Transportation of Atta Energy Saving 81% Energy Recovery with Plastics Waste-35 GJ Source: LCA Study by IIT (Delhi)

16 AIR & WATER POLLUTION BY POLYETHYLENE & PAPER E n v iro n m e n ta l B u rd e n o n C o m m o n S c a le GJ SO2 Nox CH4 CO Dust COD BOD Energy for manufacture Polyethylene Paper Source: Fabbri, A in Scott, G and Gilead, D., editors, Degradable Polymers, Principles and Application, Chapman & hall, 1995, Chapt

17 Environmental Burden During Production of Raw Material & Bags The Environmental Burden During Transportation of The Finished Bags * High potential for Global Warming The Values are for Packaging of One Lac MT of Atta. Source Report by Centre for Polymer Science and Engineering, IIT - Delhi

18 PLASTIC AND 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 Consider the Enormous Environmental Burden Generated by Paper, Jute & Textile Bags which are not visible to naked eyes though, in comparison to Plastic Bags!

19 Plastics Bags / Carry Bags Add Convenience to Day-to-Day Life Increase Shelf-Life of Contents Essential for Packaging / Carrying of Confectionery, Bakery Products Essential for Packaging / Carrying Hygroscopic products like Sugar / Salt / Jaggery Convenient for Carrying Fish / Meat / Poultry and other Wet Food Products No other alternatives

20 PLASTIC CARRY BAGS SOME FACTS A Plastic Carry Bags Generate 60 79% Less Green House Gases than Paper Bags Plastic grocery bags consume 40% less energy during production and generate 80% less solid waste after use than paper bags. Paper sacks generate 70% more air pollutants and ~ 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags do. It takes 91% less energy to recycle a kilogram of plastic than a kilogram of paper.

21 .PLASTIC CARRY BAGS 150,000 Plastic Bags of 20 cm x 30 cm x 40 micron weighs ~ 600 kgs and needs 1 small Tempo for transportation Paper Bags of same size & number weighs ~ 1500 kgs and needs > 10 such Tempos for transportation - due to higher volume and Consuming more fuel and causing more air pollution

22 Despite All These Positive Attributes Plastic Bags are Under Scanner on Wrong Premises

23 Major Issues Health & Safety Toxicity Biodegradability Disposal & Waste management

24 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 PLASTIC BAGS ARE GENERALLY MADE FROM POLYETHYLENE

25 TOXICITY MYTH: PLASTICS ARE TERMED AS TOXIC AND INJURIOUS TO HEALTH REALITY: 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 & COTTON EMISSIONS DURING BURNING OF PAPER AND POLYETHYLENE ARE SIMILAR

26 BIODEGRADABILITY NON-BIODEGRADABILITY PROPERTY OF PLASTICS IS TERMED AS THE MAJOR REASON OF WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM PLASTICS ARE USEFUL FOR ITS LONG LIFE CHARACTERISTICS TIN, ALUMINIUM, GLASS ALSO ARE NOT BIODEGRADABLE BIODEGRADABLE / COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. HOWEVER THESE ARE REQUIRED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS WHERE RECYCLING IS NOT POSSIBLE OR DIFFICULT

27 BIODEGRADABILITY / COMPOSTING OR RECYCLING? COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS WILL DEGRADE/COMPOST ONLY IN COMPOSTING CONDITIONS. THESE MATERIALS MAY LEAD TO INCREASE IN PLASTICS WASTE AND LITTER IF PEOPLE ASSUME WRONLY THAT DISCARDED PLASTICS WILL SIMPLY DISAPPEAR A MIXTURE OF DEGRADABLE AND NON-DEGRADABLE PLASTICS WILL DISTURB THE PLASTICS RECYCLING PROCESS DURING DICOMPOSITIN STAGE BIODGREDABLE PLASTICS EMIT CO2 AND METHANE BOTH GREEN HOUSE GASES REUSE AND RECYCLING IS PREFERRED OVER DEGRADATION TO AVOID LOSS OF RESOURCE

28 USE OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS DUE TO ALL THESE REASONS USE OF BD PLASTICS WORLD OVER IS LIMITED ONLY TO SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS NOT FOR MASS USE WORLD PRODUCTION < 0.5 Mn TONS COMPARED TO > 175 Mn TONS OF NORMAL 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 etc

29 DISPOSAL ISSUE: PLASTICS ARE BLAMED AS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF SOLID WASTE PROBLEM REALITY: ACCORDING TO STUDIES PLASTICS FORM ABOUT 5% OF TOTAL MSW IN MAJOR INDIAN METROS A RECENT STUDY AT DEONAR DUMPING AREA (MUMBAI) REVEALS THAT ~ 85 % OF PLASTICS WASTE BROUGHT TO THE LANDFILL ARE PICKED UP BY RAG PICKERS AND SOLD TO WASTE TRADES FOR RECYCLING

30 PLASTICS WASTE IN MSW NEERI STUDY

31 REAL 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 UNIFORM CARRYBAG THICKNESS RULE IS TO BE PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED THROUOUT THE COUNTRY

32 PLASTIC CARRY BAGS GLOBAL MATRIX NO DEVELOPED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD HAS ANY THICKNESS RESTRICTION AUSTRALIA HAS PLANS TO REDUCE THE USE OF THIN HDPE BAGS BY 50% OVER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS ALL DEVELOPED COUNTRIES LEVY TAX ON PLASTIC CARRY BAGS AND ALSO ON ALL OTHER PACKAGING MATERIALS 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

33 SOLUTION TO DISPOSAL PROBLEM SEGREGATION AT SOURCE PROPER SYSTEM FOR COLLECTION OF SEGREGATED WASTES FOR FORWARDING TO RECYCLERS INCENTIVES / ENCOURAGEMENT FOR RECYCLING UPGRADATION OF THE EXISTING MECHANICAL RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALTERNATE METHODS OF RECYCLING / RECOVERY OF ENERGY

34 WASTE MANAGEMENT

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36 SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE A WARD Mumbai 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

37 SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE A WARD Mumbai Segregation of dry waste Storing of segregation dry waste in secured place Packing of segregated dry waste Segregation of dry waste being weighed and sold to recyclers / traders

38 DRY WASTE SEGREGATION DATA MUMBAI WARDS A, D, F(N), M (E & W), S & T DRY Waste Management Projects In Select Mumbai Wards A comparative Assessment of the Segregation Activities in Select Mumbai Wards for the last 3 / 4 years Proves THERE IS WEALTH IN WASTE

39 CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

40 CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

41 CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

42 NON-CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING AND RECOVERY Co-processing in Cement Kilns / Energy Recovery Conversion to Fuel Construction of Asphalt Road Conversion to Basic Chemical

43 FUEL FROM WASTE PLASTICS Invention by Indian Scientist Dr. Alka Zadgaonkar

44 Scientific Solution to Plastics Waste Disposal With Recovery of Energy ACC Plant at Kymore - MP Calorific Values (MJ / Kg) : Plastics ~ 45 : Coal ~ 29 ALL TYPES OF PLASTICS WASTE LAMINATED, MIXED & UNCLEANED, CAN BE CO-PROCESSED IN CEMENT KILN IN PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF COAL

45 PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION Prof. V S Aghase Road Dadar, Mumbai

46 PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION Prof. V S Aghase Road Dadar, Mumbai

47 PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION Vidyasagar Street Kalyani, West Bengal

48 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 ENCOURAGEMENT AND INCENTIVES FOR RECYCLING ACTIVITY MANDATION FOR CO-PROCESSING OF PLASTICS WASTE IN ALL CEMENT KILNS IN THE COUNTRY CREATION OF MASS AWARENESS AGAINST LITTERING

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