1、Frequently asked questions on Plastics and the Environment_1. Are Plastics eco-friendly?In General all man-made products, during manufacture, processing and disposal, have an impact on the environment. The issue therefore is, which of these products under consideration, will impose the least burden
2、on the environment, and contribute to what is termed - sustainable development.As you read on, the haze created by the media might clear to reveal the genuine role of plastics in the environment. This is best expressed in the following quotation:“There is a perpetual danger of thinking you can find
3、out the truth merely by being clever.The truth is thatyou have to work doggedly at the facts“ (Dr. Ronald Broadbent in the New Scientist - July 73)_2. How do we judge whether plastics are eco-friendly in relation to other materials?Plastindia Foundations Enviroplast Committee, developed a model or c
4、riteria, which may be used forqualifying materials as eco-friendly. The material or product in question should:(a) Improve the qualify of life, particularly of the economically weaker sections of society.(b) Reduce signaficantly the pollution load on the environment - and water and air in relation t
5、o materials that are replaced or substituted.(c) Use the non-renewable energy resources more efficiently.(d) Contribute to the presevation of land, water resources and forests.(e) Lend itself to recycling and/or recovery of a significant part of the inherent energy.Normally the tendency is to judge
6、a product or item in terms of its waste disposal problem. This islikesaying that an ice-berge is as big as it appears above the surface.Every process connected with a product, right from the time that basic raw materials are extracted from theearth to the time a product is produced, transported, use
7、d and disposed, has some impact on the environment.A comparative study of products or applications based on measurements of energy-input and the pollution discharged to land, water and air, at every stage, is called a Life Cycle Analysis (L.C.A.) - or more simply the cradle to grave approach._3. Are
8、 plastics responsible for utilising a major share of the worlds oil or hydrocarbon resourcesNO.It is important to recognise that plastics use less than 4% of the worlds hydrocarbon resources. Approximately 90% is consumed for transportation, power generation and heating.In general plastic products r
9、equire less energy than products made from conventional materials, at comparableuse and performance levels._4. Do Plasticss make-up a large part of the Municipal solid waste?NOA study conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Reasearch Institute, Nagpur for the BMC, putsthe figure at 0.75%
10、.Even in Europe and U.S.A., with per capita consumption of plastics at over 50 kgs per annum (India is 2.7 kgsper annum), plastic waste makes up 8% of the total muncipal solid waste. The rest is made up of organic materials (33%), paper hence, they float. This is why they accumulate on the beaches w
11、hen disposed indiscriminately. In the case of a vertical grill in the drainage system, the water will flowthrough the grill with the plastic bags floating on the surface. In the case of a horizontal grill such as the one found on the roadside, the bags will be displaced by flowing water. By applying
12、 this logic, it is difficult to understand how plastic grocery bags are responsible for blocking drains. Perhaps, someone should carefullyobserve and determine what is the real problem_6. Are plastics toxic when used in contact with foods and medicines?NO.Plastics are used world-over because they ar
13、e safe for packaging of foods, medicines and child care products. A few examples are - milk pouches, edible oil container, ice-cream packs, blister packs for tablets and capsules.I.V.fluids and blood is collected and stored in plastic bags.While plastics are safe for packaging of food and medicinal
14、products, there are standards in each country,which specify the type of Additives and Pigments, which can be used safely for contact with foods._7. Are plastics hazardous when buried in land-fills?NO. Plastic waste is pre-dominantly eco-neutral or inert. It does not generate toxic leachates which co
15、ntaminate the soil or ground water resources. On the contrary, those products which do biodegrade with by-products,may result in contaminating ground water resources.Plastic consumer waste is easily compactible, and occupies less space inland-fills.The fact that plastic waste is inert and does not b
16、iodegrade, makes segregation and recycling a more logical approach to waste managment, for urban areas.The famous study on excavation of New Yorks land-fills by the University of Arizona, U.S.A., reveals that fooditems, such as beef-stakes, corn-on-cob, news papers - things which you might expect to
17、 biodegrade in a fewyears, are in recognisable form after 30 years. This is because, anaerobic biodegradation (in the absence of airand sun-light) is an extremely slow process. This process also generates methane gas from land-fills - which for its “green-house“ effect is worse than carbon dioxide._
18、8. Does the burning of plastic generate toxic fumes?NO. To a large extent, post-consumer waste is made up of grocery or polyethylene bags. The chemical structure of polyethylene is made up only by carbon while plastic is manufactured from oil, which cannot be replaced. The argument against this is,
19、that forests play an important role in protecting our soil bank and maintaining the gaseous balance in our atmosphere, by absorbing carbon dioxide and in turn releasing oxygen. In our hunger for wood, 44 million hectares of forests have been felled since Independence, making this country a land with
20、 one of the lowest areas under forest cover (area under forest to total land area). Therefore, as far as India is concerned land is not a renewable resource._11. Do Plastics meet the criteria of resource conservation; - do we get “more for less“ while using plastics packaging?YESLet us take the exam
21、ple of the humble plastic grocery bag whcih has been denigrated so extensively in the media. A stack of 2000 plastic grocery bags will be seven-and-half INCHES high; a stack of 2000 paper grocery bags will have a height of seven-and-half feet. Imagine what this means in terms of transportation, and
22、the increase in exhaust emissions.A study conducted by the “German Society for Reasearch in the Packaging Market“, shows that if plastics packaging were replaced with other materials, the weight and volume of disposables would increase by a factor of 4 and 2.5 respectively, along with twice the leve
23、l of energy consumption and double the cost of packaging.Another good example is the transport of mineral water in light weight PET bottles. A truck can carry 60% more water with 80% less packaging, as compared to glass bottles; this results in fuel savings of almost 40%.The ratio of product weight
24、packed to the weight of package is the highest for plastics packaging; for example 500 gms of coffee can be packed in a glass jar weighing 500 gms, or a tin plate container weighing 130 gms, or a plastic laminated pouch weighing only 12 gms. Still better, one kg of salt is packed in a pouch weighing
25、 5 gms where the ratio of product weight to package weight is 200:1. These are some examples of getting “more from less“ through plastics packaging._12. What about the role of plastics in improving the qualify of life?According to a UNICEF report, in our Country an estimated 2500 children die every
26、day of diarrhoeal diseases, caused by polluted drinking water and lack of sanitation. Those who survive, continue to suffer from water borne diseases and the country loses a staggering 1800 million man hours per year.The target the country has set for itself, provides one safe source of drinking wat
27、er per village. Such a difficult task would be impossible to achieve without the use of PVC pipe which is economical, light, easy to transport and install, but more significantly, uses 88% less energy in terms of “oil equivalent“ in its production and use, for comparable performance with GI pipes.Th
28、e growth of personal products in the rural areas has increased dramatically. The growth of shampoos in bottles is at a level of approx. 2% year-on-year, whereas the growth is around 30% year-on-year for shampoos in flexible packaging and the small pack size, makes a product affordable to much larger
29、 section of the community and thereby promotes hygiene and personal care._13. Who should take responsibility for the plastics environmental issue?We all share the responsibility for environmental issues. Any issue which concerns and community, has to be resolved with the co-operation of all involved
30、; it is a “shared responsibility“. Those involved are Government, Municipalities, the raw material manufacturers, the retailers, and consumers.Because domestic waste is a mixture of materials of which plastics is only a small component, under 2% by weight, it is the responsibility of government to m
31、anage waste and a regulate its disposal.It is the responsibility of the plastics raw material and packaging manufacturers to come up with the most cost efficient solutions, which will preserve and protect goods, minimise the use of energy and reduce the weight and volume of waste. Food and personal
32、product manufacturers, retailers and consumers need to be aware of the benefits of plastics pacakging and the need to dispose plastics in a manner which leads to increasing emphasis on recycling.Everyone must understand that the environmental legacy we leave behind for future gnerations will depend
33、on our resolve to :REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLEAnd finally let us agree that: PLASTICS DO NOT LITTER, PEOPLE DO._Facts on Plastics and the Environment_Without plastics, 400 % more material by weight and 200% more material by volume would be needed to make packaging, while the volume of packaging would m
34、ore than double.1. For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper grocery bags to the store - only one truck is needed to carry the same number of plastic grocery bags! 2. Plastic lumber, made with recycled plastic, holds nails and screws better than wood, is virtually maintenance free and lasts for
35、 50 years! 3. Foam polystyrene containers take 30% less total energy to make than paperboard containers. 4. The number of plastics recycling businesses has nearly tripled over the past several years, with more than 1,700 businesses handling and reclaiming post-consumer plastics. By using plastic in
36、packaging, American product manufacturers save enough energy each year to power a city of one million homes for three and a half years.Green LivingWhen we hear the term green living many of us think and visualise the outdoors - trees, mountains, and lush green lawns. In fact, one can start living gr
37、een indoors itself, by choosing recycled products, finding new and creative uses for old items and cutting back on our use of natural resources. Green living is best defined as protecting the environment, by conserving and effectively using resources.Environmental concerns have assumed larger signif
38、icance in the modern day living and economic development. It is in this context, I would like to share my thoughts by taking a glimpse at some facts about how and why proper and effective use of plastics can help each one of us, our businesses and our families live greener and leave less of an impac
39、t on the Earth.Plastics contribute to our health, safety and peace of mind in endless ways. The material possess an incredible history, consisting of a long line of innovation, giving birth to many uses of plastics as an environmentally friendly material.If we are serious about conserving resources,
40、 we must look at a products entire life, from development to disposal. In this context, plastics often compare favorably and even outperform other materials . When, the topic of resourcesconservation and plastics comes up, many focus solely on recycling. But, recycling is only a part of the entire s
41、tory. Conserving resource means using less raw materials and energy throughout a products entire life - from its development and manufacturer, to its use, possible reuse or recovery - including recycling - and disposal.Plastics unique characteristics - lightweight, durability, formability enables th
42、e manufacturers to minimise the raw materials used, energy consumed and the waste generated in the production. It also facilitates distribution of goods which range from coffee cups to automobiles and conserves more resources during a products life span, when compared to the other materials.Let us j
43、ust take a brief look at a few reasons and examples of how and why plastics contribute to waste reduction and its role in preserving the environment:Plastics are strong and durable and yet lightweight. Meaning, it often requires less plastics to make a certain package as compared to other possible m
44、aterials like paper etc.Plastic film wrappers now used for large diaper packs create 50% less waste by volume than previous packagesStudies reveal that, over 4 million students a day in United States drink their milk or juice in fexible milk drink pouches. Compared to traditional cartons, the source
45、-reduced pouch reduces weight by 80% and volume by 70%, which reduces storage and trash disposal costs by schools.Plastic grocery bags are lighter and create up to 80% less waste by volume that paper sacks. Normal economic market forces cause manufacturers to continually look for ways to reduce the
46、cost of their packages by minimising the amount of material used.Plastic grocery bags are lighter and create up to 80% less waste by volume that paper sacks. Normal economic market forces cause manufacturers to continually look for ways to reduce the cost of their packages by minimising the amount o
47、f material used.Plastics generally exhibit superior resistance to breakage and denting. This results in fewer container breaces and less product loss on the packaging line, and safer handling at home. Manufacturers of durable goods choose plastics for many reasons.Plastics allow highly efficient manufacturing processes (up to 99% eff
