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ENVI$ Newsletter State environment R~~ IICOLOGJl GOYaIMIIIO(

[ ""~~No. -... ... 2008

Deadly Till Eternity

P lastks is the gcncrallCrm foc a wide r4nge of synthetic or semIsynthetic polymcri7.atiQn productS. They are composed of organic

oonden~tion or addition polymt-rs and may contain other subslances ( 0 Improve "Ift'ft ~

,,,rmm,",, tl ,..",~m:;vi!C~ or reduce coots. There are many natural polyme rs generally oonsidered to be "plastics". Plastics can be: fOITllcd imo obje<;ts, Or fIlms. Or fibres . Their name is derived from Ihe malleability. or plasticity, of many of them. The ",' in ·plaslics" is there 10 distinguish between the IWlymer and the way" material deforms.

The development of pia sties has OOmc from the US<: of natural material (e.g .. chewing gum,

plasticizers for flexibility, UV filters for protc.:tion from sunlight, antistatic agents, flame-retardants. colourants, antioxidants, and more.

Heavy metals such as cadmium. m~"fCury and lead are common additives. There are alrochemicals used to facilitate production such as mold releases. and countless other toxic chl~nicals regularly added m plastic consumer goods wilhoutoUJ knowledge Or appro,·a!.

Many of the producus and byproducUS of the intermediary steps ofp!astics production are used in other plastics or industrial processes and products such as pesticides or fenili~cr. For holistic thinkers, the mention of plastics and pesticides in Ihe same sentence slwuld begin an informative thought process. while keeping in mind that they all have complete regulatory approval.

shellac) 10 Ihe usc of ,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l chemically modified nalural material (e_g_ , natural rubber , nitrocellulose. collagen) and finally m oomplClcly synthetic molc.:u1cs (e .g .. epoxy, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene).

How is it made?

In a nutshell. p lastics are made by combining monomers into polymers under s",at heat and pressu", in a proo;ess called polymerization. Each manufacturer has its own proprietary formula for each plastic varient.

And each uses a variety of l~~~~~~~;~~~~~~~~~~;~~~~~~~~~j additives such as

World"s ""oual rons"mpI <on of plaS'ir mat.,.;. 1 hos increastd fi'om .muoo ) "' il hon "'TilleS ill 1950s '0 I 00 "'Ill Ii". 10111',,;: ,oday

MeenoSok ..... , lAS, I'rincipol 5«;f<tM)' '" Oov<mmcn~ Fore ... EooJoey" Env;r<mm<:n' [)q>I e""

~ ; ~ . . ' .. " .,

MESSAGE

T,I (Oft): 222S61221220J2509 Fa,,: 222S8J9J

K~ Q.:"'ernru<:n' s..:f<tarlat M_S.Ilu,'ding, 2nd Gat., 4th I'loor.

Dr. ll.lLAmbe<Ibr V<edIoi, Bangolore. x>o 001

Do,.: 4· 12·2008

PIa>,;c • .." ubiq.i,,,,,,.We tak. boon<- ,,~".bl .. and groc<fie. in plaoti. bap. Our .p«tacleo and eootact lome., ....,r..;.,abl. ~." v,l= and k""" joint<. ,lI:n .. ' implants and 'o}-s _ made: ofpI3Sli ••. Plastics _ d.",llk, ,...,..,il< and ,<,m,,,,i .. ,, "' ... _ Flu' ftOt'OI"Cb &!>ow, tha, i"";scrimi .. , . """ ofpwlic, i, injuri""" botlI '" human> and th< cnvironm<n1. Tuy' made of YVC are known 10 .. lease harmful ch,mocaJ •• <>p<e;.I,y "'hen suokod. Pbsl;" dump«i in l.ndf,lI. do<tina our c;,;." "" ill tak.h./lIlmioufy ...... dc:8JlIdc.

Since pl .. 'ico arc CMop,I"'1 on: di'pMcd of q.;dly, Se"", ... """",f,1I< ......... ge <Iome-s,ic .. ' .... «>n';", ofptastieo_ l"hQueh pluuC$ _d"""'k, ooly 7 jXt'C<n, ofplastic w .... i. 'e---yclod, ",'en I ... ~_ I'l .. 'ics kin ,.uk ond m,rine lif<. M "od pl ... i. w.,,,, i. bum. by .... ,tory ""'\" ... in ';Ij .. , oddi ng '" ai, poliUlioo.

II,,", can responoible citizoru cootrib.nc 10 ",I. inll 'hi' pmbkm? F ;~Iy, by «du<;i"8 uSC of di'pQ$Obl. pia" i< vrOOuc'" "'Ii bou$<Oold. wou", ~'" tbcir w,",'. OS lliWegradabl' and """-b"""'~I. bef_ d;.~, In 'O<Iay'. tnQdcm hf'OI)'le, th< Ihm: II, "<va)'<J<l<<i>OOld od<opo.o .. " Rod ..... R .... and Re<y<le_

Uses ofplaslics

'Vc I'ro<iuce and us~ 20 time. more pl astk~ today Ih.n wedid SOyun ago!

It is used in cumact with nearly all packaged foods. Most eardboord onilk containers a", now cooled wilh plastics .... ther than wax. It is spmycd 00

both commercial aod organic produce to preserve ils freshness. Plastics .re ",-eo used to irrigale. mulch. wrap, and transport organic food. Organic bananas now come from wholesalers with a sticky plaslic wruppiog 10 protect the bananas from a black mold,

The mold is conlrolled on I>Ol1-(lrganic banana~ by dil'Ping IIlc cui ends in a fungicide.

The uSC of plaslic maleri.l in the mooical field is constantly increMing_ Every day. plastics are invol"ed in critical surgeries, lifc·savingcfforls and rou,ine medical procedures. Plastic mat"';al can be .\lerilized hundreds of limes withoul degradation. lightweight plastics arc used 10 fonn replacemenl joims, non·,urgical supports, and therapy equipment Clear plaSlics provide visibilily fo.­Iran.Mions. surg"';e., and diagnostic equipmenl of

all kmds. And plastic~ can be machined molded, or fonned into almost any shape imaginable.

Benefils of pi as l ies

The considerable growth in plastics u,e ;,; due to beneficial properties. Thesc include:

• Ex treme versalililY and abilily 10 be tailored to meel very specific lechnical neros.

• Lighler weighl than competing material, reducing fuel cOnSUmplion during lransponation_

• EXlrcme du",bility.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~;~~;:;:;~ • RcsiSiance lochemicals, walerlllld impact . .. Good safely and hygiene properlic. for food packaging.

Oil.nd natu ... 1 gas.rc Ihe major 1"3W malcn,ls used to manufacn"'" plastics

• Ptaslics Bre IlsOO on I targe: ",ale :IS mooi~al <kvic ... like di'posablc $yrinll~l, OJIIical aoo denllll products, heart \"alves, con18Cllen!<e5 amI many more nw:dH;~1 producu.

• Relalively inexpensive 10 produce.

You lire w h lll ),OU flit

When you eal or drink minas IlIalare slOred in plllslics, !liSle il • .unell ii, wear iI. , il 00 il, and so 011. plaslics is illCOf)lOf1llcd into you. In fllCl. !he plastics gel into !he food . "d food leiS inlo lhI: plastics andYOIi. So. quile lilerally, you Irc " 'bat you cal .. drink. .. and Inalhe plttSlicsJ ~ plwi~s are called "food Conlact Sul»lances" by lhe US food and Dm& Admini5t!:mon (fDA), but .l1li1' April 2002. lhey wm ~"Ied "Indjreo:t Food Addili.'es,· The new name is cleansed of the implicJllion that plastic let inlO ywr food,

A<'COrding 10 Dr, CtCOr'\IC l'auli. Associale Director of Science 1'01iey, FOA Office of Food Addili,'C Safety, !he regulalions mandatoo in 1958 assumc thai all pl.l:<li~s migralC lQl(ins into Ihe fOO<1 they con!OCt. Migruli,," i~ Ihe '"""en",,,1 uf r""" IOxins from plaslics into the s ubstallCes they contact

in Ihis ease ii'S your food. The manUfal'llim I11I1SI

"prov,," Ihal thc migrations fall within an accrp13ble range.

Typ Clil of phIS tics

There are aboul 50 different grou!,s of

plosties, witb huooreds of different YarietiCli. To mak" sorting and Ibus n.'Cyding easier, Ihe American Society of Plastics Induslry has develOped I standard marldng code 10 help WlliWnI.'f1I' identify and sort mc main types of pLostic. n.c.c Iypcs and !heir most com.lIon uses arc shown in !he table on this page.

Tbe trUetostofplaSlkS

Plaslics are ubiquitouS in our li~ betausc they an:con"""iem and relali"rly ""'xpe1l$ivr.1'bey are I!d"c:rtised as safe and thai !bey sa,'" li,'o . lis safety i'l ~ 00 outdaled o;cicncc and "'8"lolions. And whik they save lives in the slton run, lhe n:cord agaim;1 plaslics is looking quile diff=m. Their co'l\'""icnce comes fi'om being lighto.\·etght 000 ability 10 absorb impac1/~hock ",\houl breaking. which On its Own meril, is hard to argue with. They come: in an cndlC$$ range of colours and fini,lIes, an: pli~bk, and an: usi!y fQfl)]«1 and molded. M 051 would say th~y are a perfe<;1 malerial. righl? 11l'1l:'s when: thc bOld ,,,,, • .,, begins.

1\ plastic material's lIlexpensivt'llCSS is till.' ~ult of a larg~ portion of the costs 8\iSOCiKIOO with ilS life - production, 0'11' and disposal - being put unlO sociely as a whole. This unsolicit«1 {inil1\Cial burden on society manif" ... ilself a~ increased laxes to hn"n~c l11unicipal curbsid~ reeycltng prollrumm~ bndlill spaC<! , and incincration, llal!lO increases health care and inslI!'IInee COSIS ~a result ofilS incineration polluting !l,e air, wa[l'T, and food.

P E T P" tl 't thylr nt lCl'i' phthll lt . Fiuy drinl< bon l"'l """ Why bOlhe r ?

HD I~E

P V C

LOPE

pp

P S

OTHER

mIcro .... "" (wen·ready meal U'ays.

lIigh-d~n.il y PO'y~l hylt at . Bottles for milk and washing.up liquids.

Pot)"'!n)'1 ~h.lorid~ • Food trays. cling fitra. bottles r~ ~uash, mtneral "'3Ierand slwl1poo.

1.0 '" den~lly polyel hylene . Carrier bapand bin ];"",,;.

ro')'prop~·ltnt· MIIIpTlIlC .. "" mH;fO"'a''ClIblc meal ~,..

POI~'.I)'rtaf • Yoghun ...... r~ ~, ~ fi~ ~" . bamburJler bo."" and ~" can""", vrnding cups, piHlH; CUllery, protective ","cusin, forcleclronie loads and lOyS.

Any uther plll$li(S thai \10 1>01 rail inlO any of !he aOO.'CO C/Ilf&Qries.· An uamplc is melamine. which is uften used in plastic plalL'S andcupt.

Many rommoo pla<l..:5 I~ lnade from hydrocarbon IIIOOOntml

Plaslic< make up around 7 p<'Tl'etlt of t~ avcrage hou ~ ehuld dusiliin. 11M: amounl of plaslic waSIC IICI'II:I'IIted annually is cst:imatoo to be nwiy 3 million torUte5.

An estimated 56 percc111 I>f .11 plllStic ""lISIe;1 used in packaging, Ihree.<juanet$ of " ' hieh ;s from households. II iseslim:m:d thai only 7 percc111 "flOUl plasti.e was'c, arising is cur=ody being =:ydoo. 1lte produeti0tl3oo usc of plastics Iw a range of envi ronmental impact~ ,

Fir.;dy, plastics production

,

~--.,<t:l:;:Oii:l cumn!!), uncertain. An example of this is phthalate •. which are used in the manuf;u;turc of PVc. Polyvinyl chloride has in the past bttn used in toys for young

~","!I." ... n children and there has been ". :.." COnC~'l't\ that phthalates may be

releasc<l ",he" these IQyS fl«'

sucked (come into oonl3<:1 with saliva). Risk 3!;SCSsmcnts of the

'"-:::""J d Te<;IS of phthalalcs on the environment are curremly being carried oul.

The disposal of pla.<!ics products also contributes

'~";;:,,,iii~i!:~:li;JI:!~ s i g n i fie a n I I Y I 0 \ h e i r

[~~~::~~~~~~~:::~~::':.:':::':: __ :'::::'::':':::':::::J environrnemal impact Because moSI plastics arc non-degradable.

requires significam quantities of resources , primarily fo~sil fuels, both as raw materi.1 and 10 ddivC" energy for the manufacturing process. 11 is cstimatctl that 4 percent of the world's annual oil producti"" is used 8$ 8 fee{blOCk f(>r plastics produ<:tion and an additi(>na! 3-4 pereent during manufacture.

A repurl on the productiun of carrier bag!! made fru'" re~yc"'d ro ilier tha" "jllt;" polylllcn~ conci ud«l that the u.~ uf ri'<:yd«l pla,tics resulted in Ihe following n"irolln,enlal benefits:

.. ReducTion ofencrgyconsumption bytw()'Thirds

.. Producti"" (>f only a Third (>flhe sulphur dioxide and half ofthc nitrous ox ide

.. Reduction of water usage hy nearly 90 percent.

• Reduction of carbon dio~ide !;encration by IWO_ and_a_halftimes

A different s tudy concluded Iha l 1.8 lonnes of 011 is sa ,·td fnr ~\'ery tonn e of recyd«l pulyillene productd.

In addition, plaSTics manufacture requires other reSOurces su<:h as land and w-~ter and prod uccs waste and emis~ion~. The overall environmental impact varies according 10 the type of plastics and the production method employed.

Plastics production also involves the use of potentially hannful chemicalS, which are added as stabilisers Or colournnts. Many of these have not undergone environmental risk assessment and their impact on human health and the cDvironment is

thcy take a long lime 10 break down, [lOSsibly up 10 hundreds of years _ although no-nne knows forcer1ain as rlaSlics haven't exisled for long enough. when they a", landfllled_ Wilh more and more plastic products. particularly plastic packaging, being dispos<:d of soon after their pur<:has<:. the lan.Hili space n:Cjuircd by plastic waste isagrowingconcem.

What's so bad about plastks? For decad~'S. the plastics industry has

decei,·ed us with as",urances Ihal the polymeri7.JTiol) process binds Ihe constituent chemicals together so perfectly that the resulting material is completely nontoxic and passes Through us without a hitch. In spite of thi s industry di s inf(>rma!ion , the polymerization proces~ is never IOOpercent perfect. Logically then. there are always toxicants available for migration into the many things they contact ­your food. air, water. skin. and SO OD. Both the ...,gulators and the industry know this. However. bi."<:3Use of mally millions of ru"""s worth of advertising and public relations work. consumers arc educated to think that plaSTicsarc safe.

The additi,·e. utih:.:ed are not bound to the alr<:ady imperfect plastics. leaving them quiTe free to migrnte. One quick e~amplc: with"ut a plasticizer addiTive, PVC would be rigid. The plasticizer resides between the molecules of the pvC. acting as a lubricantTha! allows those m<Jlecules 10 sl ide byeach other, and thus flex. Many container; used for food or waTC" are made ofi!. Even Barbie dolls an: made of it. The plasticizer migr.ltes ou! from dayonc.And as it ages, tne migration can visibly weep out ofit.

(he ro"" world ",,,r. improvcmcn •• in chemical t«:hnology led to an .~pIO$i"" in O<w forms of plastics

E:lIrcmcly low dosn and syncrgy It is knnwn thaI III plaSli~s tnigrale inlo food.

ExU"mlely 10,., doses are /$p«ially ",Ie\'anl bI. ..... uS<: they can upsc1 die I1IIlural balance of the endocrine system. Ettdocrioe diwptOrs (EOs) 11"1' ,,-,\t=11 ag«l1S that intentre wilh lhe produclion. release. 1.IMport, melaboli , m. binding, 1~lioQ or cii",inat;on nf I1IIlural honoonet. in !he body respom.iblc forDll.inUtining inl~mal bal.ncnand Ihe regulation of de\fl'lopmtnlll proeesset. Syncrgy is 8n importanl issue: Ihal ~ tOO6tly disrcganled. A sYIlag)' (an <xcur betw""1,.'0 or mol"l' chemicals that clC¥l'" ~ c;ombiMlion', ~icily to hnnd~ of times gJ"CatCf than that of lbe indi~idua! chemicll$. Besides plasli~ .. other """'~Mld dICmICI1s Cln be paort ofa synergy with plasties.

On Ihe IlrInx (TOIlt. eVC1\ ~ products in our day-in and day-<>UI humdrum lives l\1C 00II100 with. ~onUtin. o. arc made of ,ynthc:tic ~bemical, that o;an

inlcr:>et iynetgi"ically ,,·ith OOt another. The I~I is endless but inclLldcI beau!)' products such M ""il pnlish, eye liner. deodoranl and aftershave; tIDuscoold cleaning prodUCtS $ucb BS lile and carpel cleaners, air fn'Shcne1'll 'hat are w lid, plug-in, or SJ>r"6Y. Even gas and diesel engine exhaUSI an: included,

Water slorc d I" plnstlc s

\Valer houles arc made from vl"ious type.. of plastics- polyca rbonatc (PC), pOlyelhylene Icrcphll\ala'e (PET), I'olypropyltne (PP). higb­de nsi,y polyethylene (HOPE), low-dens ity polyethylene ( LOP E ) , polyvmyl chloride (PVC or , ·inyl), and Olhers . To r(;leone, ,hey III m;gtalc 10 some: dcgre<:, We ,,·ilI focus no just "'Ie chemical that m;&nln~~ oul of one plastic material that is lI~ed tn make products with high lI.e and sa le$ profiles.

Bisphcnol - A (SPA) is a

'--'-'--'-'-=='--J

monomer "-J In the s~lIIhesili of PC pla~'icJ, epoX) Il'sin~ and composites, as wdl8~ a healstabi1iur in PVc. The liSl of produclS containing BPA u long. Some rigid containers .ocl!;tS """er and Nby boIlles are madcofPC.1n rbcmcdical industry, il i. u$e<l for syringes. con'ainers., lenses, and denIal products. BPA ~ not uplicitly regulaled. 11 is imponanllO noIC that In exposures, no mailer ... hal orig;n, an: ",levant and cumulalive, Even other chemicals Wlllel in ,he body in similar ways can be part of!he IOIaI effect. The body's natur.l.1 dcfcmes tty to brcakdmo" to~ins IS lhcy""I ..... "Thesc Ilft' C1IlIcd ITII:rabolites and caa be s ignifocantly more ",xic than tht "';ginal chemlca.1.

Today il is CO~ thaI drnti~ cmt ehildrm's 1000b with dcmal sealantS ,hat harden (polymeri7:c) wilhin "'" ,nooth. This exposure 10 BPA ;s larse CfIOIIgh 10 ba,oe biologic dfc'ClS. Just IS with other plas,ics. den121 sulants polymerize impcrfcclly, !raving fre<: !TIO\"IOI"Il>m 10 be ingested or absorbro Ihrougb tlte skin within lhe mooth. When i, c(>tnC. II .. dental ""luliOfl' wi,hnut phlSliu, 'he choices a", limited. Food and bcv"""se uns are coated wilh a BPA- CORl2ining pl3S1ics. During ,he prooessing of canned food, il is Slc,il;" ... 'Il in lhe can at 150"F for I hour. Be<:ausc heal increases its migMion. this is an especially Inrse exposu", for pI.'I.lpic who eal eannro foods. As I'C plastics grow old. BrA and other chemicals are released ,

Re u se ofpJastics

Rcusing plaslic is pT'Cfe<ablc to recycling lIS i, uses lcs~ cncrgy and fcwer resourccs. Long life. multi-trip plaslics packagin& has become more wi~ad in t'IXell! years. replacing less durable and s ingle-tnp alternatives., Ihus reducing "·a.'!!c. 1' 0.­"-'\ample, the: major supermarkets bave incr<:Ued theirl1$C ofrerumablc plastic eratt'S for transport ami display purposes. They usually last up 10 20 yc&t$

and can bc-=y<:led a, lheendofthtiruscfullife.

A<XO<ding toa 2001 En.ironmen,Agency reporI in tbc USA. 80 percent or ]105I-consumtf pWlic Wasl( is sen! to landfill, 8 pen::cnt is inciner.tcd and only 7 pcn:en! i. recycled. In addition 10 rertudng lhe amounl of plastics wlISle Kquiring disposal. recycl ing pLasricscan havese.·eral OlbcradvBnUt~ :

• Conservalion of OOR-renewablc fossil fools _ Plastics producl;on uses 8 pcrunl of the " 'orld's oil production.. 4 ~Il'elll as feedscock 3nd 4 ~"'«ll during rnanu(actun:.

• Rcdue.:d cotlSwnp!inn OfC1lC'<&Y.

One toII""ofplur'" ~ oqll'VIIJontlo 20,000 IwO lilre.!nnk. boJ<tl.,.", 1~.OOOc.mcf ball" ,

• Rcdu~ed amounts of solid .... aste going to landfilL

• R~ducN cmisi ions of carbon-dioxide (CO,) • nitrogen-oxide (NO) andsulphur-dioxide (So,) .

What does the lawsay? Gm"ernmcnt in iti.lkes.m ban of plastic articles

Dirttlions have b.,;:" givCJIlo IhcTourism Dcpanmcn!, 110rticulture Dr:parlmCnl, Jungle Lodges & ReoortS, and the Forest Depanment under the provUiions of Environment ProtectionAcl, 1986 to lake all n~'Cc"""cy Sleps to ban the use ..,fplastic anicles such as carry bags (im:Specli,.., of Ihicknes. and siu). plates. cups/rumbler, spoons, forks. Slmws by any person inside the <xo-tourism areas and ~OOS_ The G<.Jvcmmcnt further dire<:tcd that biodegradable ahomalives made ofpapcr. wood. prcsscd leaf. jute and ~Ollon arC to be encouraged in place of plastic articles as thi. WOIlld be ceo-friendly and also generate local employment.

PlaS licpoil utio ll Plastics arc USC<J bcl:ausc thcy"re easy and

cheap to make and they can last a long time. Unfortunately the!;e same useful qu.alities can make plaslics a huge pollution problem. Because plllStic< arc cheap they get discarded easily ""' their pl:'csistence in the environment can do great hann. Urbanii"l1ion has added to the plastic pollution in conccrnnoK-..J fonn in cities. Plastics thrown on land can enter into drainage lines and choke them.

",sult;~g in noods i n local arcas in cities. It was .ion pro...,..n"n~ {In TV Channel gsrcsul~. in deathof tOO head of n India. In th~ stomach of one a,tic was found.

claimc<l inonc (dev; thai eating plasticba cauk daily in U.f'. i dcadco""J~ kgnfrl

Uecausc pi astic. do not de<omposc, and ulira·,·iolet light to break down,

Wasfe in our oceans is steadi Iy an 90 percent of the aniclcs

beaches contained plastics. The

require high energy the amount of pia. tic increasing. More Ih foull~ on the sea plastic rubbish f(>un d on beaches ncar ",ban areas

from use on land. sucb as <m rcnlOte rural beaches the ,.~ come from ships. such as

tends to originate packaging material. rubbiSh tends to ha fishing equipment.

This plaslic inlportant ways: by

can affect marine wildlife in two entangling cre;ll",·es. and by

are particularly badly affected and all seven of the world's

already either endMgcred or mber of reasons . Tunics get ""IS. and many sea tunles have with plastic bags in their

mistake floating I"'~n"perent fish and catthcm.

being eaten. l'urtks by plastic pollution, turtle species are Ihreatened for a nu entangled in fishing

""" found dead stomachs.Tun le, plastic bags for jelly

Problem of plast ics

" India had it would be the ubi more plaslic coVers

..... "-"pit .. Pf"T b ..... r .. ' .. b .. ttlf> wMt"l and •• '.)"Iinl. 19 9Cl-?00R

to have a new national symbol, quitous plamic bag. There are visible than all peacock!;. tigers. lotus flowers and the national flag put tog~lh""'. The USC and free availability of plastic bags have increased significantly in recent )"Cars. Th~ bags arc ow prie<=d and all shopkeepers

arc generous to give them free with purchases. IruJividuals on their ran do not think lwice about demanding a bag whether t is to carry a single loaf of

brcad or even a racket of hiscui~~ It i< also widely used to disposCQf garbage.

tv " . ., s:.. ' 40 k -:() g - CO < "- EO

~ EO P 4(' ,

'" u

,

I I ~\"J~n::;

.....- R~linQ

!!! ~ ~. • • ....

~ ~ ! ~ ~ ~ N

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PIoSti". "'" havong ""C~ll('fl' them.>al and cle<lrical insulation

,

i

W hal isaffcctcd

Ou r Soli: Nature cannot dcgt""dde plastics. They stay ;n the soil forever, seriously affecting permealion {If water aruJ soil . Many species {If

mammals, binls, fhh ingest plaslic fragm<'Tlts 3nd di~_

OUT Air : Mixed plas!ic waste is often burnt in garbage dumps and ag ricultural fields. T his cauSeS the release of dioxins. w hich are carcinogenic and extreamly bamful 10 health.

OUT WMer: Rivers. lakes and Olher water bodie~ all ha"cpiaslic flo at ing on the surface today. The

presence of plastic [~:;;:~;;;;~:;;~~;;;:~~~~;;;;==:~:~~=~~_~~~=J seriously .ff""is the quality of water and is very .,flen 'e<SpoIlsible for the death Qf tlsh thai nibble On Iheplastic .

Our U "es: Plastic bags are notoriously famous for blocking drains and causing tloods during the rains. Tbey are responsible for the spread of di..,ases. as walc.,-whichcolle.:IS in lhesebags, is known to serve as breeding place for mosq ui toes and other germs .

Garbagcdty 8angalorc generates over 3000 tonnes of

was!e en,'Y day. About 75 percent of this waste is organic. recyclable. Plastics constitule around 176 tonnes per day. The dispoi-lll of waste is a major problem si"'t Ihe city as yet doc~ not have a scientific landfill. More than 60 percent ofwaste in Bangalore ends up in illegal dumps in ol"'n s itesoron fannlandonthe outskiro; oftheeiry. Worse , garbage mixed with plastic is often seen burnt in thickly populated residential areas of the city. Burning of waste which includes PVC and otho:r hv.ardous materials rdea$CS tox ic fumes which considerably pollute the air. Our vegetables and fruits are also grown in the Same vicinity and affect our health directly. It is up to in dividual citizens and organizations immediately to implement the three R' ..... Reduct,

Reuse and Re.:ye le- and prevent Bangalore from geningburied in itSQWnwasle

Indh·iduals and ins lilutiQnS nn make &

diITe...,ncc tQ & deaner Banga l","" In IWO .. ·ays:

1) Reduction in usc of disposable plastic products.

2) &.ning up bcno:r disposal systetns.

Adverse health eff~tsof plastics

In addition to creating safety problems during produclion. many chemical additives Ihat give plastic products desi",ble perfonnance pr<!flCnies also have negative tnVironmenlal and human heahh etTe<;ts. TlH..-sceffects include

+ Direcltoxicity, as in the cases of lead. cadmium. andmcrcury

• Carcinogens. a< in the oase of diethylhexyl phlhabtc(OIOHP)

.. Endocrinedisroption, which~an lead 10

cancers, binh defecls, inununc sYSlcm supression and developmental problems in children.

People are exposed to these chemicals nOI only during manufacturing, but also by using plastic packages, because some

chemicals mi grate from the plastic packaging to lhe foods thcy oonla;n.

Tbe fU'Sl ",.,Hna.le plaslic " ... """,lied by AtC);an<\cr Park .. al the 1862 gre., internatoonal.,hiboloon ,n l<>r.don ,,-,' -,,_"

EJUtmples.ofplaslics ooncaminalioll food have been thaI daily an estimated 600 tOflll ormuni~ipal solid ~cd wim most plastic lypcs, indudinll Slyrcoc ",lISle is dumped illcgally in rcsM.kntial areas and from pol y5l yrcne , pl u lie izers from PVC. O\lt~k irtsofthecity. In Belgium, WUIC isdisposcd Antioxidant3 from polyethylene, and octlaldchyde in 10"··l y ingall:asoncilyoulSkirts ~ndu.cdump si tc from P£T. is 1000~to:d JUSt 2 kilometCfS from city. During the Find alternatives to plaslic products whenever monwon the stagnant water could cause soil possible. Sorne specific suggestions: contamination and spread o f commun;~ablc

d.sc;ISCs. • Buyfoodinglassormetnleontail>l'rs. Very often budgetary allocalioo for "'lISte

• Avoid heating food in plaStic containers. or managcment is 00\ adequate and e"", wlK. ... fun<b MOI'illi rany foods in plaslicconl.li~ orplastic arc available. tbr:y are 00\ properly U$td 10 address

WI'lIP the: issues of accountability. effICiency and proper • Donotgive)"'WIgchildrenplaslic\C(:thersorlO)'S planning. With most ofllle funds allocated spent on

• UsenatU/1l1 fibre clOthing. beddingand furniture paymenl of salary and unifomls to saniLaty scalT.

• AvoidnllPVCaodstyreneproducl.'l. very liul" funds arc made available for developmental work like cnginccrcd landfills aod

Illegli l d isposli l OfWRSIC tl1Ul$pOrtation.

Illegal disposal of wastcs is I serious One of the aoJ"m:c fllCtOfll in managing having scvmol erologkal municipal solid "'1ISlC is the mindset oflhe icnCl1l1

~~~~. ~U~~~;~=~;fi~·~1;~~~~'~~;~;·~'~d~=~'J~,",~b~lic with respect 10 ~\ioo of "''aSlC and also in land lSSCI'ting thcir rigltt3 for a c lean and safe through neighborhood. Added to Ihi s is the lack of reveals knowledge on wlSle mmimisation and the

benefits of recycling, To e nsure waste minimi7.lltion and recycling. syslemat ic guidelines ncC<i 10 be ill plll\:~. which is at present Lacking in city corporations and urban local bodies. Though OiQIl1e recycling takes pia« Ihrough tag pi~kt'l'S. thc chain of the ~ling process is not complete and ohm Il'SIIlts in illegal b\lmilliordumpinll.

A\'oiding p lastics

While it's impoSlible 10 avoid all pl aslies, we must rid ourdicts and lives ofu.is 10xic material as much as pos~ible. There is a hullt: amount of dau. ronfinniog the migration of plastic monomen and additivcs in all steps of food pro«SSing. B«IUSC of CQf])Of3.tc pothical campaign financing. meaningful regulations resulting from ~ie, will takc even \ongn' 10 become l.w. We m .. ~t protec. our families ""hilc the OO~lOUS results lrickle in .

sumcj~u evidence of the negative health cfleets ofplast;cI 81~ndy exists 10 halt thc use Qf it in com",,! with food. More importantly, the manufactun: ofpl&Stics itself

~~:~~~~;~~~::::~:::~':'~ must be halted for • multirude of 1l!'3S(m$. ~ Eksides causing an rndl05 number of buman

Plastic «MIL.l1lICf prodlK.:r1 do not _ any recycled pLa.uic in Ihcir piCkapng

dcatlu. di:l&bilities and diseases. plucks r~-"''''''!'!''' an: dogging all habitats of the: world and c\ts'roying \he «"")'S ....... 'Thffl: is now 6 nmes more plastics than plankton f\<)Iling :uound in the middle oflhc P"dficOccan.

Plankton is a major food iIOUrtC for sea .lIi",_I~. A large portion of it is preconsumcr plastics ,ha, h8~ no, been made 'nlO a product yel. Called nurdle!;, they look very much like plankton in si7.e aDd colour. According 10 a paptr by ArriBo et aJ in GropII}~1 Re$rtJn::h ILl'", in Ocl<Jbcr 2003. plankton produclioa has betn declining for the las. 20 )'<'&111 wilh rising ocun surf3« IcmpmlfU~ Along willi increasing pla"ic qu.omities, lhe ratio of plaslies '0 plankTOn is increasing. makina it more of a ta!¥ct for hunK!}' animals.

The researcher who fQtllld thi.., l...,~~:;;;;;; Carum Charlt:s Moore, 0'=10' of thc: Alp-lila Marine Resean:h Foo!lda'ion. said thllll'lfW data indicates Ihai the ratio of plastics to woplanlm"., i5 ev~'1I higher in IWO so-called no.lling plastic "Garbage patches' .hat arc each bil!8c, than .he Stale of Texas. Nurdlcs arc inCQrponol~..J into all s .... la of dw O.,.,~ns with 1\0

known method of removal. DOE, I metabolite of DDT. and other dioxin_lik~ chemicah; COncenU3tc on the $.Urfacc oflhe piaslic nurdles 8t • rate or up to a million limes lhal found in !be oc:ean. Ca~in Moore's """",ntation inclUlks images of!iCa animals that "" 'c $.Uffoc:atcd and star,cd as a resull. Even more: st3nling is ..,.,ing plastic bilS il'lOO<pOnltcd into t"" flesh oflhe sea animllis.

R~dll ci l1 g plastic usage

• AII"ays look forallcmative:s.

• Definitciy refuse plastic ~0''t'fS for ~onying """"". • Ope fordoth bags inslad.

• ~ hins can be lined with n.:wspapcr inslead Qf plasti<:.

Allernath'e 10 plastics

Mort: "nd more citi:ttltlluc moving towards canh_friendly products and &ctivitiC$ lhat promote &re<ln conccpU, sub<cribing wjlh sleadily increasing ~ul 10 what environmenTaliSls have been advocalin&fory~

To:rn. cotta has been used througOOul bistory for !CUlprure and pottery. a. well as bricks and roof ~hingles. In ancient limes, the fU'Sl clay IICulprurcs were dried (baked) in lhe !ll!I _flcr being fonned. Lalcr. they were placed in lhc ashe~ Qf()peJ1 heanhs to hanku, and finally ki!n~ wcrt: uliCd. similar 10

those ~scd for ponery today.

I'laslic s ThaT Il)se ilS flexihility will eVC1llu.llly eTld::. In COftuast. oxidized Sleel can be repaired. 11 is strong. solid. and durable t ... "ice as strQng as plastiC!ll. II i~ safer 10 use as plastics mell and hum hut st~1 cannot hum. Many plasti<:s deteriorate and become brinl~ wl>cn exposed to the sun's ultra,v;Qlet rays for the 2.6 month period of Cl)ns!ru<:lion. Still Olhel'$ crack and crumble afler several yca~ ofagiug. Steel remains unaffeelcd.

Brieny, bere art' some alterna!e material !o look fQr:

• Pipes: Siainiesli steel, coppc:rand ductile iron.

• Wincll)v.'S: Sustainable ,,'<>0<1 andASS plmics.

• Sidina:: Sustainable .... ood, Io"'-cmission or fortTlllkJc:hydc-1lI:e plywood and oricmed strand 00ard. stUCCQ. and aluminum (r«yc1cd if possible).

• Floors: Namral lino leum. c~ramic tiles, stonc. scaled cork, Bnd COncrete (which can be stained in K v •• ic!y ofl'Olours).

Prohibilion on Ihe use of carry bags or

C h('mica! nature of plast ics and its impacts on human hulth

I~P l'~"f t' lasHcs

Pol)'\'inyl clilorld('

I'oly ur~tlla" ...

POIYft)'rCnc

Acrylu butadiene styrene

Poly carbonate.

Polyethyl<'nt, Ictaphthalalt

( h('mkals P r('sc n t

Organo chlorides like ,ho~ins. phthalates

Isocynmes. polycyclic aromatic. hydrocarbons (I'AMS). dioxins.

Styrene, 1·3 butadiene

Butadicne. styrene acyloni1rilc

Methylene, chloride chlorofonn. chloroben7.cnc

UV stabil izers, pigments

containers made ofrccycJl'd plastics

No "cndor shall uSC carry bags Or conuine", made of recycled plastics for slOring, carry'ng, dispensing orpa~kaging offoodslufTs.

Thickness of carry bags

The minimum thickness of carry bags made of "irgin plastics or rc<:ycled plastic. shall not be less than 20 microns.

Impact of plastic recycling on the environment

l~di" is rated as one of the biggest =ycling countries in the world. However. in the "",yeling

process of plastics. a larger proportion is invariably oom'ertcd 10 'dowll-<:ycled' inferior product. In the recycling process, extensive sorting, cleaning and remo\'lI1 of additives is necessary. to prot~ the environment and public health.

Grinding of plastic serap is a noisy operation

Dio~in is a human careinogen(causcs angisareoma). Causes birth dcf~s, foctal death, spontaneQu~ aOOrtions. disrupts IIonnone system, suppresses immune system. damages to the liver. kidneys and reproductive systems.

Causes aSlhma

lIuman cardnogenic substances.

Acylonilrilc is a highly toxic substance readily absorbed by inhalation and dirc<:d y through skin. causes severe

eye irritation, h~adach~ ami nausea.

Disrupts the homlonc sySlem

Irritation of eyes and respi",!Ory lract.

with noise levels rcaching upto 95 decibels. Small scalc unilS arc often designed neilher for environmentally sound technologics nOr for the bel1cr processing Cum pollUTion control system. Absence of adequate vClltiiation systems. lack of space. unhygienic oonditions and old equipment often used !\Iuline ly expose the workers 10 !Oxic colou",.oo other pollutants .

The major pollutants during the grinding process arc suspended and respirable particulate mailer. De,ides. workers are also exposed to vapour. and dusts cOl11ai oing chemical intermediates. polymeni and additives during mixing, peliClising and maintenance operations . Plastic grinding 8cncralc:.! polymer dUSI, resulting in inhalalion and combustion ha:!aro The nakes Or chips of plastic wa,le are soaked in caustic soda and detergent for I 103 days and then rinsed with hand,

PlaSlic packaging !\as ,"COfI()IlUC, h.allh. and environmental costs IUId benefits

cost. c..,~ring Join and improving roads. Only lime will decide .... ~ Ihis uniq"" IIOlul;OII for disposal of plaslic. ""lISle will worl<;.

Decomposing plastics

When plastic, dCCQn,p<)SC their configurution changes. The decompo!ied plastics are nOI nc«ssarily to be I mal~al for 0Ihcrs or to provide I product by itself. o the rwise it may Ix: discarded. The dCK ree <.If dccnmJlO'ition nwoy inv<.Ilvc such states that molecules tMmselve5 arc not descomposc<t and powder

~~~~:::;:::;:;;;:;:;:;;:~:::::::=::::=~j and granules form. or that molecules arc p~rolytic~l1y decomposed to form low-

""p<lI5inlllhe worI<crs 10 .Ikaline .... lulion fo.- 610 8

boo". Tar road with p last ics WIstr - a s u ccess rul txperiment

E.1.po;rimenlS in buildillJl 1'\1.,,1$ with plasli~ wa~tc has been undertaken in OJngalo..,. It was observed that plastics wasl~ e<.>uld be successfully mixed wilh OIOn« and bilumen at B high_ speed a'ph.l! plant and the condilion of the tar road. .... hen la..:l (If"OpCI"ly. was good. The cost of wa.o;lC plaslics was around 11.5. 6 per kg against 11.5.14 for bitumen. H~DCC thl.-n: was a saving m C<ISI of tar ro;od construction. The CQHditinn of lhe roood. iMpC<:Icd periodically. was found 10 he Snod. This asphall mixtunl .... ill be u.e<! for laying longa-strctc!-.es.

A very inn<.lvalive solulion has been develepW 10 solvc the disposal problems of garbage bags as wcll as carry bagS in Africa. The bags arc melt~-d ~tld lransformed into brick.;, with ~ cemenl mold. which 0;<1,'1'5 time and money. Tbc plastic brieb"", lhen used 10 fin a polhole. and "'" covered ,,·ithcC1llll1lI.

Tht; cost of 1M bricks " but a fTaction of trlIdilional road works, allowing one <.IflM world's pooresl countries to reslore it< shoddy road networlc. An e~perim<:nlal batch was uSt-d to fill a p<.>lho1c the SilC ofa car in May. The coven,,1 anla shows oosign of c ..... sion or wcalhcr damage. althougb Ihe plastic bricla have yet \() withstand el<!ensivc frictinn. Appro~in"'ldy 40 !OOOCS of lhe molded bags a.., RqUimllo pa"" an enli", kilometre ofroad. Forty fi"" plasticbricks fit in one squan: melera! a minimal

mol<xular pLasllcs.

The present in" ..... tiQu pro'~dcs the f<.lllnwing advan'-8C:S·

• PI~ics can be easily deoomP'*d or fQl'l1K(i ag:lln U resources.

• Low·mole\:ular compounds n:sulti~ f ..... m the dc-wmposing arc provided as various malerial and an: nOI n~-eded 10 be buried in the eanh.

• The invenlion 00es 001 employ the high temperalure burning using Ihe burning_ _islanl. 50 that il ;s quite effective for a oountcnncasurc against global warming.

• Dec<.>onJlO'ing by lhe invenlion ean be pcrf"ormed al lower lempcrlllures in Comp3rison with pyrol~iJ. lill"fCby providing a areal "","il for energy.

• Bun,ing is not used in di'l'O"inll plastics 0< plastics arc disposed Ofal low Icmpcrnturc:s, Ii<!

Ihat oodio~in is gc-ner.aled. Conclusion

We should n.-duce the quamilY of the plastic malerial we usc. And We should handle these malerial can:ruUy even lhough it is a hard problem lhal we fau. If we don'l formulaIC $OITIC policies {o <<.Inlrollhe plastic ",aste in the <>cean, il willlhrealen our Ji\"~. I'lastico should never contact food. And thaI one should neVer microw.,·c food- il's probably as bad Of WOfS<' Ihan putting il in plaslics boxause it creates free radicals in the fnod thaI d:lnlagc <'<'lis in your body. It _"'who,.,," ,"~~

IbUll ; n~rca,ing Ibe nile of mignllion into the food. However, plaslics arc the ahemalive and glass, wood. melal, and ccmmic< are Ihe ...,al Ihings. By u.<ing Ihe least offensive plastics. One only prolongs and increases the loxie load on Ihe Eanh and in our bodie'!. You needn', be a polymer scientist to know thaI plastics shouldn't oonlllCI food. Whal is essenlial though isalim' Slandingin realilyandagoodgripon logic. First se\ aside yeurassumptions and look al the known long- and shon-tenn negaTive effecls of plasTics on health. economy. environment. and society. as well as Ihe long-tt:ml viability of the human race.

Nexl. Contl"8.';l thaT with whaT you find as benefit •. If une Were to li,len only to Ih" industry, il wooid be naturnllO think that only the addiTives are IOxic and migrate. But eV(:I)'thing about plastics is toxic - both the additives and the base piaSlics. And bolh migrate in Quantities that are problematic at extremely low cone<:mrations. Same cbemicals arc obviously mOre SO than olhers. Bul it is undeniable IhaT they aJi migrate aU the time into everything That Theylouch.

By refusing 10 use plastic bags, you can make a hug~ differenoe to the pollution problem. Rcmcm!)cr Ihat each per.;on uses about 83 bag, a year. If thero a~ four pe<)ple in your f:tInily, that's 332 pla~Tie bags IC!:~ every year.

That's332 bag, Icsslhat will;

'* Release lo. ins into the ground waler from landfill sites

.. Silly in Ihe environmcnI for hundreds of years while they break down

• Get into lhe food chain lhrough animals Ihat ;ngc:>T small particles of pias!ic

.. Wa.sIC onergy during the manufacturing Pf<X'CSS

.. Kill anyoftheeslimatoo lOO.OOOmarineanimalS that die each year of plastiepollulion

These are all_imponanl faCTors that have a profound efT""l on our C1Ivironmcnt and the creatur~s weshareourplanc! with. Should we really put Our own selfish needs before the needs of eV(:I)'lhing around us now and the lives of future gen~rnliolls?That's upto you to decide.

~ -h,·iron D>fn •• llnforma!lQR S,·.!tm (L"\'IS)

The: E"virtJomrn •• 1 Inronna!ioo\ sYS.rnl (ENVIS) i, a P<'>j0<.1 "f ,ilt M;ni,,<y of ~:"v;""'o>crI' &; f .".,.,. Go .... ~r lod;' I" foo,I; .... ~ .. tioo &; dj...",i"'lion of ;nf"""",ioo\ "" En..;"""""" ... 1 i ...... MoEF has . ,gru>.I IlrI all"""""" with the World BOJIk fOf ~"vj"",.,."tal M'~n' Capa<"Y Bu,\d;ng T«;h"b.1 A .. i~ P,*"l Th" • ..,. componenl aims 10 " ..... g<h<n ENVIS by cxpmdini its T,,"ell Ibrou$h n.""<>r!rlni , .... "". ",*",;,.,.- in the Go,'..",,,,,,,,,. acadcmi •• NGOond""'l'On'l< ><CIOn.

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( N\'IS C~n l rrnbjcc(iH":

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*To adopIl%IO<krn ...,hM~ofinformatl"" acqui<i'ioo. p""' .... ;ng. """"g<. """"".,.1 ond d;<><mmat'OQ.

*To .. P\><lrt . ad promO!C r"',,""h. deHklpmcnI ond

iMo",'ion , n en V(ronrnental j "'''''''''''''' 1«1u>o1oiY. *To proy,de Il."jooal <,,,",nonooo,,,ol ",f"""",ion =

'" k iaI\t 10 the 1"""'"1 need> ond ""pable of "",,,Iopmen' ,nl'1\cd,bcfutur"<_"fu<en.

*To t.,,;(J ....... r<II"ieval ond d,_mono,"," oapobili,;c;. "'"n,loc ul1; .... "'objo<l". of d .... ""'uul\.i: ;nl'<:>mtot;Ot\ fj>«<Ij[yklthe ....... .

.To promote na,,.,,,.1 ond ill".."..ional """",('>Ikon ODd I .. .. "" for ,"ohonge of En_"onmen, rdo«d informalioo .

• To ~".>ohange "rinr""""ion arnong OOUll'ri .. ond RifOO'·

S9ur~~ :

www.wi kipcdia.org www.ecologycentcr.org www.wasteonline.org

ENVIS Tu m:

Vijay Bha!, Programme Manager. JNEP Sun;th. T. $ .. IT Assistant Sbsntlada T $ .. IT Assistant

ENVI$ Cenlre· Kamalak;> aep.nmen, 01 FlJlftls, £~oIcIlY &; En~II01>m",,~ Gu~emm..m W K_6~b

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