Plastics Carry Bags

Benefits, Issues, Realities

&

Solutions

• CARRY BAGS - WHY PLASTICS ?

• PLASTIC BAGS - COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

• ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN FOR ALTERNATIVES TO

PLASTIC CARRY BAGS

• ISSUES

• SOLUTIONS

– WASTE MANAGEMENT & RECYCLING

• RECOMMENDATION

CONTENTS

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

• 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

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

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 AutomobilesPiping

Source: McKinsey cLCA study for International Council of Chemical Association

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

ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTICS CARRY BAGS?

• Jute

• Textile

• Paper

• Degradable Plastics

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS

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

GJSource: LCA Study by IIT (Delhi)

Jute Vs Plastic

The comparison holds good for Plastics Vs Jute Carry Bags

**Values are for Packaging of One Lac MT of Atta

* High potential for Global Warming

During production of rawMaterial & 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

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

6.810.8

1.53.8 16.4

0.56.8

0.5

107.8

0.2

43.1

0

50

100

150

Envir

onm

enta

l Bur

den

on

Com

mon

Sca

le

GJ SO2 Nox CH4 CO Dust COD BOD

Polyethylene

Paper

Energy for ↑ Manufacture

Polyethylene Vs Paper

Figures for 50, 000 carry bags

Emissions →

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!

• 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

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

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

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.

PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports

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

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

• 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

DESPITE ALL THESE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES …

PLASTIC BAGS ARE UNDER SCANNER

MAJOR ISSUES

Health & safety

Toxicity

Biodegradability

Disposal & waste management

HEALTH & SAFETY

Polythene is approved safe material forUse …

• 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PLASTICS IN MSW

NEERI study - 2005

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

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

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

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

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

WASTE MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDY

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

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

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

CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

NON-CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING AND RECOVERY

– Co-processing in Cement Kilns / Energy Recovery

– Conversion to Fuel

– Construction of Asphalt Road

– Conversion to Basic Chemical

Invention by Indian Scientist Dr. Alka Zadgaonkar

Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur

FUEL FROM WASTE PLASTICS

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

PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

ASPHALT PLANT OF BMC, WORLI, MUMBAI

Prof. V S AGHASE ROAD DADAR, MUMBAI

Vidyasagar Street – Kalyani, West Bengal

PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Bawana, Delhi

PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

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

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

AWARENESS MESSAGE TO ALL CITIZENS