PLASTICS WASTE MANAGEMENT
 

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

The waste plastics markets all over India are so packed and crowded with waste spilling over all (examples: Delhi - Asia's largest waste plastics market, handling and trading over 1000 tonnes of waste daily; Jolly Mohala in Bangalore and Dharavi In Bombay), that frequent fires do create environmental problems both for the workers as also for residential areas around. Both the waste dealers and local authorities have to address these issues to work out safety measures. The need has often been expressed to locate such activities in eco-friendly areas.

  • Plastics packaging/carry bags/bottles/containers/trash bags;
  • Plastics from Health and Medicare;
  • Plastics from the hotel and catering industry; and
  • Plastics from air/rail travel
The polythene carry bags have been in the news for their environmental implications, right from cradle to grave. Through various stages of their use, they get disposed via municipal garbage dumps and finally collected by rag pickers to process for recycling. Carry bags of virgin plastics are accepted as user-friendly. The problem arises when plastics are recycled for repeated use. Because these are produced from wastes, these are an apparent consumer resistance.

The basic question for polythene carry bags is whether they should at all be manufactured using recycled materials (100%) and, if so, of what grade - first, second, third or the like. With repeated recycling, not only does the carrying strength of polythene bags deteriorate, but the very appearance gets repulsive (and at times unhygienic). For consumer acceptance, the recycled material of first grade should be used and in respect of the second grade, it should be a blend of 50:50 9recycled:virgin). However, third grade recycled material use should be discouraged for the manufacture of carry bags. To sustain the use of plastics through carry bags, certain gradation and acceptable consumer quality must be insisted and adhered to by the manufacturers. The recycled polythene bags are normally priced in the range of Rs.45 to 50 per kg., whereas for the virgin clear/brightly coloured bags, the price per kg is around Rs.80. What is worse is that a major volume of more that once recycled bags remain on ground, and are not collected by the rag pickers as their resale value gets reduced, these together with other food, vegetable oil and detergents packaging (PP, Polyester, multiplayer film) when not colleted/recycled, become an eye-sore.

In respect of health and Medicare, items in plastics, such as disposable syringes, glucose bottles; blood and uro bags, intravenous tubes and catheters, and surgical gloves, though designed for single use and manufactured with appropriate plastics materials, find themselves under attack, when these are carelessly disposed of. Some of these items even return to the market without disinfections. There have been reports of organized picking from garbage dumps around major city hospitals. Such a practice is dangerous and calls for strict action. MOEF has notified rules for management of bio-medical wastes, which includes plastics wastes.

Plastics items (commonly of PS/PE/PVC/PET) used in the hotel and catering industry, air and rail travel are prominently identified, and after their use, are seen carefully disposed of through 'Dustbins/trash bags' placed in the vicinity. These disposed plastics items are quickly cleared by rag pickers/wastes collectors, and go for recycling at a premium price. Depending upon the scale of operation, a fast-food/catering establishment generates between 5-75 kg. of plastics waste/day. Whatever may be the merits of disposables in plastics, once their useful service life is over; they are looked down upon as eyesores in the garbage dumps.

PVC mineral water bottles, and PET liquor and mineral water bottles have invaded the market in India, as a replacement for conventional glass bottles. It is reported that around 7000 tones of PVC resin per annum are consumed for the manufacture of mineral water bottles and about 70 per cent gets transferred to the waste stream within four days after one time use. Because PVC is of premium grade, the used bottles are efficiently collected back for materials recycling. However, in respect of PET mineral water and liquor bottles, which are currently marketed in India, around 50 per cent find themselves in waste stream within a week. A 10,000 tonnes capacity exists for manufacturing and marketing of PET mineral water/liquor bottles and assorted containers. Because of durability and glass-like clarity of PET bottles and containers, a major share of these becomes a long-term asset for the users. However, around 50 per cent of current consumption of 6000 tonnes of PET mineral water/liquor bottles used, are available for recycling. Considering the average weight of 27 g per bottle, 3000 tonnes of PET would amount to 115 million numbers of bottles going into waste that largely remains uncollected and unsold. This figure will multiply fourfold by 2001. A system of organized collection of PET bottles waste is required to be encouraged through waste collectors/dealers. Recycling of PET waste is undertaken in India by units in Madras, Gajraula, Kanpur and Mumbai. The existing recycling capacity is required to be fully utilized with generation of PET waste from increased use of mineral water/liquor and soft drink bottles. Appropriate product applications are to be identified and promoted in India.

Depending upon the capacity, a passenger airline per trip generates 5-10 kg. of plastics waste. This includes PE/PP film, PS cups, PVC/PET bottles. This waste is identified and graded at source and goes for ready recycling.