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<\/p>\nPlastics friend or foe ?<\/p>\n
by Vipin Kumar<\/p>\n
Dehradun, Nov 8<\/p>\n
The year was 1909 when Leo Hendrick Bakeland invented a synthetic resin called as plastics,
\nwhich was hard and brittle. It was called as Bakelite a popular trading name which even today
\nis used in electric switches as a standard insulator. After the second world war Dupont
\ninvented nylon and a new era began in the textile industry. With the moulding of PET jars in
\nthe year 1970 plastic become a popular house hold name with a mammoth increase in the
\nuse of non-ferrous materials finding its way from kitchen to drawing room , from streets to
\nmotor industry and from earth to space.
\nThe tailoring of raw plastics in different forms of consumables revolutionized the packaging
\nindustry which found a cheap substitute in plastics. Its use though saved natural resources
\nyet it bred a problem of gigantic nature in the form of dunes and dumps of plastics tinting the
\nlandscape with unimaginable shades of colours. Plastics had arrived along with the problem
\nof its scientific end use disposal.
\nPlastics are synthesized from gaseous monomers through condensation in the petrochemical
\nindustries while refining the crude oil. They form long chains of carbon and hydrogen hard
\nto fragment or break. The remarkable stability of the substance is both a boon and a curse .
\nThe long shelf period of food quality ,easy handling and low cost in transportation has proved
\nto be a blessing while the Satanic side refuses to obey the laws of nature in terms of
\ndecomposition and disintegration. All plastics appear to be the same but hey are different
\nfrom each other in their composition and nature. The polymeric constitution is such that they
\nare non-compatible and as such have to follow a different path of recycling.<\/p>\n
Chemical composition and end use of some commonly used plastics<\/p>\n
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(Note; Thermoplastics = They can be repeatedly softened and remolded. The thermoplastics
\ncan be easily handled through extrusion, blow moulding calendaring etc. They have a wide
\nuse in packing industry and in our daily lives.)<\/p>\n
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The plastics commonly used for packaging purpose are called Thermoplastics as they
\nare flexible at normal temperatures. The Thermosetting plastics help in cross linkingof different plastics after heating to make durable and heat resistant materials. They
\nare used for orthopedic and dental devices. They cannot be melted and re-processed.
\nThe Elasotmer plastics are amorphous with low cross-link density. They are highly
\nelastic and are widely used in bio-materials in cardiovascular and soft tissue
\napplications. They can be re-processed like the thermoplastics.
\nThe range and array of plastics is so diversified that it is very difficult to identify them
\nfrom each other. The rapid growth of the plastic industry in post second world war
\nyears has been phenomenal. However, the nearest point of urgent attention is the
\ncontraction of land dump sites in urban areas which are overflowing with plastic
\ntrash. The chemical stability and immunity to physical processes has further
\ncompounded the problem of their disposal. The short cut methods of burning
\nunsegregated post consumer waste has the potential to cause irreparable damage to
\nthe eco-system.
\nThe plastic industry while expanding its domain in every sphere of life has treated
\nthe environment as a market through propagating the message of saving the planet,
\nas a plastic use promoting strategy. The advantages in terms of resource and
\nenergy conservation which are inherent in this miraculous substance has undeniably
\nmade it as the most accepted material the world over. The element of durability which
\nis an additional advantage of this material has driven out the traditional house hold
\ngadgets. The terra cotta crockery which not long ago was widely used in ceremonial
\nget to gathers has been lost into oblivion and so are the artisans. Plastics have
\nsurvived outliving the traditional packing materials.
\nAn another point in the asking is that why plastics like other packing material do not
\nhave instant recovery form dump sites ? The answer to the same lies in the
\nindifference of the plastic manufacturers who do not support their own discarded
\npackings through value addition. The inherent advantages of metal and glass recovery
\nnot only yield good returns but are also easy to be segregated. Plastics on the other
\nhand remain littered due to indifference on the part of the manufacturers and the user
\nalike. It is here that Plastics become villains form heroes.
\nThe world is living with plastics and will have to continue living with them. The global
\nconsumption of plastics the world over has touched the 200 million tons mark. The
\nscenario appears to be fearsome but there are ways and means which if adopted can
\nhelp in not only keeping the environment healthy but also help evolve a culture of
\nresource recovery and energy conservation. A multi pronged strategy encompassing
\ndifferent components of plastic consumption and end use pattern needs to be evolved.
\nThe short cut methods of incineration and burning will have to be done away with ,as
\nit reduces plastics to monomers. The process also leads to emission of dioxins which
\nare known carcinogens. Their entry in the human body through bio-accumulation in
\nplants and animals has been established by scientists.
\nThe solution to the problem lies in recycling which though is complicated yet not
\nimpossible. As a strategy all plastics are to be collected clean as far as possible
\nfollowed with segregation with linkage for end use disposal through recycling. It
\nimplies that it needs to have a chain which is supported through value addition like
\nused paper ,metal and glass . It should also be ensured that there is a comprehensive policy for industries on \u201cclosed substance\u201d cycle which guarantees the use of such
\nmaterial which can be recovered and recycled. An another important issue is to mark
\nthe plastics with a cryptic mark for polymer distinction so that polymer non-compatibility
\ncan be taken care of. At a policy level it is essential that the polymer is
\nlooked upon as a resource from \u201ccradle to grave\u201d.
\nIn this new millennium it is all the more important to understand the delicate balance
\nbetween man and his environment. Use of any resource is nature\u2019s bounty to man
\n,however, its misuse and over use leads to human triggered disasters which are far
\nmore catastrophic than the natural disasters. It is high time that the \u201cprinciple of
\ncommunity environment protection liability regime\u201dbe encouraged for adopting
\nscientific waste management for conservation of resources. Management from the
\ntop is always ephemeral and as such holistic principles of roping in the community
\nright from the grass root level is the need of the day. Legislation become a matter of
\nacademic interest unless they are provided a fertile ground to breed and thrive. The
\nantiquated mind set has to be replaced with fresh thinking for keeping our landscapes
\nclean and healthy.<\/p>\n
( Vipin Kumar is an eminent environmentalist who has worked in managing the plastics in the entire Himalayan region particularly in\u00a0 Uttarakhand.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Plastics friend or foe ? by Vipin Kumar Dehradun, Nov 8 The year was 1909 when Leo Hendrick Bakeland invented a synthetic resin called as plastics, which was hard and brittle. It was called as Bakelite a popular trading name which even today is used in electric switches as a standard insulator. After the second …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2688,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,78,92,62,33,91,56,59],"tags":[110,887,886,885],"class_list":["post-2683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-featured","category-health","category-international","category-national","category-politics","category-uttarakhand","tag-environment","tag-plastic-reuse","tag-plastic-waste-management","tag-plastics"],"yoast_head":"\n