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Innovative packaging solutions in view of single use plastic ban
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Tuesday, 16 November, 2021, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Karan Chechi
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On India’s 73rd Independence Day and even in “Mann ki Baat” on 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation, the Prime Minister appealed to every citizen of the country to make the country free from single use of plastics and work towards it with full dedication.
He urged technocrats to provide smarter solutions for reusing and recycling of plastic. Shop owners were fined to give out plastic carry bags in order to bring more awareness and make people more conscious. According to the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, India has defined single-use plastic as ‘disposable plastics that are commonly used for packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled’.
The items which are included in the list are carry bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups, and cutlery. India generated an annual waste of 34,69,780 tons of plastic waste in 2018-2019 and 23.83.469 tons in 2017-2018. According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, out of the total plastic generated, approximately 60% is contributed by plastic packaging. Plastic can emit hazardous chemicals into the soil, which can eventually seep into groundwater or other nearby water sources, affecting the global ecology. The species that drink the water may suffer catastrophic consequences as a result of this.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government notifies the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting identified single use plastic items by 2022 with effect from July 1, 2022:
- The manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of the following single use plastic commodities, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, will be prohibited.
- The India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021 has been organized for students of Higher Educational Institutions and start-ups recognised under the Start-up India Initiative to encourage innovations in the development of alternatives to identified single-use plastic items and digital solutions to plastic waste management.
- Plastic packaging waste is not listed for being phased out. Rather, it was proposed through the extended producer responsibility (EPR), of the producer, importer, and brand owner (PIBO), that it should be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way.
- From September 30, 2021, thickness of plastic carry bags increased from 50 to 75 microns and to 120 microns with effect from December 31, 2022.
Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals conducted the assessment by comparing two pillars: the utility index of a specific type of SUP and its environmental impact.
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Utility
Index- Parameters (100)
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Environmental
Impact- Parameters (100)
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Hygiene
(20)
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Collectability
(20)
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Product
safety (20)
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Recyclability
(20)
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Essentiality
(20)
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Possibility
of end-of-life solutions (20)
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Social
impact (20)
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Environmental
impact of alternate products (20)
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Economic
impact (20)
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Littering
propensity (20)
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Phase out schedule starting from September 30, 2021,to July 1, 2022, Single use Plastic mostly those manufactured by small and medium industries will be phased out.
Category
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Item
no.
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Item
Name
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Phase
out Date
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1
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Carry
bags
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Carry
bag made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 75 microns in
thickness
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30.09.2021
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Carry
bag made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 120 microns in
thickness
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31.12.2022
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2
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Non-woven
plastic carry bags
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Non-woven
plastic carry bag less than 60 GSM (Grams per square meter) or
240 microns in thickness
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30.09.2021
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3
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Single
use plastic (including polystyrene & expanded polystyrene)
items
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Ear
buds with plastic sticks
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01.07.2022
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Plastic
sticks for balloons
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Plastic
flags
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Candy
sticks
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Ice-cream
sticks
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Polystyrene
(thermocol) for decoration
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Plates
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Cups
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Glasses
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Forks
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Spoons
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Knives
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Straw
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Trays
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Wrapping
or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards and
cigarette packets
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Plastic
PVC banners less than 100 microns
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Stirrers
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To mitigate the problem of accumulating plastic waste in the environment, there is a need to make/develop a substitute for single-use plastic. Best alternatives to plastic packaging are: - Glass: Glass is non-biodegradable, but it is inert and can be recycled infinitely. Upcycling of packaged food jars into food storage is the best way to give food packaging a new life. They can also be repurposed to store homemade food or can be decorated and turned into homemade gifts. Consumer good companies which are providing processed foods or beverages have started to explore alternatives for plastic packaging and include glass, tin cans, and tetra packs to mitigate the mounting concerns over plastic waste. Processed food makers such as Cremica have reduced plastic consumption by reducing laminate in packaging. The company has also considered glass as an alternative but will also have to balance cost, which is increased due to glass packaging.
- Biodegradable Bags: Similarly, the new packaging snack bag developed by PepsiCo is biobased and is 100% compostable and made from plant-based material. 60% fewer greenhouse gases are emitted from the production of material used in theses bags as compared to traditional packaging material.
- Paper Bottle: Another alternative used by PepsiCo to reduce plastic waste is a paper bottle (Pulpex), which is made from sustainably sourced pulp and is designed in such a manner that it is fully recyclable in standard paper streams and has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Pulpex has been successful in overcoming the challenge of holding liquids in it.
- ECO-Box: Proctor & Gamble’s (P&G) laundry detergent brand Tide is known for packaging detergent in plastic bottles. However, to reduce plastic waste, P&G collaborated with amazon and came up with ECO boxes to promote waste reduction and environmental conservation. This box has 60% less plastic and 30% less water as compared to the company’s previous plastic packaging.
- Bioplastic/Compostable Shrink Wrap: It is a bioplastic made up of Mater-Bi, a plantbased resin and can be used as a replacement for single-use shrink wraps for fruits and vegetables mostly found in supermarkets and grocery stores.
- Palm Leaves: Areca Palm tree is used to produce palm leaf packaging for food such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Arekapak - a functional and aesthetic alternative to conventional packaging is used to produce casserole dishes or lunch boxes. Production of Arekapak takes place locally in India. Apart from being sustainable and biodegradable, palm leaves also impart a unique earthy flavour to the packaged food.
- Bagasse: It is made from renewable sugarcane and is 100% biodegradable, compostable and a chlorine free alternative compared to styrene alternatives. It is mainly suitable for hot and cold food and can be microwaved or stored in freezers.
Today the world produces around 300 million tons of plastic every year which is somewhat equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Research is still going on to counter plastic pollution and limiting the use of single use plastic as it contributes to over 60% of total plastic pollution. IIT Bombay has developed plastic like films for the packaging industry which are made from edible sugar-based or fat-based biopolymers, non-toxic and gets degraded in about a week or month. Scaling up the manufacturing of biodegradable films has been started by a Chennai based company, and more such innovations with government support and banning the use of plastic will help the world to tackle the issue of plastic pollution. (The author is research director at TechSci. He can be reached at sales@techsciresearch.com)
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