Say No!

- to Plastic Bags

WHAT ARE PLASTICS?

Plastics are synthetic substances produced by chemical reactions. Almost all plastics
are made from petroleum, except a few experimental resins derived from corn and other
organic substances.

"Plastics" derived their name from

their properties to be molded, cast,
extruded or processed into a variety of
forms, including solid objects, films
and filaments. These properties arise
from their molecular structure. Plastics
are polymers, very long chain
molecules that consist of subunits
(monomers) linked together by
chemical bonds. The monomers of
petrochemical plastics are inorganic
materials (such as styrene) and are
not biodegradable.

Plastic has many properties which has made it a raw material of choice for
Manufactures of plastic Bags and packing materials. Cost of production, light

weight, strength, easy process of manufacture, and availability are few of the properties.
There is nothing wrong with plastic as a material. Man has simply not put the plastic to
the right use/ or using it without taking proper care of other related norms of usage.

PLASTIC AS PACKING MATERIAL

Plastic has replaced the traditional material ( paper/cloth etc) as packing and carry bags
because of cost and convenience which is possibly a wrong choice of material for such
use. Even though plastic bags can preserve food and can be used for growing
vegetables in a controlled environment, their method of disposal has creates
unprecedented pollution problem.

Plastic has many more uses other than Plastic Bags and Packing material. It is used for
manufacturing of protective covers and parts for many machines, which should be the
preferred utility for plastic.

SHOPPING CULTURE IN EARLIER DAYS ( Pre Plastic age 1970 + )

 Before the advent of poly-bags, people did shop, buy
things, bring eatables from the market, and did the
same marketing as is done now. How did they did it?
The raw material for the bag was decided by its usage.
Cloth bags for lighter items, Gunny bags/Jute bags
for voluminous and heavier goods. The cost did not
justify use and discard attitude. These bags were
washable and reusable lasting for six months to a
year. 

PLASTIC HAZARDS

The hazards plastics pose

are numerous. The land
gets littered by plastic bag
garbage presenting an ugly
and unhygienic seen. The "Throw away culture" results in
these bags finding their way in to the city drainage system,
the resulting blockage cases inconvenience, difficult in
maintaining the drainage with increased cost, creates
unhygienic environment resulting in health hazard and
spreading of water borne diseases. This littering also
reduces rate of rain water percolating, resulting in lowering
of already low water levels in our cities. The soil fertility
deteriorates as the plastic bags form part of manure remain
in the soil for years.

It has been observed that the animals

eating the bags sometimes die. Plastic
goes into the ocean which is already a
plastic infested body of water. Fish
and other marine species in the water
ways, misunderstanding plastic
garbage as food items swallow them
and die. 

SHOULD PLASTIC BE TOTALLY

BANNED?

Many household utility items like

needle, scissors, blades can heart if
not handled properly. Children need to be trained in their proper handling. These utility
items are not banned. But because of throw away culture and no objection from passer
by, the advise on sensible disposal of plastic bags are not heeded by general public
forcing the government to consider banning of plastic bags all together.

"Should plastic carry bags and bottles be banned in totality?" - is a heated issue today.
Average Indian uses one kilogram  (kg) of plastics per year, the world annual average is
a alarming 18 kg. But too many do it as our cities have huge population. The country yet
to take a serious view of the issue and have a uniform nation-wide law for indiscreet
disposals of plastic bags. People should be educated on the proper ways of plastic bag
usage and the disposal. The teaching should start right from the primary schools. 

"Plastic is an eco-friendly material. The real problem is littering", some claim. But there
is hardly anybody who agrees with such viewpoint. 

Thinking rationally, the whole idea of educating people about plastic bags, although very
ambitious, and it is as difficult as banning smoking The conventional older and tested
alternatives offers an easy, if not fully equitable and practical solution. 

And all the hype that poly-bags pollute is not totally false. It is not that poly-bags are
responsible for the ills, of course not, it is the humans. It is ignorance ( or who cares
attitude). We have not banned sewing needles they pierce through the skin. It's a stupid
idea. Whether it is the common citizen, the government official or the hard-hit plastic
bag manufacturer, all of them agree on one point - firm steps are required to be taken
against littering of plastic bags and bottles all around.

THE GLOBAL DIMENSION 

More than a 100 million tonnes of plastic is produced world-wide each year. Though
plastics have opened the way for a plethora of new inventions and devices it has also
ended up clogging the drains and becoming a health hazard. Many countries, including
India, are trying to increase the amount of plastic that is recycled. But commercial
interests create hindrance for effective legislation to remove plastics from goods where
they can threaten public health. Also there is a clear trend of shipping off the plastic
waste of developed countries to under developed and developing countries. India
imported 7,841.8 metric tonnes of plastic waste from the US in the first half of 1994.
India is the fourth highest Asian importer of plastic waste behind Hong Kong,
Philippines, Indonesia.

FUTURE ALTERNATIVE - ECO-FRIENDLY PLASTICS 

 However newer technology is also being developed in this
regard. This entails the use of DEGRADABLE PLASTICS.
The principal is to incorporate into the plastic some
chemical that is photodegradable/biodegradable or
chemically treatable.

By adding starch, biodegradable plastics are generally

made. On burial such plastics are attacked by bacteria
feeding on starch, which breaks these down into tiny
particles that disappear harmlessly into the soil. Some
common examples of biodegradable plastics are the use of
"non-removable" suture materials in surgery or capsules for
drugs, which dissolve slowly in body fluids. 

Chemically degradable plastics can be broken up by spraying them with a solution that
causes them to dissolve. For example such material can be used as a protective wax
covering for new cars, that washes off at the dealer's garage by a specially formulated
spray. This spray reacts with one of the components of the plastic and causes it to
dissolve into harmless materials which can be flushed down the drain.

Photo-degradable plastics contain chemicals that slowly disintegrate when exposed to

light. In France, strips of photo-degradable plastic about 3 ft (1mtr) wide are used to
retain heat in the soil and produce early crops. They last for about 1 to 3 years before
rotting into the soil. But they have to be used in places with consistent amount of
sunshine so that they decay at a predictable rate. In the USA, about one quarter of the
plastic yokes that link beer cans in a six pack are made of plastic called Ecolyte, which
is photo-degradable. But to stop them decaying too early, they must be stored away
from direct sunlight, which can be of some inconvenience to the retailer. 

However degradable plastic can have a few other problems. For example, it cannot be
recycled because there is no easy way to measure it's remaining life span. The biggest
drawback is the cost of it's production. Japanese scientists however claim that they will
soon be able to produce much cheaper multipurpose biodegradable plastic. In order to
obviate the disposal problems and to prevent 

Environmental pollution caused by routinely used polythene packaging materials, it

would be prudent , for the present, to use eco-friendly paper packaging. The
manufacturers of plastic packaging like soft drink bottles/mineral water bottles etc must
come forward and develop appropriate methods of disposal/own responsibility for
disposal.
A ban on plastic bags (below 20 microns) has already been imposed by various states
and also in a few towns and districts in India. It is going to extend this to other parts of
the country also.

Plastic bags are so light and strong that they can carry normal weight, cheap and is
used in all types of shops in our daily life. For example: bakeries, medical shops,
grocery stores, hotels, etc. People are so accustomed to it, that they find it very difficult
to part with it. Plastic bags have made it possible for people to go without bags to
market or work place as these bags are availably for asking and can be thrown without
a second thought.

People who go on picnics, visiting historic places, hill

stations etc., to enjoy their holidays or just for a change
carry with them eatables in containers, plastic bags, mineral
water bottles (plastic), plastic plates and plastic cups and
generally leave it in the open air after consuming the
contents. One can find this in tourist centres scattered all
over. Road-side vendors also use plastic cups to serve
coffee or tea. The customers throw these cups on foot
paths or near drains after consuming the contents.

These plastic materials are so light that they are carried

away by the speed of the moving vehicle, wind etc.,
scattered all over, making the surroundings look ugly.
There are instances wherein these materials have clogged the underground drains.
People are in the habit of throwing things they don't need wherever they like irrespective
of the final result. People should be specially educated regarding the use of plastic in
our daily life, as it is environment unfriendly. Boys and girls, men and women with bags
on their backs and a stick in one hand walking long distances, picking up plastic waste,
paper, bottles etc., from dust bins, road sides, is a common sight in Bangalore. These
rag pickers sell the waste collected, to the collection centre to earn their livelihood.
These materials are recycled. Bangalorians must be grateful to them, as they dispose
off a part of non-degradable waste material, 'plastic', in particular. The BMP has given
on contract basis, the cleaning of roads in residential areas and other parts of the city.

The waste materials collected are of all types including plastic materials, such as plastic
bags, plastic cups, plastic bottles etc. Instead of carrying these wastes away, they are
burnt on the road side polluting the area with thick smoke which produce toxic gases
(because of burning of plastic material) posing a health hazard. Inhaling of such gases
causes lung diseases and even cancer. They resort to burning of waste material with
the main intention of reducing the number of trips a lorry has to take. Burning of waste
material in public is a serious offence and violation of Corporation bylaws.

This should be properly monitored by the Health Department of the BMP and immediate
action taken on violators. Arrangements must be made to segregate recycling items
such as plastic, paper, glass etc. Leaves and other degradable waste can be converted
into manure. While traveling in trains, we generally find coffee and tea being served in
plastic cups (use and throw) which the traveling public after consuming it throw them
away in village fields and field channels on the way. There is the likelihood of this
collecting near the outlet of the channel obstructing the free flow of water into the fields.
Plastic being non-degradable, when buried under the ground, arrest the percolation of
water into the ground. Animals grazing in the field consuming this plastic waste along
with grass cannot be ruled out. Now-a-days, in almost all functions, it has become a
practice to use thin plastic sheets to cover the dining tables to give it a good look and
also so that it is easy to clean the table, as left over can be removed by rolling the sheet
at a stretch. These are thrown near the dust bin.

Besides this, thin plastic cups are also used for drinking water, which also finds a place
in the dust bin. One can find near the dust bin, waiting slum children, crows, stray cows,
dogs to share the leftovers. In this process, they fight amongst themselves and stray
cows in majority of cases have consumed thin plastic sheets along with left over,
leading to untold sufferings and also found dead on many occasions. It is therefore,
suggested that a ban be placed on the use of plastic sheets, plastic cups, along with
plastic bags. Plastic industries manufacturing plastic bags (below 20 microns) thin
sheets, thin cups and thin bottles, should be informed about its ill-effects on the
environment and advised not to manufacture such items.

If the industry is located in a residential area, action should be taken to shift it

immediately. The factory management should take all measures to control the pollution
created, within the stipulated norms by the KSPB and the pollution board should monitor
it regularly. The public should be educated regarding littering dumping and unnecessary
burning of wastes. The Health Department of the BMP, municipalities of cities and
towns, Karnataka Pollution Board has a greater role to play in making Karnataka eco-
friendly and a place to live in safely for the future generation. 

THE SOLUTION

The solution lies in finding

1. alternative suitable for making Bags and packing material at competitive rate and
convenience without having any negative aspect.
2. R&d to make plastic more environment friendly.
3. Educate users to the right disposal methods. 
4. Reduce the no of users by reducing the population in the long run.
5. Process vegetable. etc to higher density so as to reduce the no of bags required to
pack and carry. 6. Encourage reusable bags from traditional materials by suitable
advertisements to make it fashionable. ( this may be the overwhelming factor in favour
of traditional material). ( Ladies use bags made of snake skin/ rabbit skin/lion skin etc
only for fashion and looks )
7. Cost of mfg bags with traditional material can be subsidized by printing advertisement
on the bags.

In recent times due to widespread awareness drive by NGOS and government and to
lesser extent by educational institutions has resulted in increasing the consciousness
among few shopkeepers they have shifted back to the old system of wrapping up goods
in paper bags or newspapers, Some people are slowly getting habituated to going to the
market with cloth bags. Besides a few NGOs, even school students have come forward
to take up a promotion campaign for the use of paper or cloth bags.

It has also been suggested "Rather than spending money on anti-plastic campaign, the
authorities should gear up its machinery for effective waste management and disposal
of plastic". 

Unfortunately, many states do not have units to recycle the plastic while the plastic
manufacturers are not prepared to take it up as a social responsibility. 

The plastics industry is jumping on the "green" bandwagon with a new line of
"environmentally safe" products. In reality, these products are no friend of the
environment.

Each year, as industry produces more and more nonessential products individually and
excessively packaged, we throw away more and more trash. To a large extent, our
garbage problem is a result of a corporate ethic that puts profits before people -- and
the environment. Industry is pushing disposability because it pays. Plastic razors can
only be used a few times before disposal, then more must be bought, making the plastic
and razor industries rich and happy. Appliances designed to become obsolete
guarantee you'll have to buy new ones next year.

Over 84 percent (by weight) of municipal solid waste could be reused, recycled or
composted instead of being buried or burned. An exception is plastic, which comprises
about 7 percent by weight or 20 percent by volume of municipal solid waste. Due to
technical and financial limitations, less than ten percent of plastic is currently "recycled."
Furthermore, "plastic recycling" only defers the plastic disposal problem, since most
plastic items can only be manufactured from virgin plastic. Recycled polystyrene foam
(also known by the brand name Styrofoam) can be used to build marine docks but not
to make a new polystyrene foam cup. New plastic will have to be produced from non-
renewable oil stocks to make those cups, and eventually all the plastic will have to be
disposed of.

The Plastic Panacea

In 1989, the U.S. used over twelve billion pounds of plastic for packaging designed to
be thrown away as soon as the package is opened. In the 1990s, this figure doubled.
Fortunately, more and more people are becoming aware of the damage plastic does to
the environment. They are speaking out against it, protesting irresponsible industries
and getting laws passed banning polystyrene and other plastics.

However, the plastic itself, which generally comprises over 90 percent of the material, is
not biodegradable. Although so-called "biodegradable" plastic products typically contain
chemicals that help them fragment, the additives do not render the plastic
biodegradable.

The second technique is simply bad science. Manufacturers conclude from poorly
designed tests that the actual plastic in a "degradable" plastic product is converted to
fragments that can be consumed by microorganisms. Having examined data from actual
tests of biodegradability, we only find evidence that plastics are not fully metabolized by
microorganisms. Therefore they are not legitimately entitled to the term "biodegradable"
and may leave behind harmful fragments of plastic and plastic additives.

Plastic Production: Environmental Nightmare

While the plastic industry promotes its new "environmentally friendly" products, they
deliberately ignore the highly toxic nature of plastic production, whether the product is
called "degradable," "recyclable" or any other "green marketing" catchword.

Among the 47 chemical plants ranked highest in carcinogenic emissions by the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 35 are involved in plastic production. Certain
plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used for indoor and outdoor plumbing,
electrical cables and countless other products, are potential sources of highly toxic
dioxins when burned in municipal incinerators or in accidental fires. Polystyrene foam
products are often made with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro
chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), both of which are ozone-destroying chemicals.

In sum, there is no good evidence that "degradable" plastics actually eliminate the
environmental hazards associated with ordinary plastics. But there is good evidence
that the real purpose of marketing these products is not so much environmental
improvement as it is to cash in on the American public's desire for environmental
improvement. 

"[Degradable bags] are not the answer to landfill crowding or littering . . . Degradability
is just a marketing tool. We're talking out of both sides of our mouths because we want
to sell bags. I don't think the average consumer even knows what degradability means.
Customers don't care if it even solves the solid-waste problem. It makes them feel
good." -- Mobil Chemical Company spokesperson.

Educated choices by both producers and consumers, followed by efficient recycling, can
drastically reduce worldwide pollution. Right now we are recycling only one percent
nationwide, although some communities do far better than that, recycling 50 percent or
more of their solid waste. Every year, we throw out enough aluminum to quadruple the
size of our air fleet, enough steel to literally rebuild Manhattan and enough wood and
paper to heat 5 million homes for 200 years.

With current technology we can recycle newspaper, office paper, cardboard, glass
bottles, aluminum cans, scrap metals, large appliances, automobile tires and motor oil.

Paper bags: expensive but biodegradable

A CASE STUDY -

POLYTHENE BABA: BABA WHO MAKES PLASTICS DISAPPEAR !!

Prabhat K Upreti, a college, lecturer lovingly called the "polythene baba" after his
successful campaign against polythene bags in the Pithoragarh valley in Uttar Pradesh.
Prabhat K Upreti, along with seven other residents of Pithoragarh have proved that
where there is a will there is a way, even without the help from the local administration.
They have also shown that sustainable campaigns can be successful even with meager
funds.

Pithoragarh is around 215 kilometres from Kathgodam. When Upreti, a lecturer, was
transferred to the Government Post Graduate College in Pithoragarh, he found that the
Chandrabhaga river, which flows nearby, was clogged with plastic bags. Upreti then
approached the municipal corporation but it did not respond.

Therefore, he decided to take help from the local people and slowly started cleaning
drive which gained momentum with time. His colleagues as well as people from all
walks of life teachers, journalists, ex-army officers, doctors, shopkeepers and school
children all joined his drive against the menace of plastic bags. After a report on Upretis
campaign was published in Amar Ujala, a local newspaper, and its internet edition he
received numerous letters and phone calls supporting the campaign.

"We targeted the shopkeepers first, especially the wholesalers of plastic bags," says C
S Negi, one of the members of Upreti's anti-plastic campaign group. The wholesalers
understanding the gravity of the problem stopped supplying plastic bags in Pithoragarh. 

"Every Sunday we would go to various residential areas and pick up plastic bags from
the roads and clear clogged drains with our own hands. At first the residents were a little
amused but once the area was cleaned they understood the importance of our work and
started joining the movement. Our belief was that we have to show the way and then
only people will listen to our message," reminisces Negi. The team with the help of
schoolchildren also painted posters, distributed leaflets and organized meetings to
sensitize people about the harmful effects of plastic. The members paid all expenses
from their own pocket.

They also took the anti-polythene message to the neighboring areas like Munshiyari,
Julaghat, Chandag and Champawat. The message spread to Almora, Haldwani and
Nainital as well. 

This is not the first campaign that Upreti has been a part of. Earlier he had campaigned
against plastics in Gopeshwar in 1998. "I saw the ponds in Gopeshwar littered with
plastic bags. Several cows were found dead with bloated stomachs full of polythene
bags," he says.

"I met a farmer in Gopeshwar who told me that birds were destroying their crops
because they could not eat garbage, since everything was being packed in a polythene
bag before being thrown," he added. 

However, at Gopeshwar shopkeepers were not enthusiastic about Upretis campaign.

"The then district magistrate Uma Kant Pawar helped me a lot and he imposed a fine of
Rs 5,000 on anyone found dumping plastic bags. After the fine was announced people
started listening," he said.

But for now, Upreti is happy. After seven months of hard work Pithoragarh is polythene
free except for some stray cases. "Paper bags are more expensive, but since the
customers have said an emphatic no to them we have to abide by their wish," says a
shopkeeper. For some the cause was more important than their business interests.
Mahesh Joshi, a printing press owner is one of them. "I get a lot of orders to print logos
on plastic bags but I refuse to do it. Of course this means loosing a lot of money but as
it is for a good cause, I do not mind," says Joshi. 

The movement has also created job opportunities for many poor families, as they are
able to make paper bags and sell them. However, the activists are sad that the local
administration has not done much about their cause. Upreti fears that in the coming
days things might change if the campaign is not sustained. 

Biodegradable Plastic

Once upon a time, household plastic products stayed unchanged in landfills, in forests,
in oceans and along the side of the road for hundreds of years, creating environmental
issues throughout the world. Finally, the technology is available to put this problem to
rest. 

Recycling is beneficial when natural resources are truly saved. However, in many cases
the recycling of products such as trash bags and food packaging consumes more
natural resources than simply throwing the products away and making new. 

ECM Bio-Films, Inc., located in Painesville, Ohio, produces an additive that enables
common plastics to naturally biodegrade. Since very small amounts of the additive are
needed during manufacturing, the physical properties, functionality and appearance of
the finished products remain the same.

This biodegradation process can take place aerobically and an aerobically. It can take
place with or without the presence of light. These factors allow for biodegradation even
in landfill conditions that are normally not conducive to any degradation.