Demonizing plastic (should we?)

[Mahazareen Dastur]

I have often wondered whether I am doing the right thing by using anything that looks like plastic or buying anything remotely associated with it. Let's think about it... the packaged lentils we buy, the nylon and polyester we wear, the Amul milk the kids have each morning, the rain coats they use in the rains, the books I order off flipkart.com (they come shrink-wrapped in clingfilm), the computer you are using to read this blogpost, bullet-proof vests (nope, I don't need those but I thought it would be fun adding it in here), toys, PVC piping, and an endless list of consumer paraphernalia that comes wrapped in plastic (such as the underside of the wrapper of your bathing soap)... I must confess that while the answer is still not clear in my mind, I am swaying towards the "plastic ain't that bad" argument (I guess some people might say I am not environmentally friendly—not true!). But before I get mobbed, let me explain.

About.com's page on Inventors reports that "The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes who publicly demonstrated it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. The material called Parkesine was an organic material derived from cellulose that once heated could be molded, and retained its shape when cooled." Like many inventions that changed the way we live, this one too was an accident. Apparently, his interest in plastic stemmed from wanting to make billiard balls out of it (I guess it must have been a popular game back then). R&D related to the creation of white chalkboards gave rise to yet another kind of plastic (this one used milk protein mixed with formaldehyde), and I guess it just went on and on after that.

Above: What do cattle and plastic have in common? Treated cattle horns served as the first inspiration for plastics. Materials that mimicked the properties of horns were developed by combining milk proteins and lye (traditionally used in soap making). 

(Image: www.bbc.co.uk)

The reason plastic really took off the way it did, and continues to do so well today can be summed up in one word—convenience. Plastics last an age (literally; plastics take between 500 to 1,000 years to degrade once you shuck them into a landfill), so one would ostensibly not need to replace plastic items for a long time. Plastic storage containers are stronger and more durable compared to waxed paper containers. Plastic is also cheaper than most metals. It can be molded into nifty shapes and can take on pretty colors. It is cheap to produce and easy to clean. Without the use of plastics, the product life of some major appliances would reportedly reduce by nearly 50 percent. According to the same source, today's major appliances would cost at least 25 percent more and use 30 percent more energy than similar products produced without plastics. In short, it is EVERYWHERE.

Above: Plastic is everywhere. You can find it in the oceans too!

(Image: http://www.toonpool.com)

Then, why is plastic so reviled? For one thing, it is not biodegradable (like I said, plastic lasts an age). Trashed plastic bags are useless and ugly. Carelessly discarded plastic bags were blamed for the 2005 deluge in Mumbai (there are other reasons too, but I won't go into that here.) In the US, plastic is said to account for 16 percent of all municipal solid waste, with 50 to 80 percent littering beaches, oceans, and seabeds. It appears then that we are predominantly looking at the disposal end of plastic when we think about all the problems it causes. Numerous studies in life cycle assessment have in fact showed that all things considered, plastic beats paper in environmental terms.

The latest monster to rear its ugly head and urge naysayers against plastic is BPA or Bisphenol A. With the exception of USA and Europe, BPA is used in the synthesis of a number of plastic items such as baby bottles, sports equipment and certain medical devices. It is a known endocrine disruptor, and understandably, has people worried. However, a blanket ban on BPA in plastics is helping to solve the problem.

Having said that, there is no denying that plastic is here to stay. So, how do we deal with the problem? Demonizing plastic is easy, but where do we go from there? I feel the answer lies in better recycling rates, and of course, creating awareness about the issue. The  local kabadiwallah (junk or scrap dealer) serves as the unofficial recycler of plastics in India, but much more needs to be done. There is no other (formal, government-sponsored) recycling infrastructure to speak of. Demand for post-consumer plastics needs to be stepped up. This can be done with careful realigning of policies to the effect. Local governments in particular need to enact and implement laws with teeth. In my view, clever (eco-friendly) product design can help win half the battle (but that's the subject of another post).

Unfortunately, we often fail miserably on most counts. The truth is that every article we use, every action we take, every discovery we make, has the potential to distort our environment. Nothing is environmentally benign. It is how we deal with the issue that matters.

This post originally appeared at http://mahazareendastur.blogspot.in/.

[Paromita Ray]

i somehow agree with mahazareen, and to add to that we should also look at the other side of the story. often to substitute plastics, paper bags are used. in delhi, after the plastic ban drive, paper bags have become a common sight in the shops, both local and the big showrooms. we being environmentalists rejoice this change. however, we forget that to make these paper bags millions of trees are being cut and whole forests are being destroyed across the country and across the world. though plastics have very toxic effects if not disposed properly and they are non-biodegradable. but maybe using recyclable plastics can be lot better than using paper bags and destroying the forests...which invariably leads to global warming and many other issues. or may be adopting a middle path would be a viable solution but this debate is here to stay i guess.

[Vinodh Valluri]

Good analysis! I differ much from the conclusions, though. Recycling is a solution, but a very flawed one, as we are seeing here in the US. Annie Leonard speaks about plastics in her 'Story of Stuff" mentioning that unless consumption rates go down, it is foolish to expect recycling to solve the plastic problem for us. Yes, recycling is good, but not good enough. Compostable/ biodegradable plastics, which are now popular for cutlery and plates, are also naive solutions, but better than the BPA stuff.. Leaf plates, mam, that's the way to do it.. :) The real solution is to revert - to simplicity as a principle, to living with Nature as a working lifestyle. Hordes of people in the US are already taking this up; for instance, reusable cloth bags for shopping is the hot trend now, although it should be more than just a trend..  It's gonna pick up soon in India.. 

[Dr. Dharmendra]

Dear Mahazareen Dastur , No one Demonizing plastic, It is just a business Some time by politician, Extra motivated researchers for earning their name and credits. We confronted every myth that confounded decision makers, public and media alike.

But truly speaking this is your good effort to spread such nice information.

[kamla ravikumar]

Our Country is proud to be the initiator of recycling through our "Kabadiwallahs" who take away out glass/plastic and old newspapers.While garbage colection agencies quote a very high price to Municipal corporations to collect our garbage if only we could be clever in our waste disposal methods we would not need these agaencies and our lanfills would not be so full.

While household garbage can be"managed"....the biggest problem is E-waste and Hospital waste.

As long as this job is in the hands of Govt. owned agencies it is Mis-managed.Only when private agencies take up the job they are supposed to be answerable and they also perform well.Why are Govt. agencies not answerable too?

[DR. KAWALJEET SINGH]

you touch a cord here. I am a paper man by profession. We have been at different ends with the plastic industry in the past on many occasions. We were happliy selling bread wrapped in wax paper, which was a rapidly expanding market. till one day, wax was linked to something. Overnight, the bread started to arrive in poly packs. No one did any LCA then.  Later, much later came the much hyped NMITLI project on manufacture of biodegradable plastics from agro residues. Patents were obtained by the NCL guys on this. Then silence.