Bioplastics for a Circular Economy: A Step Towards Sustainable Development in India
Exploring the Potential of Bioplastics in replacing conventional plastics to Close the Loop of India's resource consumption and waste generation?
The word “Plastic” has become no less than a cuss word, with its numerous negative environmental connotations. The total plastic waste generated in India in the year 2019-20 was around 3.4 million tonnes.[1] But what if there was a biodegradable, eco-friendly twin of plastic which works exactly the same minus the problems? This is not a hypothetical situation, but a reality in this day and age.?
The Problem of Plastic Waste in India: Challenges and Opportunities for Bioplastics?
Globally, the packaging sector consumes 42% of the total plastics produced, while the construction sector consumes 17%. In the case of India, 35% of the overall plastics produced is consumed by the packaging sector and 23% by the construction sector. [3].?
As a matter of fact, the life of conventional plastic is linear. A large quantity of manufactured plastic gets dumped in landfills (79%), while the remainder is incinerated (12%) or recycled (9%). [2]
The shift to a "circular plastic economy" is driven by the rising concern regarding the environmental effects of plastic waste and the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by plastic. A circular economy lowers the use of non-renewable resources and waste creation by emphasising reuse and recycling throughout the material life cycle.[2]
The use of bioplastics can facilitate this transition to a circular economy. Bio-plastic refers to plastic derived completely or partially from biomass. One of the key value propositions of bioplastics is the fact that they can facilitate a circular flow of materials by decomposing and then serving as inputs for the biological and production process taking place in the future. This aligns with the circular economy's strategy of reducing waste by recovering and recycling materials. [3]?
Bioplastics and the Circular Economy: Current Landscape in India?
In India, bioplastic production accounts for 1% of the 300 million tonnes of conventional plastics produced each year. Production of bioplastics in India has enormous potential as biomass is readily available at a large scale. The main raw materials used for the production of bioplastics in India are corn starch, woodchips, sawdust and vegetable fat and oils. [3]
Drivers for the growth of the bioplastic market in India are progressive research, enhanced consumer awareness and an inclination towards environmentally friendly commodities. However, the adoption of bioplastics in India has its own set of challenges. According to Rafey and Siddiqui, 2021, “Increased use of bioplastics would necessitate the use of significant amounts of land and water resources, resulting in intense competition among
various activities and a negative impact on the environment. Other significant environmental impacts of bioplastics include toxic chemical leaching from plastics during decomposition, PM10 emissions from sugar cane conversion, and a lack of properly researched and integrated LCA methodologies pertaining to the adverse effects of microplastics on the environment.”[3]
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Therefore, the production and use of bioplastics need technological advances such as :
Innovations in the Bioplastic segment in India?
Indian scientists are working on developing bioplastics. Recently, IIT-Guwahati made a breakthrough, and the new bioplastic is currently being produced commercially. The first biotechnology company with a focus on biodegradable goods in India is Biogreen. Indian companies like Truegreen, Plastobag, Ecolife, and Envigreen are already producing bioplastics. The Indian bioplastics market has grown significantly, thanks to numerous technological innovations.[5]
It is also worth noting that even our online convenience stores like Swiggy Instamart have taken a liking to bioplastics. They have replaced their conventional plastic carry bags with compostable bioplastic bags.?
Way Forward
The market of bioplastics in India is still at a nascent stage, however, the future looks promising. Bioplastics have a huge potential to reduce the plastic waste generation problem in India. Certain technological advances are required for the production of bioplastics in India to facilitate a transition to a circular plastic economy. Digging deep into the environmental impacts of bioplastics and weighing them against the environmental impacts of conventional plastics is also required in order to get a fair image of how the future can look if conventional plastics are replaced by bioplastics completely. Initiatives to Inculcate environmental awareness and a sustainable mindset amongst consumers are required so that they can also actively make efforts to replace conventional plastics with bioplastics.
List of references?
2] Rosenboom, J., Langer, R., & Traverso, G. (2022). Bioplastics for a circular economy.Nature Reviews Materials, 7(2), 117-137.doi:10.1038/s41578-021-00407-8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00407-8
3] Rafey, A., & Siddiqui, F. Z. (2021). A review of Plastic Waste Management in India – challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 1-17. doi:10.1080/03067319.2021.1917560 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03067319.2021.1917560
4] Springle, N., Li, B., Soma, T., & Shulman, T. (2022). The complex role of single-use compostable bioplastic food packaging and foodservice ware in a circular economy: Findings from a Social Innovation Lab. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 33, 664-673. doi:10.1016/j.spc.2022.08.006 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550922002123
5] Sinan, M. (2020). Bioplastics for Sustainable Development: General Scenario in India. Current World Environment, 15(1), 24-28. doi:10.12944/cwe.15.1.05 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341016525_Bioplastics_for_Sustainab le_Development_General_Scenario_in_India?