Sanitiser bottles, sachets, disposable masks, shields and PPE - BOON or BANE?

It is becoming a difficult process to understand how the manufacturing industry is coping up with the supply demand of the products now in everybody's mind.

Sanitisers, masks, soaps, gloves, PPE wear, goggles, face shields.

This article clearly says that the demand for these items have increased 400 % projecting only India's needs, forget the exports.

And this order from GOI clearly mentions to prioritize manufacturing of Sanitisers in both gel and liquid form, instructing all state Governments to act on the same.

But again there is a confusion and alarm of overdosing alcohol based sanitisers for a long run and its side effects in our human body has to be studied or forecast. Plus many claim about alternative organic sanitisers like decoction of neem leaves, turmeric, pinch of un-ground sea salt or non-iodised salt and edible camphor, all boiled and strained in a filter cloth, if used as a sanitiser, does not leave traces of alcohol in the hand and one need not waste water to wash again the sanitiser away, before we touch our food.

THE BIG QUESTION IS : How are the sanitiser, mask and glove, PPE or face shield makers complete their work?

Only if:

1. Approval letter from the local state Government to move freight for procuring raw materials and finished goods like all types of plastic granules, sheets, films, lids, caps, bottles, Jerry cans, drums, labels etc. I am not going into specifics, as it is a long list. This seems easier said than done, because I myself ran pillar to post to shout loud that I am an innovator, a plastics engineer to make many of the above or source many of the above from my fellow #CIPET ians but down the line nobody seemed to bother. And I may get it anytime after a long email battle, with concerned officials. Few sensible guys are there who understand, but the protocol and hierachy stops them issuing the letter to move goods and men, run factory just because of the question, "WHAT IF...?" lingers in their mind.
2. the above to happen the shops or companies which deal with all that mentioned should be allowed to function, bring in manpower, vehicles, running of workshops or plants or factories to seamlessly supply the sanitiser liquid makers to get the product out in variables of 50, 100, 200, 500 ml or in litres. Without a container where will they sell out sanitisers? Containers are in huge demand as no factories are allowed to run.
3. Passes for work force, most of them disrupted with the severe clamp down or migrant labourers who have left already to their native when there was signs of detection of Corona and its ill effects looming large.
4. Allowing plastics industry and allied industry to be declared as essential goods manufacturer and supplier will be a welcome change, and all plastic products like plastics granules of all kind, bottles, jars, cans, drums, sheets, films molded items like flip flop cap for the sanitisers, buckles, Velcros, elastic tapes for the PPE, masks and shields would be available easily so that we can spruce up production and then shout atop our roof, "Make in India". Otherwise hoarders and traders are selling these products at premium, whereas the local efficient manufacturers are hand tied and helpless.

Money crisis: Many plastic manufacturers, or granule suppliers rue that on the onslaught of this pandemonium, even big Corporates have stopped payments owing reasons like, factory closed, salaries may have to be staggered even though there is a shut down, money further is not coming for their own sales already done so far and so forth and have held payments, which has hit many medium and small scale industry purely who were suppliers to big Corporates. are facing heavy losses and mental trauma as they are neither allowed to run the company nor getting payments, yet have to pay salaries to their staff, workforce and to top it has to donate to the Prime Minister's fund, liberally! Ethical business men cannot have huge cash balance if in case they are already enjoying Over Draft or Working Capital Facility from their banks. Already in trouble, banks will also tighten the purse if the said manufacturer is not producing, selling or raising the bills.

So it is a BOON for manufacturers, provided timely payments, GST waiver etc can help them comply to the supply demand of the big corporate so that they supply the essential items listed as imperative ones to fight the COVID pandemonium.

It is a BANE as well, as getting permissions are still a herculean task. When after several emails and follow up to the concerned official in the DIC (MSME) office in Chennai, I was able to get the other person on the land line phone number provided as helpline and before I could start, he yelled back at me saying," How many like you have started to become COVID fighters? No passes, nothing, keep the phone down!" Such was his insensitiveness to the burning issue and to the importance of helping SMEs start looking for manufacturing COVID fighting kits. After that I had to call one after the other helpline numbers at various offices and finally could talk to one good soul, who has promised he will give the passes for vehicles and restricted number of manpower, after I after all mandatory documents like Udyog Adhar, DIPP startup India Certificate, the latest Invoices I have made, the names, numbers of workers who will come (God knows if they are here, or fled to their natives) and the vehicle number of even the rental truck I would be using to move goods! Somehow I could manage all these and am waiting for the Golden letter! I am told Karnataka is far better and faster in terms of providing approval letters and permissions to run factories.

Another BIG Questions is:

How come large enterprises show their big purses out? Looking at their balance sheets, they have not that profits, but announcing big donations to the #GOI for fighting the COVID menace, is it not the shareholders money as well? Worst, few big names lie *&*, *TC etc are brandishing new innovations and success stories like pulling out a tissue paper out of the box, one a day, how come they got the same set of permissions so quickly to get materials moving, manpower working, raw materials coming in and plants running? If permission is swift for them, why not for a SME, or a startup? Can all of the small innovators afford to have "known people at the top" to get things done so swiftly? And what do these big Companies who brandishing such innovations do? Bring in small innovators into their premises and in the disguise of helping them, are they not knowing all nuances of the innovation revealed to their team, how what is the guarantee the small time innovator may not be sucked out? There are 100s of ways and stories I have heard how big Sharks have swallowed the most swiftly swimming(read bright) small fishes!

NOW COMES THE BIGGEST THREAT OF ALL, more severe than the Corona Pandemonium: THE HUGE PLASTIC PILE!

If all the above production jump and manufacturing happens, especially the disposable bottles, caps, masks, PPE etc, there is going to be a HUGE PILING of plastic solid waste scrap, all infected with Corona and what not, getting dump sanitised or un-sanitised, shredded, torn, broken or otherwise.

The biggest joke played by a leading manufacturer always hailed as the sachet revolution king is bringing Sanitisers in a 1 Re Sachet. The sachets, for the laymen, I would explain as a multi-film, multi-layered, co-extruded film, which has various functions like barrier properties, burst strength, inert of the material filled in, print-ability, permeability or not, and so on..so is laminated so tight and good that removing each layer is next to impossible, if at all one wants to segregate and reuse the plastic or recycle. Multilayered sachets are the BIGGEST threat in plastic waste recycling industry, everyone would agree. Now that sanitisers are needed everywhere, will anyone recommend tear, use and throw the packet away, after every use and pile the sachets into mountains of unsegregated plastic?

SOLUTION to reduce

plastic dumping or piling:

For sanitisers:

Is it not better to encourage users to have one small spray nozzle sanitiser for the first use, then encourage the sanitising liquid suppliers to refill cans, bottles, jars, or drums and allow people to store depending on their usage, and encourage them with discounts per litre if they go for refills from the various points where the sanitisers are available in pumping stations ot even dispensing kiosks. Anyone want such dispensing kiosk, I am ready to help. The machine can get filled once in a day, say 200 to 10000 litres depending upon if it is for an office or an hospital, the filling tanks may be cutomised, with dispensing variables of 1,2,5 and 20 litres, with a smart card allowing the switch to allow dispensing the sanitiser once money is read from the smart card, or just showing the prepaid swipe card on to the QR code affixed to the machine. The dispensers can be put in all common places.

For wearable like googles, shields etc:

These can be UV sterilised in a UV booth installed in every hospital and the staff be encouraged to reuse the same. In fact, most of the materials are plastics, mild washing with soap solution and cleaning with clean wipe is the better solution than seeking new ones daily.

For caps, masks, PPE and aprons

There is always a confusion on masks. Usable, reusable, disposable, surgical, N95, cloth or normal?

Now the Government has come out with a document explaining people how to make their own masks.

As for the PPEs, caps and masks may not be a bad idea; as soap soaked aprons, PPEs and masks are running for more hour in the washing machine and most plastics are non-tear material, they can be washed in washing machines, which also have hot water wash as the last step of washing, then be dried. Every individual user can also be encouraged with free supply of washing machine detergent, liquid etc for them to get it washed themselves, preferably by hand wash, and soaking in hot water, as wastage of water in such large volumes may also not be advisable for mammoth proportions of machine washing.

These are things which may change the BANE of plastic waste piling up into a BOON for Indian Manufacturers come together and prove the slogan "MAKE in INDIA and MADE in INDIA" worth its spell.

Shall we do that?

Chandrasekaran J

Founder, www.watsan.in, www.cureall.in