Perhaps it’s difficult to imagine life without plastics. In fact, plastics have become synonymous with modern life. However, one of the biggest challenges with plastic waste is that it is extremely hard to dispose off and persists in the environment for hundreds of years when it is not disposed off properly.

Plastics can be classified into two groups — recoverable and non-recoverable. Non recoverable is the one that needs attention and this is where bio-degradability sets in. What is recovered can be recycled and what is not recovered is bio-degraded.

In coastal districts
With the mushrooming of shops and malls in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, the use of plastic too has increased manifold. Though nothing phenomenal has been done to bring down the use of plastic, a few associations and individuals have initiated a few steps for greener districts.

One such association is the Jana Shikshana Trust and their co-ordinators Sheena Shetty and Krishna Moolya who, through ‘Apna Desh,’ the dream project of KPTCL Managing Director (former DC of Dakshina Kannada) Bharatlal Meena, have been doing their level best to minimise the use of plastic.

“Till date, as many as 20 villages including Ira have taken up the issue seriously and villagers have been doing their best to minimise the use of plastic,” Mr Krishna Moolya said and added that ‘Plastic Houses’ have been erected in these villages so that the villagers can voluntarily dump the plastic in these ‘houses.’ (Proper disposal is being undertaken later scientifically).

Mr Giridhar Prabhu, the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry former president and proprietor of Phalguni Cashew Centre, said that he encouraged biodegradable plastic as he is socially responsible though the cost of biodegradable plastic is slightly more than that of regular plastic.

Everest Plastic Industries (EPI) at Kulshekar in Mangalore is perhaps one of the first companies to manufacture biodegradable plastic in 2005.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Everest Plastics proprietor Cynthia Fernandes said, unlike normal plastics which degrade very slowly, degradable plastics are manufactured to accelerate decomposition.

“This acceleration is accomplished by gradually reducing the toughness of plastic material caused by small sub-units of hydrogen and carbon, called monomers,” Ms Fernandes said and added that monomers form long chains, called polymers, which break down and disintegrate into natural byproducts such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and biomass.

According to Ms Fernandes, biodegradable plastics manufactured by Everest Plastics have been tested by the American Society for Testing and Materials, besides obtaining clearances from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Mangalore City Corporation.

According to Ms Fernandes, except for the fact that degradable and biodegradable plastics cost a little more than regular plastic, the carrying capacity/strength of the plastic is just like a regular bag. Moreover, they are of food grade in nature.

“The ideal solution is that shopkeepers should be allowed to charge for shopping bags as is now currently in vogue in some European supermarkets,” said Ms Fernandes and added that citizens should get themselves trained to preserve plastic in all forms and create a community system of systematic collection for enormous economic benefit.

Lack of legislative initiatives is perhaps another factor which gives rise to the use of plastics, opines another expert and adds: “Some environmentalists argue that promoting biodegradable plastic will lead to an increase in India’s plastic consumption and prevent people from being aware of the need to minimise its use.”

Decomposition period

* Aluminum cans —         100 to 500 years
*  Tin or steel cans — 100 years
*  Banana peel — up to 6 months
*  Cigarette filters — 15 years
*  Glass — none
*  Plastic — 50 to 70 years
*  Rubber — none
*  Wax paper cup — 5 years
*  Wooden stakes — 4 years