Temporary help, permanent hazard

The damages it causes are many. Plastic cuts off air supply to whatever it surrounds. Plant and marine life choke on plastic bags.

Raw materials used to create plastic are polymers basic component, to which are added colourants, plasticizers and reinforcements to determine flexibility and stabilisers to determine durability.

All of the above do not atoxic combination make, the plastic industry is screaming itself hoarse. What makes plastic a cause for such grave concern is the way it is disposed.

Burning, one of the most popular and ignorant methods of disposing plastic, is dangerous if not done under controlled conditions because, for one, it changes the air we breathe.

Plastic when burnt releases large, highly concentrated quantities of carbon monoxide CO, a poisonous gas. CO is the main component of automobile exhaust that8217;s harmful to life. The other toxins released when plastic is burnt have more to do with additives that go into giving plastic its shape. And they are the ones that can cause serious damage 8212; anything from reproductive disorders, multiple cancers, foetal damage to hormone disturbance and severe endocrine system damage.

acirc;euro;tilde;acirc;euro;tilde;This is just scratching the surface, research is on globally to delve deeper into the problems incorrect plastic disposal can lead to, says Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary

magazine.

Apart fromthese problems, toxins released also work at corroding the ozone layer.

Furthermore, some of the additives used to control the physical properties of plastic contribute to the overall generation of pollution from the plastic industry 8212; not only in manufacture, but also in the residues they leave behind.

Incineration does not seem a powerful enough solution. acirc;euro;tilde;acirc;euro;tilde;Incinerators are the only way of disposing plastic. And they, too, have to be state of the art, which involves a great deal of money, says Banerji.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC is currently negotiating with an Australian company to install incinerators in Mumbai. But senior officials say a global movement against incineration has slowed down talks.

More, the money factor is never far behind 8212; the latest technology doesn8217;t come cheap, and to go for anything less would be a waste. The only solution for a cash-strapped country like India, Banerji feels, is recycling, the fact that all kinds of plastic is not recyclablenotwithstanding. It is up to the plastic industry to increase awareness among masses.

Finally, it lies in the hands of people to decide if they want to help speed along the process of reducing the threat plastic poses to the environment.

ECHOES IN PARLIAMENT

Guidelines on plastic waste recycling

The Central Government will issue guidelines in a weeks time for industries recycling plastic wastes in order to check health hazards caused by the recycling process, Minister for Environment and Forests Suresh Prabhu informed the Lok Sabha last week.

The national plastics waste management task force had found that plastic wastes accounted for only one to four per cent by weight of the total municipal solid waste, he said.

Of the three million tonnes of plastic waste, 1.5 million tonnes are recycled, he said. Admitting that recycling could lead to serious health hazards, the minister said the task force had recommended a programme of preventive, promotional and mitigation measures formanagement of plastic wastes. An implementation and monitoring committee had been set up by the MOEF to oversee the progress.

Government will ensure strict implementation of the guidelines, and NGOs will also be associated in a consumer awareness programme, he added.

Echoes in Parliament

Guidelines on plastic waste recycling

The national plastics waste management task force had found that plastic wastes accounted for only one to four per cent by weight of the total municipal solid waste, he said. Of the three million tonnes of plastic waste, 1.5 million tonnes are recycled, he said. Admitting that recycling could lead to serious health hazards, the minister said the task force had recommended a programme of preventive, promotional andmitigation measures for management of plastic wastes. An implementation and monitoring committee had been set up by the MOEF to oversee the progress. Government will ensure strict implementation of the guidelines, and NGOs will also be associated in a consumer awareness programme, he added.