Chennai: With the plastic ban being enforced in Tamilnadu since January this year, many alternatives were introduced and one such is the compostable plastic bag.
Also known as biodegradable plastic, these bags are compostable and can be decomposed by the natural actions of organisms. In due course, this plastic will decompose into liquid or gas. Unlike plastic that will take very long to decompose, these alternatives are said to take way less time and cause little damage to the environment.
With plastic products having caused enough damage to the environment, compostable plastics have now taken over to induce a positive change. They are made up of many materials and chemicals including polylactic acid, poly hydro alkylate and bio polyethylene.
The Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) tests these bags and certifies them as safe for the environment. However, before these bags are ready for use in shops, they have to be approved by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India.
“Once the bags are approved by the CPCB, it is the duty of the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board to monitor the use and effect of these bags,” said an official from TNPCB. With appearance similar to ordinary plastic bags, it is difficult to tell these compostable bags from harmful plastics.
Though there is a ban on plastics, it is still in use in a few places in the name of biodegradable plastics. This eventually harms the environment.
“If it is really degradable plastic it helps in the environment but it is not always the case. When a large number of bags go for approval, a few might be biodegradable and the rest can be fake. It all depends on the manufacturer,” the official added.
| BREAKING DOWN |
| Though biodegradable plastic might reduce the harm caused to the environment, it still does cause a little damage through the gas it emits. “The effects are yet to be analysed in-depth. Having said that, we should understand that any chemical residue left behind by degrading materials still affects the soil health and thereby the flora and fauna eventually. Use and throw polythene is harmful. We have to be careful with the composition of the degrading synthetics too,” said Arun Krishnamurthy, an environmentalist. |
Article by Sharmada V & Suha Nisviya S A