Home :: Myths & Realities

POINT: Plastics deplete resources

Counter Point: Plastics Conserve Resource

To pack 500 Grams of Coffee

POINT: Plastics are major source of solid waste problem.

Counter Point: In developed economies with disposable lifestyle (eg. W. Europe) plastics contribute small amount to solid wastes

• Total Solid Waste : 2.8 Billion Tons
• Plastic Wastes : 16 Million Tons
• % to Total Solid Waste : 0.6 %
• 4 Municipal Solid Waste : 137 Million Tons
• Plastic in MSW : 11 Million Tons
• % to Total MSW : 8 %
  

Source : Dr. William Rathje, University of Arizona Garbage Project, usa/German federal office.

POINT: Plastics are major source of solid waste problem.

Counter Point:

Municipal Solid Waste Composition
W. Europe

In developed economies with disposable lifestyle, plastics contribute only 8% by weight to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). The rest consists of organic matter, paper, wood, metal, glass etc.

POINT: Plastics are major source of solid waste problem.

Counter Point: Plastic waste the Indian Dimension

• Lowest percapita
• Consumption
• 4 Highest plastic recycling (Industrial & Urban)
• 4 Plastic in solid waste
• stream lowest
  

Inspite of low waste volumes industry has taken initiatives on recycling.

POINT: Ragpickers find thin gauge plastic bags unviable to collect causing problems in disposal.

Counter Point:

• Along with Ministry of Environment & Forests (MOEF) industry has taken initiative on the following :
  - Increase the thickness of virgin carry bags to minimum thickness of 20 microns (vs 5 microns at present)
  - Increase the thickness of recycled carry bags to minimum thickness of 25 microns
• Increased thickness / weight will provide adequate economic incentives to ragpickers to pickup waste bags & channel them into the recycling chain which is well established
  

Plastic bags are already recycled into useful products like barsati films and mats.