Plastic and Sustainability

The disposal of plastic has been an unsolved problem since humans began using them in large scale. The problem with plastic is it takes more than 1000 years before it disappears to another form, until then it stays as plastic. Some of the disposal methods adopted for plastic are landfills, incineration and recycling. 

LANDFILL

  Landfill is generally a place where plastics are dumped and left there indefinitely. This method is considered as the least GHG(GreenHouseGas) emitting method when compared to incineration and recycling. The landfills require a large unusable land for dumping while space  is a major issue in the urban areas.

INCINERATOR

It has become the most opted option among cities in developed countries as it consumes very less space. Some countries have resorted to utilise the heat generated for electricity production and heat applications which can be used by the residents of the city. Though it may seem to eliminate plastic from ground, it releases highly toxic gases into the atmosphere.  

RECYCLING

Recycling process involves converting plastic wastes into usable form again. This process eliminates the need for new plastic. It is more economical than the other two methods listed above. But the only disadvantage is that it still produces GHG.

Bio-plastic

Scientists tried solving this problem by replacing the conventional plastic with bio-degradable or bio-plastic. But the problem with bioplastic is they would stay intact on-ground, underground and water for several years. Because they needed a suitable environment with specified temperature , moisture and other conditions for their degradation. So, an industrial setup is needed to degrade them quickly and completely. Anaerobic degradation is one of the best methods to decompose them, in addition it produces biogas. However, one cannot use conventional industrial setup that is used for degrading other biodegradable wastes. The bioplastic usually take longer time to degrade compared to other biodegradable waste. 

What is the solution?

“Prevention is better than cure”   

At present, there is no viable solution for producing a 100% eco-friendly plastic. Stopping the usage of plastic is the only solution for our current plastic problem. A significant reduction of plastic usage can be easily attained by adopting simple change in our lifestyles.