Recycling and Waste Management - Polymerupdate
- 1. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Making a Strong Case for Plastics in the Environment – Interview with Vijay Merchant The plastics industry has enjoyed a dream run for more than 50 years and plastics have influenced human life makingit more convenient,efficientandhygienic.Today,life withoutplasticsisdifficulttoimagine.However,in recentyears the industryhas come underattack overconcerns aboutthe impact of plastics,particularlyplastics waste,onthe environment.Aneasytargetbecause of itswidespreaduse,plasticshave gainedthe tagof beinga nuisance. Dispelling myths and fallacies about plastics, and emphasizing the importance of recycling and proper waste managementpractices,isindustryveteranVijayMerchantinaninterviewwithLekhraj Ghai of POLYMERUPDATE. Vijay Merchant Vijay Merchant is a commerce graduate and has done post graduate studies in business management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, where he was awarded a merit scholarship in 1966 and majored in Finance & Marketing. After initial training with the Mafatlal Group Central Finance Division, he headed a large consumer products agency house, serving FMCG companies in South India for 10 years. Over the last 30 years, Mr. Merchant has worked on several national bodies of both the plastics industry and packaging industry on critical issues of development of small scale industries. Mr. Merchant has been President at All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) for three terms and also a founder member of the Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE) created at the instance of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. He has also served on national bodies of Indian Institute of Packaging (Ministry of Commerce), Indian Merchants Chamber, Enviroplast Plastindia Foundation and Indian Plastics Institute and was the Honorary Editor of industry journal Plastics News for 10 years. Besides, for over a decade Mr. Merchant has been actively involved in environmental issues of the plastic and packaging industries in global forums. As a professional with a passion for environment protection, Mr. Merchant has served as a live link between society, the government and the plastics industry, initiating projects and programmes and also sharing these with Asian neighbours and associations in western countries. Interviewof Vijay Merchant (VM) with Lekhraj Ghai (LG): LG: Please tell us about the plastics recycling industry in India. VM: Plastics recycling in India dates back to more than 50 years when only a handful of companies like Union Carbide,NOCIL,PolychemandDCMShrirammanufacturedpolymersthattooinlimitedquantities.Because of the existing License Raj and the some of the Government’s socialist policiesthere were many restrictions on the importof polymers.While the applicationsof plasticswere on the rise inother countriesthere wasa scarcity of polymers in India, which gave birth to innovative recycling activities all over the country. LG: How many plastics recycling companies exist In India at the moment? VM: Itis verydifficulttocome upwithanexactnumberasmostof itisinthe unorganizedsector.Thereare some recyclersthatare registeredwithlocal municipalitiesandgrampanchayats,butthere isa largerpercentage that operatesoutof slums,shantiesandcottages,whichare difficulttonumerate.Forinstance,inthe Dharavi locality POLYMERUPDATE You may not modify, copy or distributeany information containedin this document without our prior permission
- 2. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS in Mumbai,whichhousesone of the largestslumsinthe world,there are close to 1500 recyclers.There are such recycling pockets in other localities of Mumbai such as Bhandup, Goregaon and Malad, and many recyclers are now migratingto fartherplaceslike Dahisar,Vasai andNala Sopara.Plasticsrecyclershave mushroomedall over the country and exist in almost every state.At present, there could be around 10,000 to 15,000 recyclers in the countryof which60%–65% fall inthe unorganizedsector.Gradually,owingtomandatoryrequirementsandother factors such as growth in scale, more and more recyclers are getting registered with local bodies and the unorganized sector, which accounted for almost 80% of the recyclers about 10 years ago, is shrinking. LG: Isn’t the unorganized sector bad for the economic growth of the country? VM: Indeed,mostsuchrecyclersconducttheirbusinessoperationsincashandas theyhave no financial records, it becomes difficult to impose taxes. However, it should be taken into consideration that most of them are uneducatedorpoorlyeducatedand are yet tryingto make an honestlivingratherthanstayingunemployedand creatingmischief orbeinganuisance tothe society.Inaway,theyare self-employedindividualswhohave honed their skills in the field of recycling. Although uneducated, they are often able to accurately identify the type of plastic just by looking at a piece of plastic waste. LG: How does India’s recycling industry compare with that in Europe or America? VM: In the U.S. and eveninEuropeancountrieslike Germany,BelgiumandAustria,waste collectiontakesplace ona much largerscale.There are alsostringentregulatorylimitsonemissionsandeffluenttreatmentrestrictions, due to which the recycling facilities, although fewer in number, are mostly large-scale operations. The cost of labour is also much higher than in India and consequently most recyclers in the West have automated plants, which require much less manpower. LG: What about the rest of Asia, say China? VM: The number of small-scale recyclers in China is gradually going down as a consequence of Green Fence— China’snew policyonthe importof scrapmaterial.NotonlyisChinanotallowingmixedandcontaminatedwaste to enterthe country but alsohas enforcedstringentinternal healthandsafetyregulations.The largerlegitimate recyclersare still inoperationwhile smalleronesare eithershuttingdownormovingtorecyclingindustrial parks where they are made to comply with the new rules and regulations concerning waste collection and sorting processes,emissions,watertreatment,qualityandhygiene standards.ScrapfromEuropeandAmericahasstarted heading to other South East Asian countries where the preliminary washing and sorting takes place and is then sent to China for recycling. LG: How important is technological innovation in plastics recycling? VM: The increasing applications of plastics and the replacement of other materials like glass and metal with plastics for packaging has resulted in more sophisticationin processing and recycling and the use of specialized materials. The world is moving away from rigid, heavycontainers to flexible packaging in which plastics play an importantrole.Flexiblepackagingofteninvolvesmulti-layerfilms,whichcouldbe just5to7 micronthickbutmay contain up to seven layersof different materials like variousplastics, metals and certain nylons. Each packaging layer imparts distinct properties and functions such as preventing aroma loss, moisture absorption and contamination.Whensuchapackagingmaterial endsupaswaste,itbecomesdifficulttorecycle itbecauseof the presence of the multiple layers. This is probablyone challenge that the global recycling industry is facing at the moment. However, there have been certain innovations to improve the sorting process by the use of optical sensorsandfloatationdevices.Forinstance,recyclersare now able toseparate HDPE caps and BOPPlabelsfrom PET bottles and recycle all of them individually thanks to the improved segregation processes.Moreover, post- consumer PET bottles used to be a nuisance in India 8–10 years ago when the technology needed for recycling POLYMERUPDATE You may not modify, copy or distributeany information containedin this document without our prior permission
- 3. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS PET was not available. After the technology was brought in, it was soon mastered by Indianrecyclers and today almostall PETbottlesinIndiaendupbeingrecycled.Atthe sametime,Indianrecyclershavedevelopedindigenous technologies,whichallow themtorecycle evenmixedandcontaminatedplasticwaste intowovenproductssuch as carpets, mats, conference folders and gift items. LG:What are the recentinnovationsinthe fieldof plasticsrecycling?Whatare the advancementsandemerging technologies in the field of plastics recycling that India can adopt? VM: Machinery for the recyclingindustryisoftenimportedintoIndiafromthe West.Similarly,there are certain recycling technologies that have been brought in and implemented in India; for example,making three-layer sheets of recycled PET for food-contact applications in which the middle layer is composed of recycled waste. Anothertechnology,whichoriginatedinGermany,inuse inIndiaisbottle-to-bottle recyclinginwhichthe recycled material isas pure as the virginmaterial.InChina,recyclersuse atechnologytomake plasticlumberoutof scrap material. Large quantities of plastic waste enters China through Hong Kong, which after washing and cleaning is recycledto make plasticlumber.The recycledproductis resistantto crackingand splittingandto all typesof rot and mould.The plasticlumberisusedprimarilyasa buildingmaterial andreplaceswoodinvariousapplications. LG: Does the recycling of scrap exported from the West take place in India too? VM: There are a few export-orientedunitsandspecial zonesinthe countrywhere suchwaste isrecycledandre- exported, but on a very small scale. Rules concerning the import of plastic waste into the country have been tightened in an effort to better waste management within the country. However, it is not that the recycling capacityinIndiaisnotsufficienttohandlethe importedwasteandmanyrecyclersoperate atlowerratesbecause of the poor waste collection practices in the country. Probably less than 5% of the total consumption wouldbe from waste that comes from outside of India. LG: What are the challenges faced by the recycling industry in India? VM: The Indianrecyclingindustryischallengedbythe lackof infrastructureandsupportforsmall recyclers.These recyclers primarilydeal with mixed wet and dry waste and need to carry out washing and cleaning of the waste before it can be recycled. This results in the release of effluent and dust and debris. As small-scale recyclers do not have the financial capabilities of setting up effluent treatment plants or even install dust filters, they get blamed for creating pollution. Similar such hardships of recyclers have been addressed successfully by China’s governmentthroughthe formationof recyclingclustersandthe provisionof commoneffluenttreatmentplants. The Indian government’s Department of Science and Technologyhas taken up a project to see if such recycling clusters could be formed in various parts of the country where common effluent treatment plants and other facilities like laboratories can be provided. LG: What is the mantra for successful management of plastics waste in India? How is the plastics industry in India contributing towards prevention and control of plastic litter? VM: For efficient management of plastics waste in India, brand owners need to play an active role in the preventionandcontrol of plasticlitter.Itneedsto be understoodthatthe plasticsindustryisnot creatingwaste butis merelyconvertingplasticgranulestofinishedproductsasperthe requirementsof the customer.Likeinthe West,brand ownersshouldcome forwardand share the responsibilityof managingplasticwaste and make real effortsandnotmere symbolicgestures.Atthe sametime,thegovernmentshouldprovideadequateinfrastructure so that local municipalitiesandotherbodiescancarry outwaste collectionineconomicallyviable quantitiesand minimize excesscontamination.Itisunrealistictoexpectthe 10,000 odd plasticsprocessorstopickplasticwaste from across the country.The job of waste collectionhasto be done by the municipalities,grampanchayats and otherlocal bodies.Alsorequiredare stringentwastemanagementrules,whichneedtoextensivelycommunicated POLYMERUPDATE You may not modify, copy or distributeany information containedin this document without our prior permission
- 4. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS and enforced.A consistentsocial campaignagainstlitter,involvementof non-governmentalorganization(NGOs) and sufficientfundingare alsorequisitesforsuccessful managementof plasticwaste inthe country.The plastics industry in its own right is playing a responsible role by trying to spread awareness to control litter. There have beenvariousawarenessprogramsandworkshopsthathavebeenorganizedbythe industryinschoolsandhousing societiesinbigmetropolitancities,insmallertownsandhillstationslikeMatheran,DarjeelingandKalimpongand eveninvariousplacesinNortheastIndia.For example inMatheran,whichisthe smallesthill stationinIndiaand an eco-sensitive zone, all sorts of waste from various packaged productsused to accumulate in the valley.With the help of industry groups, NGOs, the municipal council, local shopkeepers, hoteliers and school students a cleanliness drive was conducted, wherein wheel barrows, waste collection bins, sign boards for anti-litter messagesandcompactor machinesforcrushingPET bottleswere provided.Atthe same time,knowledge about the handling and recycling of plastic waste was communicated to the locals, civic bodies as well as the visitors. Today, Matheran is one of the cleanest hill stations in Maharashtra and this model, in which the industry joins handswithlocal bodiesandcitizenstofightlitterandenhance recycling,hasbeenreplicatedinvariousotherhill stations and eco-sensitive zones across the country. LG: What innovations have been witnessed in plastics waste management? VM: The hierarchyof the “reduce,reuse and recycle”principle appliestoplasticswaste as well.Inthe case that mechanical recyclingof plasticsisnotpossible,there are otherinnovativeapplicationsinwhichplasticwaste can serve a useful purpose; for instance, in road construction. Plastic waste when added to bitumen increases the strength properties and the life of the road. My presentation on this subject received the award for the best presentation in IdentiPlast 2007, a global conference and the plastics industry’s most important gathering on recycling and recovery of plastics. This model has been tested at various stretches in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai,andthe resultshave beenphenomenal.The plasticactsas a goodbinderandthe road doesnotcrack or developpotholes.Itisone of the pilotprojectsof the IndianCentre forPlasticsinthe Environment(ICPE),which is working on refining the model and promotingit with various municipalities.Another applicationis generating fuel from waste plastic that is economically challenging to recycle. By using depolymerization and pyrolytic conversion techniques, waste plastics can be converted to petroleum fuels similar to diesel and gasoline. Co- processing or using plastic waste as a source of energy, replacing natural fuels such as coal, in variousindustrial processessuchas cementkilnsisprobablythe last sustainable optionformanagingplasticwaste.These are the optionsavailable forrecoveringthe maximumpossible value outof plasticswaste whenrecyclingisnot possible or economically viable. LG: What sustainable practices should be adopted by the industry to better recycling? VM: India has a large pool of capable scientists and researchers; for example, the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum(CSIR-IIP), one of the leadingconstituentlaboratoriesof the Council of Scientific&Industrial Research (CSIR), undertakes research and development activities for optimum utilization of petroleum products. The industry can benefit from such professionals and their guidance should be sought for minimizing energy consumptionandreducingpollution.Moreover,the industryshouldworktogetherwithvarioussuchlaboratories informingthemaboutthe advantagesanddisadvantagesof a particularwaste product and inturn learningfrom them about catalysts and additives that could further optimize their processes. LG: What are your views on the “blanket bans” and partial bans on plastic products that are proposed by the government? VM:InIndia,the plasticsindustryisunfairlyblamedforcreatingplasticlitterandunwarrantedbansare demanded on various plastic products. The authorities and lawmakers need to understand that plastics processorsare not the ones creating waste and litter can be prevented and controlled like in other countries. For example, the POLYMERUPDATE You may not modify, copy or distributeany information containedin this document without our prior permission
- 5. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS proposed ban on PET for pharmaceutical packaging applicationson the basis of a report that claims that PET containsphthalatesandendocrinedisruptorscreatedanunnecessaryscare inthe ministryandlegislaturedespite the fact that the judiciaryhas alreadydismissednumeroussuchfrivolousPILsagainstPET packaging in the past. The industryhasalso provedbeyonddoubtthat PET is a universallysafe andenvironmentallyfriendlypackaging material and is used for pharmaceutical packaging across the world. Moreover, moving from plastics to glass or metals would be retrogressive and would result in increased cost to the society and environment. LG: Whatare your thoughts on biodegradable andcompostable plastics?Do you see potential forrapid growth in the bioplastics market in India? VM: At present, the applications of bioplastics in India are limited.Biodegradable plastics essentially result in a waste of resourcesasthe itemsmade ofbiodegradableplasticsare intendedtobe usedandthrownorcomposted. Whereas, in the case of conventional plastics there is always the option to recycle and use it for a variety of applications.Thereare certainapplicationsinwhichbiodegradable plasticsare desired;suchasgarbage bagsand in medicine andhealthcare.The marketforbioplasticscanbenefitfrommore clarityaboutthe propertiesof the material being used and the material should be tested as per its intended application. LG: How is the plastics industry contributing towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan or Clean India Campaign advocated by Prime Minister Modi? VM:The industryplaysitspartandconductsvariousawarenesscampaignsandschoolprogrammesthroughwhich the importance of plasticscollectionandrecyclingispropagated.Assupportforthe SwachhBharat initiative,on the 4th of October,2015, we conductedacleanlinessandawarenessdrive inMumbai inwhichmore than200,000 students from over 100 schools across the city participated.A recordcollectionof 23,358.9 kg of plastic bottle waste was made within six hours thanks to the efforts of the students, their parents and teachers. This initiative was takenbythe plasticindustryinassociationwith the country’s largest bottled water company and India now has surpassed the Guinness worldrecordfor maximumplasticbottle waste collection of 13,408 kg set by a school in the U.S. Afterthe record is approvedbyGuinness, participationandappreciationcertificatesfrom Limca Book of Records and Guinness will be presented to the schools. This will also help India earn global recognition as a nation that caresfor the environment,inline withthe SwachhBharatAbhiyaanof PrimeMinisterNarendraModi.Inaddition to breakingthe worldrecordon that day,audio-visual presentationswere conductedinthe participatingschools teaching the students about plastics manufacturing and recycling processes and the importance of waste collection. LG: What is your view on the future of the plastics industry in the prevailing low-cost oil environment? VM: The prevailing low prices of crude oil should benefit the plastics industry and the prices of polymer commoditiesmayfall further,translatingintomore applicationsforplasticslike inthe agriculture,infrastructure and housingsectors.Althoughthe inputcosthasgone down,there are factors such as price protectionthathave prevented a proportionate fall in the prices of plastics commodities. POLYMERUPDATE You may not modify, copy or distributeany information containedin this document without our prior permission
- 6. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS LG: Which are the governmental and non-governmental bodies that you are associated with in relation with environmental protection and sustainability? How successful are the measures that have been adopted/proposed so far? VM: NGOs play an important role in communicating with and getting support from municipal corporations, resident welfare associations and industry bodies. Since over a decade I have been addressing issues related to environment,sustainabilityandrecyclinginIndia,across Asiaand at timesin Europe.Because of my passionfor protecting the environment, I have been involved with various NGOs, policy makers, schools and government officialsinadditiontoourownindustrymembersandthe hundredsof small recyclers.CleanMumbai Foundation, Stree Mukti Sanghatana, Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE) and NAGAR are some of the major NGOs that I have worked with. Together, we have conducted numerous cleanliness and recycling projects, which have been highly successful and have been replicated in other places. ENDS Lekhraj Ghai can be reached at +91 9967828215 and lekhraj@polymerupdate.com POLYMERUPDATE is an online destination for the plastics and petrochemical industry, which specializes in providing market- movinginformationandpricingdataonpetrochemicalproductsand industrial polymers.Globalplayersseekingpolymermarketintelligencerelyonthereal-time newsandpricealerts providedonPOLYMERUPDATEformakinginformedbusiness-critical decisions.POLYMERUPDATEcoversa whole spectrum of products such as Crude oil, Naphtha, Aromatics, Olefins, Polyolefins and Petrochemical Intermediates. With almost two decades of extensive experience in garnering and providing business-critical content, POLYMERUPDATE has expanded its readership to more than 60 countries in the world and its pricing methodologyisconsideredasabenchmarkacrossSouthAsia. POLYMERUPDATEinterviewsandarticlesare arich source of information on the latest trends in the chemical and petrochemical industry. VisitPOLYMERUPDATEonthe internetatwww.polymerupdate.com October 23, 2015 POLYMERUPDATE You may not modify, copy or distributeany information containedin this document without our prior permission