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Urban planning can change the future of cities to happy cities

Model Answer:

Bioplastics are developed as an alternative to the petroleum-based plastics. Increased use of petroleum-based plastics is associated with producing more greenhouse gases. Recent reports have suggested that use of Bioplastics might not be safe.

Bioplastics:

• Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, food waste, etc.
• Bioplastics are not just one single product; they consist of a whole family of products with different properties and applications.
• A plastic material is considered as a bioplastic if it is either bio-based, biodegradable, or features both properties.
• Bioplastics can be made from agricultural by-products and also from used plastic bottles and other containers using microorganisms.
• Bioplastics are usually derived from sugar derivatives, including starch, cellulose, lactic acid.
• Common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics (also called petroleum based polymers) are derived from petroleum or natural gas.
• Not all bioplastics are biodegradable nor biodegrade more readily than commodity fossil-fuel derived plastics.

Advantage of Bioplastics:

• They are made from renewable waste such as Agricultural Waste ( Potato and Corn Waste) and hence they are Biodegradable in Nature.
• They reduce carbon footprint and hence they would help us in managing Climate Change issues.
• They do not contain additives that can be injurious to health. Plastic on the other hand contains chemicals that are injurious to human health on consumption eg. Bisphenol A.
• They do not change the flavour or scent of the food articles packed within, thus maintaining its quality and taste.
• Increased energy savings in terms of production

Concerns regarding safety:

• Bioplastics are often consumed as an environmentally friendly alternative.
• However, at least with the current level of technology, this issue is probably not as clear as often assumed.
• According to the study, at the current level of technology, an increased consumption of bioplastics may generate increased greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation and expansion of arable land.
• Forests absorb considerably more CO2 than maize or sugar cane annually, if only because of their larger biomass.
• The increasing demand for the “green” energy sources has brought massive deforestation to some countries across the tropics.
• Just because plastics are made from plants does not automatically make them easily degradable in marine environments.
• Production of these bioplastics requires almost 80% of the energy required to produce common plastic.
• The study has found that it takes a lot of time for the switch to bioplastics to pay off.
• Bio-PE and Bio-PET are for example not biodegradable, same as their petroleum-based counterparts.

Way Forward:

• We should go after alternatives to the use of Bioplastics like composting, behavioural changes etc.
• Proper composting of the biodegradable materials can be another alternative.
• We should change our modern style behaviour such as usage of unnecessary plastic in our everyday life.
• For example: Straws while drinking cold drinks, juices, etc and use of box to store food instead of wrapping in a plastics.
• Unless total consumption of plastic reduce substantially, bioplastics on its own can’t solve the problem of plastic pollution
• Replacement will require new investments in manufacturing, incentivizing consumers to shift to bioplastics.

Even though bioplastics is not a panacea to the growing problem of plastic waste which is estimated 200 million ton per annum, its a step in right direction. It should be encouraged through giving incentives for industry and consumer to make the shift, updating rules for plastic waste generation. It will help in achieving Sustainable Development Goals of clean air, land and ocean.