Ban Plastics
Tiger by Tail
With the natural and mineral resources
getting fast depleted, alternate resources
like plastics, which are renewable in one
form or another form are the best answers to
many such situations.
“After the delivery was done in Thane,
the baby was brought to Wadia hospital.
We put a sterile plastic bag over
the exposed intestines to prevent oozing
out of proteins and moisture from
the intestines and, put the baby on a
ventilator to facilitate breathing. The
plastic bag was also necessary to prevent
any infection as even the slightest
infection could cause the baby’s
death”
The news item appeared in the
“Afternoon Despatch & Courier” on
Saturday, the 8th October 2005.
The question is simple – Do you
want the baby with the plastic bag or
No plastic bag, No baby.
Where are we leading to! Are all
the technologies made derived to take
advantages or make a summersault
and continue to grope in darkness? In
a country still driven by cost/economy
an optimum packaging is the need of
the hour. It is agreed that certain rigid
packaging systems will continue to
offer excellent benefits if prepared and
made well…but at what cost?
Packaging professionals often are
asked demanding questions from the
management and at the same time the consumers as well demand from them
the best of package, optimally functional
and yet economical. Let us ask
the marketing man – how soon can
you sell? He does not grope in the
dark – but for statutory regulations.
That it is clear in respect of market life
or shelf-life. Thus we look for an optimum
package in most consumer packaging.
It is unnecessary if we look for
excellent package that is too good and
offers a shelf-life, in multiples of what
is needed. A specialist viewed it interestingly
and asked – is this excellent
package for todays’ market and for me
or for my grandchild (possibly exaggerated).
Let’s Move On
Everything should be preferably or
should be…biodegradable!! Then the
channawala should be selling not just
channa – shor, channa garam in paper
pudi but may be a kulfi also.
Look at another interesting news
item “Its no plastic and any time milk”
(DNA Mumbai Saturday, September
17, 2005). Let us debate!
“Glass bottle, high-density polyethylene
bottle (HDPE) and tetrapack
as alternatives to plastic packaging”.
Is not HDPE bottle a plastic? If
not what is it? Similarly, does not
tetrapack – has plastic as a constituent?
Or is it more easily recyclable or
it is biodegradable! The news item
seems to be more educative!! It says
HDPE – “Friendlier than Plastic.
HDPE can be recycled and reused
1000 times”. If HDPE is friendlier than
plastics – then can we get educated
as to what is HDPE? Some new era
material? Oh yes! - it further says
“HDPE can be recycled”. Recycling
involves re-processing. A little bird
from the basket of science says – recycling
and more and more recycling
degrades the plastics and such plastics
can not be used for food and
pharmaceutical packaging. Some
memory recalls that for food and pharmaceutical
packaging only virgin
plastics should be used. Does not
even national standards say so?
The edit further inks that the
HDPE can be used 1000 times. Some
people opine zero’s have no value!
The remarks concludes that “Tried
and tested”. This will make more interesting
reading. Can we have it?
And all these claims at an added cost
of Rs. 2.50. Shall we attempt some
simple mathematics? Let us say a litre
of milk today is Rs. 18 average.
add Rs. 2.50 indicated cost of bottle
and closure with the final selling price
of Rs. 20.50, about 14% increase. Has
the common man in India become
richer overnight?
“Adulteration in PET bottle is
higher than with HDPE!” Interesting
statement…but one wishes to learn the
reasoning. Also the statement
“Friendlier than Plastic but less than
HDPE”. Primarily PET is also a plastic.
Then what is the relativity both being
equally recyclable.
Tetrapack – chances of adulteration
is low. Good. But says that it is
eco-friendly. It is a multiple structure
with aluminium foil and polyethylene.
Where does it fit in, with respect to eco
friendliness? Processed milk in Tetra
“Last for weeks”. On one hand the
country is proud of its white revolution
that has turned the country from
that of import dependence (milk powder)
to that of export resource having
claimed as the largest milk producer in
the globe. That milk is available for me
across the road or at my doorstep – why should I store? The rural secto
....contd.
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