Plastic Pollution & the Environment

Plastic Pollution & Environment

What is Plastic?

  • Plastics are synthetic materials usually made from oil or natural gas.
  • They are created by linking thousands of monomers, some of which (like bisphenol-A (BPA) and vinyl chloride) can be harmful and toxic.
  • Main types of plastics include:
    • Polyethylene: Used for bottles, jars, bags, and cups.
    • Polystyrene: Used for cups and pellets.
    • Polypropylene: Used for bottle caps and drinking straws.
    • PVC: Used for shoes, pipes, and furniture.

Plastics Defined

  • Plastics are various organic compounds produced by polymerization.
  • They can be molded, extruded, or cast into various shapes and films, or drawn into textile fibers.

Plastic - History

  • Scientists contributed towards the development of plastics.
  • In 1907, Leo Baekeland invented bakelite, the world's first fully synthetic plastic, and coined the term 'plastics'.
  • Hermann Staudinger, known as "the father of polymer chemistry," and Herman Mark, known as "the father of polymer physics," also contributed significantly.
  • Leo Hendrik Beckland, while producing synthetic varnish, discovered "Beckelite" in 1907 from coal tar, a polymer that could not be melted once formed.
  • In 1909, Beckland coined "plastic" to describe this moldable material.
  • The first patent for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) was registered in 1914.
  • Cellophane, a polymeric cellulose film, was also discovered during this period.
  • Plastic served as a substitute for wood, glass, and metal during World War I (1914-1918).
  • After World War II (1939-1945), newer plastics like polyurethane, polyester, silicones, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene and PVC became widely used.
  • Terylene, Dacoron cloth, and Hawai Chappals became popular in the early 1960s.
  • By the end of the 1960s, plastics became common due to their low cost, marking the beginning of the "Plastic Age".
  • Since the 1970s, "high tech" plastics have been used in health, aviation, and technology.
  • New types and forms of plastics with improved performance characteristics continue to be developed.

Thermoset & Thermoplastic

  • Thermoset: Strengthens when heated but cannot be re-molded after initial forming; rigid and hard.
  • Thermoplastics: Can be reheated, re-molded, and cooled without chemical changes; flexible and soft.

Magnitude of Plastic Problem

  • Rapid increase in anthropogenic debris on ocean surfaces and beaches.
  • Global plastic production has increased from 5 million tons to over 250 million tons.
  • Reasons for increase:
    • Inexpensive
    • Lightweight
    • Strong
    • Durable
    • Easy to use
  • About 3 metric tons of plastic enters the oceans every 15 seconds.

Properties of Plastic

  • Plastics are synthetic polymers, a sub-species of polymers composed of large molecules formed by joining smaller molecules (monomers).
  • Low molecular weight monomers precursors, often derived from petroleum or coal tar, are joined together by a process called "polymerization".
  • Polymers are composed of repeating structural units called monomers; a single polymer molecule may consist of hundreds to millions of monomers in linear, branched, or network structures.
  • Plastics are easily molded into complex shapes; they can be stiff or flexible, have high chemical resistance, and are more or less elastic.
  • These properties make plastic popular for durable and disposable goods and packaging materials.
  • However, these same qualities have made plastic a significant pollution problem, especially when not disposed of properly.

Plastics - Use

  • Due to low cost, light weight, strength, versatility, and durability, plastic use has rapidly increased, replacing materials like metals and glass.
  • Plastic is used in various items, including cars, aircrafts, bulletproof vests, toys, hospital equipment, food containers, and water/milk sachets.
  • Worldwide statistics indicate a need for change in attitude towards plastic use. India uses 2 kg per person, Europe uses 60 kg, and the US uses >80 kg.
  • Every year, 500 million plastic bags are used worldwide.
  • Over 1,000,000 kg of plastic bottles were recycled in 2010, a five-fold increase from the previous decade.

Plastics in India

  • The Indian plastics industry began in 1957 with the production of polystyrene.
  • The industry has since grown and diversified rapidly, with over 2,000 exporters.
  • In 1979, the market for plastics was seeded by Indian Petro-Chemicals, and plastic soft drink bottles became a visible source of annoyance by 1994.

Plastic Waste and Pollution

  • Plastic has become a serious environmental problem since its large-scale introduction in the 1970s.

Environmental Impact of Plastics

  1. Health Impacts
  2. Air & Water Pollution
  3. Soil-Land Pollution
  4. Impact on Wildlife
  5. Marine Pollution

Impact of Plastics on Biodiversity - Animals (Wildlife Issues)

  1. Effects in Cattle
    • Ingestion by cattle
  2. Entanglement
  3. Effects in Marine Animals
    • Effect in Corals
    • Impacts of Fishing Gears (Ghostly Fishing nets)
    • Ingestion by Marine animals
  4. Effects in Birds
  5. Spread of Invasive species
  • Over 1,000,000 seabirds, 100,000 marine mammals, and thousands of turtles are killed by plastic every year.

Wildlife Issues

  • Oceans are heavily polluted with plastics released from ships and rivers.
  • Dead beached whales are commonly found with stomachs full of plastic bags.

Post-Consumer Plastic Waste

  • An estimated 1.5 lakh computers and 3 lakh mobile phones are disposed of every year in India.
  • This generates e-waste containing lead, brominated flame retardants, and chromium, which are carcinogenic.
  • Extrapolation of plastic waste generation data from 60 major cities showed that around 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste per day (TPD) is generated in India.

Plastic Bag Waste & Pollution

  • Given India's poor garbage collection facilities, tons of plastic bags litter the urban landscape, railway tracks, and choke drains.
  • Plastic bags prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground, contributing to floods.
  • A large number of plastic bags washed down the drains during rain clog the drainage system, causing floods in towns and cities.
  • These bags eventually end up in the sea, adversely affecting sea life.
  • Degraded recycling is >80%, and <4% efficient recycling.
  • Cheap recycled bags contain harmful chemicals like chromium, cadmium, or lead, which can leach into food items and cause health hazards.
  • Every year, around 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide.
  • India's consumption of plastic bags is one of the highest in the world.

Plastic Use in India

  • A Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry study estimates that India consumed 16.5 million tonnes of plastic in 2017-18.
  • 43% of India’s plastics are used in packaging and are single-use plastics.
  • The plastic processing industry is estimated to grow to 22 million tonnes (MT) a year by 2020 from 13.4 MT in 2015, with nearly half being single-use plastic.

Cattle and Plastic Bags

  • The 'Waste nothing' attitude contrasts with the modern attitude of excessive consumerism.
  • Discarded plastic indicates a lack of awareness and safe disposal infrastructure.
  • Hundreds of cows die every year choking on plastic bags when trying to eat vegetable waste.
  • Approximately 100 cattle die per day in Uttar Pradesh due to plastic ingestion.
  • A dead cow in Delhi may contain 35 to 70 kg of plastic bags.
  • A cow in Faridabad ingested 72 kg of plastics and metal pieces, including nails and syringes, in November 2021.

Plastic Pollution in Ganges

  • Scientists calculated that the Ganges and two nearby waterways pump as many as three billion microplastic particles into the Indian Ocean each day.

Ocean Plastic Pollution

  • Plastics are a major source of global marine pollution.
  • Large pieces entangle marine animals, and tiny pieces harm by entering the marine food chain.
  • Wind and ocean currents spread plastic particles worldwide.
  • Plastics are found in remote locations like the Arctic, Southern Ocean, and deep oceans.
  • Ocean plastic pollution is alarming due to its persistence, complexity, steady growth, and pervasive ecosystem impacts.
  • Thousands of animals die from eating and getting caught in plastic.

Plastic Debris

  • Fishing nets, often made of plastic, become