Context
Balrampur Chini Mills, Uttar Pradesh one of India’s leading sugar producers, announced a Rs 2,000 crore investment in India’s first bioplastics factory to produce Bioplastics.
About Bioplastics:
- Bio-based plastics are made from renewable biomass sources like corn, sugarcane, vegetable oil, and wood pulp.
- Biodegradable plastics can break down into natural substances like water, carbon dioxide, and compost through microbial action in the environment.
- Bioplastics help reduce the environmental impact of conventional plastic waste by offering biodegradable alternatives derived from renewable sources like agricultural waste, cellulose, or starch (e.g., potato and cornstarch).
Types of Bioplastics
- Cellulose-based plastics:
- Made from wood pulp, used for film materials like wrappers.
- Starch-based thermoplastics:
- Derived from starch, used in drug capsules due to its moisture absorption property.
- Accounts for approximately 50% of the bioplastics market.
- Polylactic Acid (PLA):
- Made through the fermentation of starch from crops.
- Used in products like computer casings, mobile phone casings, cups, bottles, and other packaging.
- Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB):
- Used in products like banknotes and car parts.
- Polyamide 11 (PA 11):
- Made from vegetable oils, used for oil & gas flexible pipes, and electrical cable sheathing.
- Photo-degradable plastics:
- Plastics that degrade upon exposure to light.
Positive Impacts of Bioplastics
- Bioplastics have lower fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and higher energy efficiency than petrochemical plastics.
- They are non-toxic and easier to recycle.
- They do not contain harmful additives like phthalates or bisphenol A.
- Bioplastics do not alter the flavour or scent of the food they package.
Negative Impacts of Bioplastics
- Bioplastics are more expensive and less applicable than traditional petrochemicals.
- Bioplastic production requires 80% more energy than producing conventional plastic.
- Bioplastics degrade in water only under certain conditions: within six months, it must disintegrate into bits smaller than 2mm and at least 30% of the carbon must convert to carbon dioxide.
- Bioplastics, when not properly managed, contribute to microplastic pollution, which harms marine life.
- Not All Bioplastics Are Biodegradable:
Source: TH
Previous Year Question
Why is there a great concern about the ‘microbeads’ that are released into environment?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems.
(b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children.
(c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields.
(d) They are often found to be used as food adulterants.
Answer: (a)