PLANET OR PLASTIC ?

A closer look at the catastrophic ecological

impact arising from the use of an ordinary
Plastic Plate
Single-Use Plastics: A Miracle or a Curse?
Plastics made from fossil fuels are
just over a century old. Production
and development of thousands of
new plastic products accelerated
after World War II, so transforming
the modern age that life without
plastics would be unrecognizable
today.
Risks of developing kidney stones,
breast and liver cancers and
hormonal imbalances in humans are
from the plastic cutleries used daily.
The average lifespan of a plastic
plate is 15 minutes but they persist in
the environment for hundreds of
years.
Plastics revolutionized medicine
Despite all the convenience the
with life-saving devices, made space
product offers, there are several
travel possible, lightened cars and
health hazards it offers (besides
jets—saving fuel and pollution—and
contaminating our environment)
saved lives with helmets, incubators,
which are overlooked by the
and equipment for clean drinking
petrochemical industry.
water.
Plastic plates have a lot of impact
even before it gets to the market.
Eating hot meals on plastic crockery
This is because there is a lot of
could increase risks of these health
energy used and carbon emitted
conditions for both adults and
during their production which leads
children because when plastics are
to the addition of heat and carbon
exposed to high temperatures or
to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide
heat; toxins such as dioxin, Biphenyl
combines with other greenhouse
A, and Phthalates – chemicals used
gases such as methane and end up
to make plastic soft are released.
causing devastating climatic
changes.
 Let's look at the numbers in detail
7.7 billion people
Worldwide
1.35 billion
In India alone
Considering a market consumption of about 3 plastic plates per day ( taking into account the variable consumption levels
in rich and poor countries along with alternatives like paper plates that are used as well )

this leads to 23 billion

plastic plates dumped worldwide per day

As a result 23 billion plastic plates per year 8g of plastic /plate = 184 million kg of plastic waste/day

Therefore a whooping 1611 billion kg of plastic gets dumped into our oceans every year and takes
450 years to decompose !!
Is there a solution for this
critical problem ?
Biodegradable Plate
To find the solution, we need to dive into Material Science domain.
Material Science is a relatively comprehensive discipline that begins with
the production of goods from raw materials to processing of materials into
shapes and forms needed for diverse applications.

Plastic plate being a single use plastic is responsible for a huge chunk of
plastic waste. It is developed by using polyethylene/polypropylene and
therefore is a 100% plastic product.
Edible Plate

The best way forward is to junk plastic and find an alternative that is
greener, machinable and sustainable. Here are the three possible ways
that can help us to fight this plastic menace:

Wood Plate
What is the best way moving forward?
Let's study the insights brought forth by the qualitative comparison of the three solutions.
Comparison Criteria Solution 1 Solution 2 Solution 3
Bio-degradable Plate Edible Plate Wood Plate
Raw Materials Fallen leaves and water Millet, Rice or wheat Bamboo

Manufacturing Costs and Input material is available in
Pricing abundance and thus, it can
be said that the final product
should be price competitive .
Adaptability to the market No major adaptability issues
as such and the waste can be
further used to make
compost for farms. Thus can
be a source of income as
well.
Manufacturing costs are high
due to significant costs involved
in agriculture. It is a "ZERO
WASTE" product and can be
incentivized by the government
for low price.
Customers might not be willing
to pay high prices and health
issues due to poor farming
practice can't be ruled out as
well.
Raw material is available in
abundance but the
machining of wood would
require capital. Thus it will
be costlier than the plastic
product
Practices like deforestation
can harm the environment.
Therefore strict vigilance
would be needed.
Also wood products can
have storage issues as well.

Thus we can say that Solution 1 provides the best answer to our problem.
Why is solution 1 better than the others?
For:
• If you want to impress your guests, palm leaf plates are the most elegant and fancy disposable dinnerware. Paper or
plastic dinnerware can look cheap when used for special events, such as weddings. Palm leaf plates provide a rustic
look to your dining table and add a sophisticated natural touch to any occasion.
• Palm leaf plates are sustainable and eco-friendly as no tree is harmed to produce them. Only naturally fallen leaves
are a raw material in the production.
• Palm leaf tableware is 100% natural and chemical-free. Unlike paper or plastic dinnerware, these plates can be used
with hot food without fear of releasing potentially harmful chemicals into your food.
• They are sturdier than paper plates and thick enough to hold food without getting “soggy” or limp.
• Unlike foam or plastic ones, these plates can be used to reheat food in the microwave.
Against:
• These plates are not washable, and they are intended to be used only once. When exposed to moist foods, palm leaf
plates tend to absorb moisture. However, if you serve dry food in them, the plates can be reused one or two times.
• Palm leaf plates may have a strong smell which some people find unpleasant. However, the high-quality palm hardly
has a noticeable smell due to special manufacturing steps can be taken to eliminate the strong natural smell of palm
leaves.
• Palm leaf dinnerware could start to decompose if they get wet.
ZERO WASTE life cycle
 What can be done to know whether solution 1 is working or not?
We can arrive at the following points with an assumption that the proposed changes to the product has been
made and a proper marketing campaign is in place.
• The most fundamental way to gauge the success of the solution would be by
analyzing the sales data. Sales strategy should be made with a sole objective to
capture new target zones such as Food outlets, Parties, Marriage functions etc.
Data could serve as a check on how the 'ZERO WASTE' marketing strategy has
shaped up and to what extent does the plastic menace has been tackled by the
solution.
• A second option is to measure the number of plates that are produced during a
specific period . This helps us to obtain data on tons of plastic waste that is
eliminated which would help us to lobby for government support to obtain tax
reductions.
• A third way would be to survey the customer base near the retail stores to access
whether the product is popular or not. Positive feedback could lead to better
investments in the solution and thus help to regulate further cost of the product.
Social media platforms such as Youtube, Facebook etc. can be used to do these
surveys and to promote these products as well.
What might be the reasons for this
SOLUTION to fail ?
Price of the plate may cause a hurdle for first time buyers (since initial investment is higher).

Shocks in Global crude prices will directly affect the petrochemical industry. Thus, low crude
prices will make the plastic product very cheap.

Customers might suspect the quality of leaves that are used as a raw material as it will directly
impact their health. Poor farming practices can't be ruled out either.

The solution may not be popular for large public gatherings as used plates starts deteriorating
very early and lead to unpleasant smell which creates embarrassing situations for the organizers

As we all know plastic plate is quite a convenient and cheap product. So, customers might not be
willing to experiment with the new product .