Plastics Carry Bags 

Benefits, Issues, Realities
& 
Solutions
 CONTENTS

• CARRY BAGS - WHY PLASTICS ?

• PLASTIC BAGS - COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

• ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN FOR ALTERNATIVES TO

PLASTIC CARRY BAGS

• ISSUES

• SOLUTIONS

– WASTE MANAGEMENT & RECYCLING

• RECOMMENDATION
 WHY PLASTICS ?
Replacing Traditional Materials

…Due to Superior Properties Material Energy Requirement

• Safe & Hygienic – Inert and Chemical Resistance KWH Kg-1

•Light Weight & Non-Breakability

Aluminum 74.1
•Excellent Barrier Properties - Enhancing Shelf-life Steel 13.9

•Superior Impact Resistance Glass 7.9

Paper 7.1
•Transparency as well as Opacity
Plastic 3.1
•Lower Fuel Consumption and Product Loss during
 Scott, G and Gilead, D., editors, 
Degradable Polymers, Principles and 
Transportation Application, Chapman & Hall, London, 
1995

All These… at Lesser Cost

PLASTICS

• Global Consumption of plastics ~ 180 million

tonnes (Per Capita ~ 28kg)

• Indian Consumption of plastics ~6.5 million

tonnes ( Per Capita ~ 6kg)

• Plastic carry bag accounts for less than 1% of

total plastic consumption.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
 PLASTICS :
TOP GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION SAVER

In 2005, Total Global Emissions was 46

GtCO2e

It could have been 51.2 Gt CO2e, but for

the savings by Chemical Industry

Savings by Chemical Industry 11%

Among The Top 10 Green House Gas Emission Saving Sectors - 4 are Plastics

Piping
Insulation Materials Packaging Automobiles

Plastics save green house gas emissions

And save the earth from Global Warming
Source: McKinsey cLCA study for International Council of Chemical Association
GHG EMISSION SAVING BY PLASTICS PACKAGING

Total Saving ˜ 220 Mt CO2e

Plastics Carry Bags reduce GHG emission

Source: McKinsey cLCA study for International Council of Chemical Association

ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTICS CARRY BAGS?

• Jute

• Textile

• Paper

• Degradable Plastics

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS 

ENERGY SAVING:
1 LAC MT. OF ATTA PACKAGING
Jute Vs Plastic

Energy consumption in GJ for

Manufacturing Raw Materials, Packaging
and Transportation of Atta

Energy saving – 81%

Energy recovery with plastics waste-35 GJ

Source: LCA Study by IIT (Delhi)

   The comparison  holds  good  for  Plastics Vs Jute Carry Bags  
 ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN…
Jute Bag Vs Plastic Bag
During production of raw During transportation of the finished bags
Material & bags

* High potential for Global Warming

**Values are for Packaging of One Lac MT of Atta

Source – Report by Centre for Polymer Science and Engineering, IIT - Delhi
 AIR & WATER POLLUTION
Polyethylene Vs Paper

  Energy for    ↑
  Manufacture Emissions   →

 Figures for 50, 000 carry bags

Source: Scott, G and Gilead, D., Editors, Degradable Polymers, Principles and Application, Chapman & Hall, London, 1995
 PLASTIC & TEXTILE BAGS

 Plastics manufacturing consumes 400 kwh/mt while

composite textile mills consume 1310 kwh/mt
 Textile contributes 30% SOx (second highest by any sector)
and 23% NOx (highest by any sector)
Source : Warmer Bulletin, July 01

This gives a comparative analysis of environmental

burden generated by paper, jute & textile bags which are
not visible to naked eyes though, in comparison to plastic
bags!
 PLASTICS BAGS / CARRY BAGS
• Increase shelf-life of contents

• Essential for packaging / carrying

of confectionery, bakery products

• Essential for packaging / carrying

hygroscopic products like sugar / salt / jaggary

• Convenient for carrying fish / meat / poultry and other wet food

products – no other appropriate alternatives

• Essential to carry commodities during rainy season

• Add convenience to day-to-day life

 PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Plastic carry bags generate 60 % less GHG than uncomposted paper

bags & 79% than composted paper bags

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports

 PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Plastic grocery bags consume 40% less energy during production

and generate 80% less solid waste after use.

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
 PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Plastic grocery bags consume 40% less energy during production and 

generate 80% less solid waste after use than paper bags.

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
 PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Paper bags generate 70% more air pollutants and ~ 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags do.

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
 PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

Plastics and Paper both can be recycled. However it takes 91%

less energy to recycle a kg of plastic than a kg of paper.

Source: ULS LCA Report, USA and other reports
 PLASTIC & PAPER CARRY BAGS

• 150,000 plastic bags of

20 cm x 30 cm x 40 micron needs 1
small tempo for transportation

• Paper bags of same size & number

need ~ 10 such tempos for
transportation - due to higher weight
and volume Consuming more fuel and 
causing more air pollution
 DESPITE ALL THESE POSITIVE
ATTRIBUTES …

PLASTIC BAGS ARE UNDER SCANNER

 MAJOR ISSUES

 Health & safety

 Toxicity

 Biodegradability

 Disposal & waste management

 HEALTH & SAFETY

Polythene is approved safe material for

Use …

• In contact with food, pharmaceuticals and drinking water

• As implants within human body

• In medical applications like IV bottle, Packaging of tablets

• For Packaging of Liquid Milk

Plastic Carry Bags are generally made from Polyethylene

 TOXICITY
Issue:
Plastics are termed as toxic and injurious to health

Fact:
• Plastics are inert materials and do not pose any danger of toxicity
• Emissions during processing of plastics are well within regulatory norms
(study by SIIR – Delhi)

• Additives used in plastics are approved as per BIS / FDA standards

• Emissions at fire situation have similar or lesser implications in
comparison to situation involving natural organic materials like wood,
paper & cotton
• Emissions during burning of paper and polyethylene are similar
 BIODEGRADABILITY

Issue:

Non-biodegradability property of plastics carry bags is termed as the

major reason of waste management problem

• Plastics are useful for its long life characteristics

• Nothing decomposes substantially in modern landfills. It

requires additional mechanical action for composting degradable

waste

• Indian Landfills does not practice Composting Activity

BIODEGRADABLE OR RECYCLABLE PLASTICS ?

• Compostable plastics will degrade/compost only in composting

conditions

• The concept of Biodegradable Plastics will encourage littering

• Spurious products cannot be detected in market place causing flooding of

fake bags

• A mixture of degradable and non-degradable plastics will disturb the

plastics recycling activity

• During decomposition stage biodegradable plastics emit CO2 and CH4 –

both green house gases

 BIODEGRADATION OR RECYCLING ?

• Biodegradable Plastics have been developed

• However these are required in applications where recycling is

not possible or difficult

• Developed countries – major manufacturers of BD Plastics –

have not mandated use of Biodegradable Plastics Carry Bags in

their countries

Reuse and Recycling is preferred 
over degradation to encourage Resource Management
 USE OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS

Recommended applications of BD plastics:

• Nursery Bags,
• Mulch/Agricultural film,
• One – time use Cutlery / Cups etc to be Carried in
Ships / Remote areas
• Lamination on jute – paper for Relevant Packaging
Applications etc
 DISPOSAL
Issue:

Plastics are blamed as the major cause of MSW problem

Facts:

• According to studies plastics form about 5% of total MSW in

major Indian Metros

• A recent study at Deonar dumping area (Mumbai) reveals

that ~ 90 % of plastics waste brought to the landfill are picked

up by rag pickers and sold to waste trades for recycling

PLASTICS IN MSW

NEERI study - 2005

 ISSUE – INDIAN CONTEXT

WHILE ALL SOLID / THICK PLASTICS WASTE IS

SYSTEMATICALLY PICKED UP BY THE WASTE COLLECTORS
FOR RECYCLING, DISPOSAL OF THIN PLASTIC CARRY BAGS,
SINGLE-USE PLASTIC WASTE AND MULTI-LAYER PACKETS,
ABANDONED BY THE WASTE PICKERS, HAVE CREATED SOLID
WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM
 PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : GLOBAL MATRIX

• No developed country in the world has any thickness restriction of Plastic

Carry bags

• No country in the world has mandated use of Biodegradable Plastics for

any mass commodity product like Carry Bags

• In California - USA, initial measures for banning of normal plastic bags in

favour of biodegradable plastics / paper bags has been stricken down by
the Superior Court asking for conducting LCA study on the products

• France dropped its earlier proposal for banning of normal plastic bags in
favour of Biodegradable Plastic Bags on the direction from EU Parliament
 PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : GLOBAL MATRIX

• Australia has plans to reduce the use of thin HDPE bags by 50%
over a period of three years

• Some developed countries levy tax on all packaging materials

including plastic carry bags – to meet the cost of managing the
waste

• Many developing countries including China & India have

thickness and size restrictions

• Only Bangladesh and some African nations have imposed ban on

plastic carry bags
 PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : INDIAN RULES

• IN THE STATES OF MAHARASHTRA, GOA, WEST BENGAL, 
MEGHALAYA, PUNJUB,  HIMACHAL PRADESH, KERALA THE 
THICKNESS  RULE VARIES FROM 30 TO 70 MICRONS

• IN DELHI , CHANDIGARH AND J & K, PLASTICS CARRY BAGS 
ARE BANNED 

• ALL OTHER STATES FOLLOW  MoEF RULE OF 20 MICRONS
 SOLUTION TO DISPOSAL PROBLEM

• Segregation at source – awareness among citizens against

littering

• Proper system for collection of segregated wastes for facilitating

recycling

• Incentives / encouragement for recycling

• Upgradation of the existing mechanical recycling technology

• Encouragement for alternate methods of recycling / recovery of

energy
WASTE MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDY
 SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE

‘A’ – WARD
    MUMBAI

Rag pickers with van Loading of dry waste in

Municipality van

Dry waste being carried

for loading into
Municipality van

Dry waste at housing Municipality van with

colonies dry waste on way to
segregation area
 SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE

‘A’ – WARD
    MUMBAI

Segregation of dry waste Storing of segregation dry

waste in secured place

Packing of segregated Segregation of dry waste being weighed

dry waste and sold to recyclers / traders
             DRY WASTE SEGREGATION DATA
         MUMBAI WARDS – A, D, F(N), M (E & W), S & T

A comparative assessment of the

segregation activities in select
Mumbai Wards

BMC provides dry waste collection

vans and secured segregation area

free of cost

There is wealth in Waste

CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING
CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING
CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING
NON-CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING AND RECOVERY

– Co-processing in Cement Kilns / Energy Recovery

– Conversion to Fuel

– Construction of Asphalt Road

– Conversion to Basic Chemical

FUEL FROM WASTE PLASTICS

Invention by Indian Scientist

Dr. Alka Zadgaonkar
Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur
SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION TO PLASTICS WASTE
DISPOSAL WITH RECOVERY OF ENERGY

ACC Plant at Kymore ­ MP

CALORIFIC VALUES (MJ / KG) : Plastics  ~ 45
: Coal       ~ 29 
All types of plastics waste  – laminated, mixed & uncleaned, can 
be co­processed in Cement Kiln in partial replacement of coal
       CPCB HAS APPROVED THE PROCESS
 PLASTICS WASTE
IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

ASPHALT PLANT OF BMC, WORLI, Prof. V S AGHASE ROAD DADAR,

MUMBAI MUMBAI
PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Vidyasagar Street – Kalyani, West Bengal

PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Bawana, Delhi
 RECOMMENDATIONS
 IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGING WASTE

RULE SIMILAR TO THOSE PREVAILING IN DEVELOPED

COUNTRIES

 PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

(MANAGEMENT & HANDLING) RULE, 2000 OF MoEF, GOVT OF

INDIA

 UNIFORM PLASTIC CARRY BAG THICKNESS RULE IN THE

ENTIRE COUNTRY AND PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

SAME
 RECOMMENDATIONS

 ENCOURAGEMENT AND INCENTIVES FOR RECYCLING

ACTIVITY AS PER RECOMMENDATION IN THE SUPREME

COURT COMMITTEE REPORT ON SWM IN CLASS I CITIES OF

INDIA – 1999

 MANDATING CO-PROCESSING OF PLASTICS WASTE IN ALL

CEMENT KILNS IN THE COUNTRY

   AWARENESS MESSAGE TO ALL CITIZENS