Biodegradable plastic can cut waste
Biodegradable plastic can cut waste
By Tertiani Simanjuntak
JAKARTA (JP): It is difficult to imagine daily life without
the use of plastic packaging, especially in urban areas, even
though its imperishable nature has harmful effects on the
environment.
Production and consumption of plastic, or any polymeric
materials, has soared in the last three decades due to its light
weight and easily moldable nature, replacing wood, glass and
metal.
Shopping bags, food packaging and bottled drinks are all
usually made of plastic, though are no longer used once the
products have been consumed.
Indonesia, where every person consumes an average of seven
kilograms of plastic every year, is yet to achieve the effective
management of plastic waste to prevent soil pollution caused by
the leakage of chemical substances.
A study made by the Agency of the Assessment and Application
of Technology (BPPT) reveals that the country produces over 3.7
million tons of plastic every year, half of which is used for
packaging and the rest for construction materials, electronic
components and automotive, households and textile-related
materials.
The agency estimates that plastic waste from packaging amounts
to 4,400 tons per day in Indonesia, one third of that is produced
in Jakarta.
Only a small quantity of plastic waste is collected by
scavengers and recycled so that it can be used to make, among
other things, helmets, carpets and other things.
Not only is the recycling process expensive at the moment, but
plastic by-products are also not economically feasible either.
BPPT's project coordinator for waste and solid waste, Mohamad
Yusman, said that although the need for plastic was increasing,
the country faced the difficulty of sustaining its raw material,
which is crude oil and managing its post-consumption plastic
waste management.
"The more the need, the larger the problem faced by the
environment, as oil is not renewable and plastic normally only
breaks down after 60 years.
"Like other countries, Indonesia is seeking ways to produce
biodegradable plastics to replace certain shopping bags and fast-
food packaging," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The agency is researching into the use of cheaper starchy
materials like cassava and maize as renewable resources, which
are readily available ubiquitous raw materials, so that
biodegradable plastics could minimize the negative impact of
plastic waste.
"This new kind of plastic can be quickly broken down by
certain bacteria or even light," Yusman said, adding that some
plastics can even perish as quickly as three months after
production.
BPPT has taken the lead by arranging joint research with
Italy's International Center for Science and High Technology and
the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (ICS-
UNIDO) together with related ministries, institutions and
industries.
BPPT recently held a four-day international meeting here on
recycling and the production of biodegradable plastics from
renewable resources.
But not all industries are likely to applaud the invention.
Bottled water firm PT Aqua Golden Mississippi's director of
social affairs Eka Budianto told the Post and Jakarta-based Koran
Tempo daily that there are certain facts regarding the effect of
biodegradable plastic that should be taken into consideration.
"Biodegradable plastics are much more vulnerable to bacteria,
which can ruin the taste and quality of the water.
"Bottled water does not expire until one or two years after
production, so the use of plastic bottles, which are not able to
stay in shape that long is not a benefit to the industry," he
said at the sidelines of the meeting.