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.