Plastic waste adds more to environmental problems

By Joko Sarwono

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Plastic has become a household name in all sectors of life. Many things, from miscellaneous household items to parts of heavy industrial equipment, are mostly made of plastic.

"We use plastic ware in everyday life," said Iswandi Anas, a microbiological expert in soil at the Agriculture University of Bogor, whose advice on disposing of plastic waste in Jakarta is frequently required.

"Bean cake (tempe) was formerly wrapped in banana leaf. Nowadays, it is packed in plastic," said Iswandi.

An increase in the population automatically creates an increased demand for plastic. Daily use of plastic has become unavoidable. The problem of plastic use emerges only when such items have to be disposed of. Plastic waste does not decompose naturally, and this was emphasized by both M.S. Saeni, an environmental chemist, and Ahmad Syahreza, a plastic expert of the Faculty of Chemistry at the university.

"Plastic waste is practically indestructible because it is made of a strong element," said Ahmad. Iswandi agreed with him, saying: "So far, a microorganism hasn't been discovered which can dissolve plastic."

The problem is more aggravated by the appalling lack of discipline among the public for waste disposal. The majority of them litter waste whenever it suits them, wherever they happen to be.

This waste is then spread by the wind in all directions. Waste, for example, is disposed of at river banks, in gutters and drains, which gradually blocks the flow of the river and water in drains and gutters.

Excessive waste accumulation, said Iswandi, would undermine the beauty of a city and in turn would obstruct water flow and result in flooding.

Several preventive or curative measures in plastic waste removal could be applied by consumers and producers to overcome the problem effectively.

"Plastic items should be totally pulverized," suggested Ahmad. "Don't throw a leaking pail away, for instance."

"As long as it can be repaired, patch it up. You'd use the item a little longer," said Ahmad, who is a graduate of the University of New South Wales in Australia. "In this way, we save some money. But more importantly, we don't litter plastic waste."

The same applies to plastic bags. "We should save them for other purposes," Ahmad said.

Plastic items that are no longer useful have to be taken care of in the proper way. Plastic household waste must be separated from regular household waste. This plastic waste is then collected in a temporary storage place. Garbage collectors then transport the waste to plastic waste collectors where it is further graded in item varieties. The selected plastic waste is then dispatched to recycling factories.

"Transparent plastics, bags, pails and washbowls can all be recycled into new plastic material. Its quality is somewhat inferior though," explained Ahmad. "Recycled plastic material is usually used in plastic items which do not require prime quality as a base."

He suggested that producers make efforts by adding another element to aid disintegration of plastic waste. "Nature will do the rest," he said.

Plastic producers all over the world still invest their money in conventional plastic factories.

A new plastic variety which decomposes naturally is actually already on the market. "There are various types," said Ahmad.

"It looks like plastic, but if it is buried in the ground, it disintegrates quickly," Iswandi added. This type of plastic is made in Belgium, based on suggestions by W.H. Verstraete of the Microbial Ecology Laboratory at the State University of Ghent.

This variety, however, raises costs and is not entirely without risk. Durability of this type of plastic is rather limited.

"If this type of plastic is not sold before the expiry date, it disintegrates," said Ahmad. "That is the reason why it is not popular in the industrial world."

The right course, therefore, should be taken to develop a new type of plastic that would disintegrate only when it is thrown away. Efforts in this direction are already being made. "Its performance has to be improved though," said Ahmad.

Burning of plastic waste is the easiest and cheapest way to dispose of plastic waste.

"It is a very easy and inexpensive way to destroy plastic waste," said Saeni.

Burning of household plastic items is not harmful when it is done in minimum amounts, according to Ahmad and Saeni. Even so, when done frequently, it might affect the neighborhood. "In large amounts it would certainly be dangerous," Ahmad said.

Burning of plastic could release various unhealthy substances.

Saeni suggested that this way of plastic disposal should be done at a special location far from residential areas. The place should have good ventilation and workers' safety facilities should be provided by management.

"A village should, for instance, own a special incinerator, but isolated from densely populated areas," explained Saeni.