Tackling the problem posed by increasing plastic and polythene:

Scheme to overcome Post Consumer Plastic Waste

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

Director General Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma

Project Director Bandula Sarath Kumara

15m lunch sheets, 20m shopping bags are dumped each day

20 million yoghurt cups and one million sachet packets dumped per month

500,000 metric tons of virgin plastic are imported to the country - 70 percent used locally

Globally every ten years plastic consumption increases by three times

Did you know that as Sri Lankans we contribute to collect 15 million lunch sheets on average per day. And we dump polythene bags that we carry stuff - carrier bags -, nearly 20 million of them each day. These statistics were revealed by a study done jointly by the University of Kelaniya and the Central Environment Authority nearly a year ago. Every time one Sri Lankan goes shopping, results in ending up with many polythene bags - either grocery ones or carrier bags - and we hardly recycle or at least reuse. The research was conducted by both parties for five months in five districts.

Post Consumer Plastic Waste has created problems in all communities in massive proportions. Though numerous tactics came up during the past few years to recycle this menace in a more effective way, the problem remains the same as well as the improper dispose to the environment.

Sri Lanka Imports annually a considerable amount of plastic raw materials and finished products and a major portion of them ends up as Post Consumer Plastic Waste causing severe environmental problems. The Project was initially funded by 1 percent CESS imposed on imports of all Plastic raw materials and finished goods and thereafter it was increased up to 10 percent on reducing prices of virgin plastics due to a fuel price drop in 2009.

This project is being monitored by Plastic Partnership Committee the members of which were appointed from Private Sector and Government Institutions.

Under the National Post Consumer Plastic Waste Management Project, the Central Environment Authority over the years has come up with different programs to address this non degrading problem. The National Post Consumer Plastics Waste Management Project will focus on three main programs - i.e. Development of regional plastic waste collection system, development of plastic recycling network and awareness and promotional campaign.

The project, implemented in mid 2007, also focus on the behavioural change necessary among the Sri Lankan consumers to ensure proper disposal of plastic waste and to put in place the necessary logistics to enable the collection and recycling. A considerable portion of the post consumer plastic consist of lunch sheets, grocery bags and carrier bags. "Everyday each family throws out 5 - 6 shopping bags per day. And mind you we have approximately 4.2 million families in the country," said Director of the National Post Consumer Plastic Waste Management Project Bandula Sarath Kumara.

In recycling these plastic and polythene the biggest problem is its contamination with dirt - in the case of lunch sheets those are thrown away with remaining food which gets spoiled over time. These contaminations need to be removed, thus these post consumer plastic waste was washed before recycling.

To expedite this process and to match with the rate at which such waste is created, the CEA established a new system to wash the waste in noted recycler plants.

"Earlier individual people washed these lunch sheets in rivers and open waterways creating a lot of environment damage. And the rate was very slow too,"said Kumara.

The washing plants are set up in Western province - one for each district. Heavy polythene is easily accepted by the recyclers as those are easy to recycle and very less contamination. Yet when it came to light polythene like lunch sheets, shopping and carrier bags had a problem in being recycled.

Before the washing plants were set up recyclers have been reluctant to use such as waste as a washing plant would be significantly costly for them if they were to set up on their own, said Director General of the CEA, Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma. "With the set up of these washing plants in one province we were able to increase the recycling amount by 10 percent," according to DG Alahapperuma.

According to the statistics available with the CEA, annually Sri Lanka is importing 500,000 metric tons of virgin plastic out of which only 30 percent leaves the country in different types of exported goods. The other 70 percent remains in the island.

Plastics are especially troublesome, as different types of plastic require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material. "With plastic and polythene we cannot use other strategies as burning or burying as both causes heavy pollution. So constantly we have to come up with different solutions to solve the waste problem created with the use of plastic and polythene," said Alahapperuma. In Sri Lanka we dump one million sachet packets - be it with sauce, jam or shampoo. Per month we dump 20 million yoghurt cups.

Th Colombo municipal Council collects 700 tons of garbage on average per day and 6 percent of this is polythene and plastic waste. "According to world surveys by every ten years the plastic consumption increases by three times. This poses a great challenge as well as a threat to the environment. While promoting behavioral changes in individuals to omit or minimise using plastic and polythene use we have to find more innovative methods to recycle this post consumer plastic and polythene waste," said Dr. Alahapperuma.

*************

[Understanding levels of recycling]

Numbers ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a triangle of arrows was designed by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers.

1) Easy Plastics to Recycle - number 1

The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets. It can also be used to make bean bags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles.

Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.

2) Number 2 -

Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics. These include heavier containers. These are widely accepted at recycling centres. HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yoghurt tubs; cereal box liners.

Number 2 is often recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope.

3) Plastics Less Commonly Recycled - Number 3

This includes Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and even some baby bottle nipples. These are rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers. Once recycled can be conerted in to Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping

4) Number 4 - The low density polythenes (low density polyethylene - LDPE)

Number 4s include wrapping films, grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of low-density polyethylene. Once recycled can be used in trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile. LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications.

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet .

5) Number 5 - PP or Polypropylene

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers. When recycled can be used in signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays.

Found in: Some yoghurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles

6) Number 6 Plastics - polystyrene (Styrofoam)

The Number 6 was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle.

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products - in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases

Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

7) Number 7 Plastics - Hardest Plastics

Are crafted from various combinations of the above mentioned plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. The controversial Polycarbonate falls in to number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and can be turned in to compost.

When recycled can be used in manufacturing plastic lumber and custom-made products.

Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon.