What is Biotransformation Technology?
- Biotransformation technology is a novel approach to ensure plastics that escape refuse streams are processed efficiently and broken down.
- The technology was co-developed by Polymateria and the Imperial College in London, UK.
- Plastics made using this technology are given a pre-programmed time during which the manufactured material looks and feels like conventional plastics without compromising on quality.
- Once the product expires and is exposed to the external environment, it self-destructs and biotransforms into bioavailable wax, which is then consumed by microorganisms, converting waste into water, CO2, and biomass.
- The technology is the world’s first that ensures polyolefins fully biodegrade in an open environment without causing any microplastics.
Need for Biotransformation Technology
- India generates 3.5 billion kgs of plastic waste annually, and a third of it comes from packaging waste.
- In 2019, plastic packaging waste from e-commerce firms was estimated at over a billion kilograms worldwide.
- Amazon generated nearly 210 million kgs (465 million pounds) of plastic from packaging waste in 2019.
- Up to 10 million kgs (22.44 million pounds) of Amazon’s plastic packaging ended up in the world’s freshwater and marine ecosystems as pollution in 2019.
Application of this technology
- The food packaging and healthcare industries are the two prime sectors that could use this technology to reduce waste.
- The increase in cost is relatively small compared to conventional plastic which does not contain this technology.
- Some well-known Indian firms in the food and packaging industries deploy such technologies.
- Within healthcare and pharma industries, this technology provides biodegradable solutions for non-woven hygiene products like diapers, sanitary napkins, facial pads, etc.
India’s initiatives to tackle plastic pollution
- Phased elimination: The Indian government launched a plastic waste management gazette to help tackle the ever-growing plastic pollution caused by single-use plastics. The government imposed a ban on single-use plastics last year to bring a stop to its use in the country.
- National Dashboard on Elimination of Single-Use Plastic and Plastic Waste Management: It brings all stakeholders together to track the progress made in eliminating single-use plastic and effectively managing such waste.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal: It helps in improving accountability traceability, and facilitating ease of compliance reporting in relation to EPR obligations of the producers, importers, and brand-owners.
- Lifecycle monitoring: India has developed a mobile app to report single-use plastics grievances to check the sale, usage, or manufacturing of single-use plastics in their area.
Alternatives to Reducing Plastic Waste
- A switch to jute or paper-based packaging could potentially cut down plastic waste.
- Wooden packaging is yet another alternative, but that will make the packaging bulkier and increase the cost.
- The alternatives can be made using coir, bagasse, rice and wheat bran, plant and agricultural residue, banana and areca leaves.