Being a net zero carbon emission economy by 2070 is a goal our country India has committed. On the recycling front, India generates 9.46 megatons of plastic waste each year, of which 40% is not collected and is either burnt, lost, or dumped into landfills or waterways. Of the total plastics produced, half are used in packaging, most of which are single-use in nature. Despite the existence of 5,000 registered recycling units, plastic recycling is largely informal. A complicated aggregator system segregates, recycles, and makes some profit off the plastic economy.
Reduction of carbon footprint or emission could come from multiple actions – reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, and such initiatives. One of the main SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which would impact the reduction of carbon emissions or carbon footprint would be SDG12 – responsible production and consumption.
PLASTIC – from Positive to Negative
Extensive research and data around the globe have shown that plastic is a “menace” due to its non degradation properties. However, if we go back a few decades, plastic has been one of the most important materials which has created a positive impact across multiple domains owing to a few key attributes
1. Lightweight and Versatile:
- Transportation: Plastic’s lightweight nature has revolutionized transportation, making vehicles more fuel-efficient. For example, plastic components in cars reduce weight, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.
- Packaging: Plastic packaging is lightweight, durable, and flexible, reducing transportation costs and minimizing food waste by extending shelf life.
2. Durability and Longevity:
- Construction: Plastic materials like PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) are used in construction for pipes, insulation, and roofing due to their durability and resistance to corrosion.
- Electronics: Plastics are used extensively in electronics for their insulating properties and ability to protect delicate components from moisture and impact.
3. Cost-Effectiveness:
- Manufacturing: Plastic is relatively inexpensive to produce compared to many alternative materials, making it cost-effective for manufacturing a wide range of products.
- Consumer Goods: Everyday items like toys, kitchenware, and furniture are often made from plastic due to its affordability.
4. Hygiene and Safety:
- Medical: Plastic is crucial in healthcare for sterile packaging, disposable medical supplies, and equipment due to its ability to maintain hygiene and prevent contamination.
- Food Safety: Plastic packaging helps keep food fresh, preventing spoilage and reducing foodborne illnesses.
5. Energy Efficiency:
- Insulation: Plastic foam insulation improves energy efficiency in buildings by reducing heat transfer.
- Appliances: Plastics used in appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity consumption.
6. Innovation and Design:
- Consumer Products: Plastic allows for innovative designs and shapes that might not be possible with traditional materials, leading to a wide array of products.
- Technology: In the electronics industry, plastics enable sleek and compact designs for smartphones, laptops, and other devices.
7. Public Health:
- Water Safety: Plastic pipes for water distribution are durable and corrosion-resistant, ensuring safe and clean drinking water.
- Medical Devices: Plastic materials are used in life-saving medical devices such as syringes, IV tubes, and prosthetics.
8. Agricultural Benefits:
- Farming: Plastic mulch films improve crop yields by controlling weeds, conserving water, and regulating soil temperature.
- Greenhouses: Plastic sheeting in greenhouses extends growing seasons and protects plants from harsh weather conditions.
9. Recycling and Circular Economy:
- Recyclability: Many types of plastic are recyclable, allowing for the recovery and reuse of materials in new products.
- Resource Efficiency: Recycled plastics can be used in the manufacturing of new products, reducing the demand for virgin materials and promoting a circular economy.
10. Consumer Convenience:
- Convenience Products: Single-use plastics like bags, utensils, and containers offer convenience for consumers in their daily lives.
The Shift to “Menace”
Over time, the widespread use of plastic and its disposability led to several environmental challenges, such as pollution, littering, and ecosystem harm. Plastic’s durability, which was once an asset, has become a liability in the context of waste management and environmental conservation. The linear “take-make-dispose” model has shown its limitations as plastic waste accumulates in landfills and oceans.
To address the negative impacts of plastic while maintaining its positive attributes, there’s a growing emphasis on:
- Reduction: Minimizing single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging.
- Innovation: Developing biodegradable plastics, recyclable alternatives, and sustainable materials.
- Recycling: Improving recycling infrastructure and increasing the use of recycled plastics.
- Regulation: Implementing policies like plastic bans, extended producer responsibility, and minimum recycled content requirements.
- Consumer Awareness: Educating the public on responsible plastic use and disposal.
By balancing the positive attributes of plastic with responsible consumption, waste management, and innovation, it can potentially continue to be a valuable material in our modern world while reducing its environmental impact. Research on recycling possibilities has shown that nearly 70% or more of the plastic could be recycled as far as technology was concerned. It left only a 30% which needed to be addressed.
The pace at which the technology got adapted and put to use, perhaps the ecosystem to bring back the plastic to recycling, or establish circularity in plastic management was not introduced initially. It started to get noticed when the very asset or advantage of long life became a huge problem as plastic did not decompose or degenerate. Being a lighter material, it was also visible, covered a far more area than some other wasted resources that were silently being dumped but not noticed.
SPB (Silica Plastic Block) Technology: A Repurposing technology for moving PLASTIC – from Negative to Positive
In 2017, Rhino Machines while addressing the problem of solid waste disposal of foundry industry, stumbled upon a video which showed plastic being used as the binding agent for sand, by a Russian innovator. Rhino took up the challenge to address sand and dust disposal, which also was of high quantity, but due to its mineral nature, and higher density (heavy material) has not been as prominently noticed as plastic.
The research conducted by Rhino beginning 2018 resulted in a revelation that plastic which we all considered recently as a liability was indeed an asset. For every 1 kg plastic (thermoplastic) the silica plastic block technology which Rhino curated was able to repurpose another 3 kgs of foundry disposal. The innovation of Silica Plastic Block (SPB) technology brings back the positivity of plastic with which it entered our lives, provides a new purpose (repurpose) from being a good packing material, to being a new bonding agent to bring back to use foundry sand and dust waste.
Challenges of conventional plastic recycling technology
1. Segregation Requirement:
- Plastic Types: Plastics of type 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (PP), and 7 (multilayer) often cannot be effectively recycled together due to their different chemical compositions and properties.
- Separate Treatment: Each type of plastic requires specific recycling processes, such as different temperatures and chemical treatments. This necessitates segregation at the source or recycling facility.
2. Washing and Drying:
- Preparation: Before recycling, plastics need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove contaminants like food residue, dirt, and labels.
- Drying: Moisture content can affect the quality of recycled plastic pellets, so drying is often necessary before processing.
3. Limited Value Addition:
- Virgin Material Dependency: The value of recycled plastic is often tied to the price and availability of virgin (new) plastic materials.
- Quality Concerns: Recycled plastic may not always match the quality and performance of virgin plastic, limiting its applications and market value.
4. Industry Specific Use:
- Intermediate Material: Recycled plastic is often used as an intermediate material in the manufacturing of new products.
- Market Limitations: Some industries may not readily accept recycled plastic due to quality concerns or specific performance requirements.
5. Scale and Expertise:
- Scalability: Effective recycling of segregated plastic requires a large scale of operation to make the process economically viable.
- Supply Chain: Building a reliable supply chain for collecting, sorting, and processing segregated plastic is complex and requires coordination with multiple stakeholders.
- Expertise: Recycling plastic effectively requires domain-specific expertise in sorting, processing, and ensuring quality control.
SPB technology does away with the challenges conventional plastic recycling technology faced, showing a new solution to reduce our plastic pollution effectively and efficiently, through the repurposing route.
1. Segregation from Plastic to Plastic NOT REQUIRED:
- it accepted all these 5 types of plastic category mixed together without need to segregate
2. Washing and Drying – NOT REQUIRED:
- it did not require washing to cleanse small impurities
3. UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES for Value Addition:
- the composite of silica plastic block repurposed the use of plastic, opening up various applications and use cases, and therefore market opportunities of value added products with post use plastic
4. Industry AGNOSTIC Use:
- made the use agnostic to the origin, could adapt to the local needs, could find a local consumption, making it a self-sustaining model producing an end product
5. Scale and Expertise:
- it could be sized down to small modules, depending on the quantity of plastic waste in the region, overcoming the challenge of scale.
- SPB has been designed with size of 5 kgs/hour, scaled to 250 kgs/hr setups
- The technology doesn’t require high level of expertise, is already deployed in remote region of Manipur, Nepal
- The SPB technology thus was much easier to adapt and become a sustainable business model addressing scale and expertise challenges
Commercialising SPB Technology
Moving from developing technology, Rhino has been incubating and curating the technology towards a sustainable business model. With 30+ years of experience in manufacturing, project management, and exposure to UNCTAD’s Empretec training of culture for business building, Rhino has been able to craft the business model for small / micro projects.
Meemansa a lifestyle product manufacturing enterprise, has extended its creativity and social consciousness to SPB material as it’s new canvas. On 22nd March 2024, Meemansa has also received the CONSENT to ESTABLISH (CTE) from Gujarat Pollution Control Board, recognizing the SPB technology for recycling plastic, with ZERO Air, Water or Solid Discharge. MEEMANSA’s SPB Art & Craft Business Model has been configured as below broadly looking at the business from a macro level.
Purpose
- Reuse and repurpose wasted resources into usable products such as pots, coasters, trays, etc., maximizing resource utilization & life cycle
- Facility for environmental awareness and education, recycling practices and training
- Provide opportunities for women / underprivileged or marginalized communities with access to livelihood in formal economy
- Build a replicable Investible asset which can digest social impact investment, promotes equitable distribution of income amongst stakeholders
Rhino takes care of technology, while Meemansa looks at the design & production. Together both have networked and started building a value chain for e-commerce, nurseries, home décor as marketing channel partners, social organisations for awareness and product promotion. A similar project has been implemented in Manipur – North East of India, Tribal Spun Repurpose Pvt Ltd. In both enterprises I was able to partner, to hand hold the enterprises in commercialising the project.
Silica Plastic Block is a technology that is now being considered by several International and National Education & Public enterprises for partnering. As we move ahead, the final leg of commercialization starts – market acceptance. Rhino is now assisting the startups and incubates with product and market development, business modelling to find ways in which the project can be viable and self sustained commercially.
