Plastic

Bio-plastics emerge as green alternative revenue play for sugar producers

With a high differential in pricing vis-a-vis normal plastics, and backed by a generous Uttar Pradesh policy, sugar producers eye new opportunities in the climate-friendly product

PepsiCo beats New York state's lawsuit over single-use plastics pollution

James sued PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay unit last November, seeking to hold them liable for endangering Buffalo's water supply by generating 17% of the plastic waste found in and near the Buffalo River

Pink bowls & yellow bottles: Tupperware's journey from desire to necessity

Tupperware entered the scene in India in the late nineties and quickly infiltrated the urban kitchen

Fssai launches project to check microplastic contamination in food

The Food and Agriculture Organization (Fao) had recently highlighted the presence of microplastics in common food items such as sugar and salt

All Indian salt, sugar brands contain microplastics, reveals study

All Indian salt and sugar brands, whether big or small, packaged or unpackaged, contain microplastics, according to a study published on Tuesday. The study, "Microplastics in Salt and Sugar" and conducted by the environmental research organisation Toxics Link, tested 10 types of salt -- including table salt, rock salt, sea salt and local raw salt -- and five types of sugar purchased from both online and local markets. The study revealed the presence of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples, in various forms, including fibre, pellets, films and fragments. The size of these microplastics ranged from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The highest levels of microplastics were found in iodised salt, in the form of multi-coloured thin fibre and films. Toxics Link founder-director Ravi Agarwal said, "The objective of our study was to contribute to the existing scientific database on microplastics so that the global plastic treaty can address this issue in a concrete and focused manner." "We also aim

World Paper Bag Day 2024: History, Significance, quotes and more

Paper Bag Day 2024 is celebrated every year on July 12, 2024. This day aims to inform people about the harmful impacts of plastic on our environment and provide eco-friendly alternatives

New plastic management rules will impact FMCG companies: Analysts

India is the third-largest plastic producer globally. While these new norms will put India ahead in the global league, they will also impact packaging costs for consumer companies

Nestle, Britannia, ITC: Winners, losers from plastic waste management norms

In the KIE consumer staples universe, Dabur reported the highest packaging cost at 12.5 per cent of its standalone revenues in FY23

Disagreement over limiting plastic prod at world's 1st plastic treaty talks

Nations made progress on a treaty to end plastic pollution, finishing the latest round of negotiations in Canada early Tuesday amid sharp disagreements about whether to put global limits on plastic production. For the first time in the process, negotiators discussed the text of what is supposed to become a global treaty. Delegates and observers at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution called it a welcome sign that talk shifted from ideas to treaty language at this fourth of five scheduled meetings. Most contentious is the idea of limiting how much plastic is manufactured. That remains in the text over the strong objections of plastic-producing countries and companies and oil and gas exporters. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels and chemicals. As the Ottawa session ended, the committee agreed to keep working on the treaty before its final meeting later this year in South Korea. The preparations for that session will focus on how to finance the ...

'India among 12 nations responsible for 60% of mismanaged plastic waste'

India is among the twelve countries responsible for 60 percent of the planet's mismanaged plastic waste though the fast-developing South Asian nation's per capita plastic waste production is among the lowest in the world, according to a new report. The Plastic Overshoot Day report by Swiss non-profit EA Earth Action also said global plastic waste generation has risen by 7.11 per cent since 2021. The world is estimated to have generated 220 million tons of plastic waste this year, 70 million tons of which will end up polluting the environment. The report comes ahead of the fourth meeting of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) in Ottawa, Canada, as the world leaders attempt to develop a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. "Twelve countries are responsible for 60 per cent of the world's mismanaged plastic waste: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, the United States and Turkey," it said. Though

Plastic exports grow 14.3% to $997 mn in February: Plexconcil report

India's plastic exports grew 14.3 per cent year-on-year to USD 997 million in February due to a rise in demand in various product categories, an apex industry body said on Friday. The overall plastic exports stood at USD 872 million in February 2023, Plastic Export Promotion Council Plexconcil said in a statement. According to Plexconcil data, there was significant export growth in February 2024 across the majority of the product panels like plastic raw materials, plastic films and sheets, woven sacks, and floor coverings, among others. However, panels like writing instruments and stationery, consumer and houseware products, human hair and related products, and miscellaneous products and items faced challenges in achieving growth during the same period, it added. "Amidst fluctuating trends, India's plastic exports grew in February, reaching USD 997 million, a 14.3 per cent rise from the previous year. Initiatives like PLEXCONNECT 2024 aim to fortify global connections. Scheduled fo

Understanding the microplastics threat

Demand for piano keys, billiard balls, and combs was going up in Europe even while getting hold of elephant tusks and tortoise shells was becoming more difficult as their population dwindled

Recycling firm Vikas Lifecare sets up JV to manufacture smart meters

Recycling player Vikas Lifecare on Saturday said it has formed a Joint Venture (JV) company to set up a smart meter manufacturing unit at an investment of Rs 108 crore. Its subsidiary Genesis Gas Solutions Pvt Ltd (Genesis) has formed JV IGL Genesis Technologies Ltd with equity participation from Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) in the ratio of 49:51, Vikas Lifecare said in a statement. The JV will set up a smart meter manufacturing facility at an initial investment of Rs 108 crore in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The unit, with a capacity to manufacture 1 million smart meters annually, is being set up over an area of 65,000 sq ft, and is expected to be made operational by July this year, the company said. Orders for the manufacturing equipment have already been finalised and will be placed within this month. Vikas Lifecare recycles plastic waste to manufacture pallets and interlocking tiles for industrial applications.

Quality control necessary for country to compete with world: Karnataka HC

The High Court of Karnataka has rejected a petition that sought its interference in the quality checks on plastics imported to India. As per a notification issued by the Government of India, quality control has been imposed on plastic imported into the shores of the country effective from January 5, 2024. Calling it a necessary step for quality control, the HC in its judgement said, "If the quality emerges right from the word go, till the finished product, under the 'Make in India' programme, it is only then that the country would be able to compete with others. A step towards that will not be interfered with by this Court except, that if the step towards that, depicts palpable and demonstrable arbitrariness, which is neither pleaded nor present." The All India HDPE/PP Woven Fabric Manufacturers' Association had filed the petition before the HC which was heard by Justice M Nagaprasanna. In its judgement on January 8, the Court noted that "Except contending cartelisation and nexus,

One-litre bottled water could contain about 240,000 plastic pieces: Study

A litre of bottled water could contain about 2.4 lakh plastic pieces on average, which is about 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates that mainly concerned plastics of larger sizes, according to a new study. While microplastics range from a micrometre -- a millionth of a metre -- to 5 millimetres, nanoplastics are smaller than a micrometre and are measured in billionths of a metre. Researchers from Columbia University analysed three popular brands of bottled water sold in the US, measuring plastic particles down to 100 nanometres in size. They detected about 1.1-3.7 lakh plastic fragments in each litre -- 90 per cent nanoplastics and the rest microplastics. Their findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Previously this was just a dark area, uncharted. Toxicity studies were just guessing what's in there," said study co-author Beizhan Yan, an environmental chemist at Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth ...

New York sues PepsiCo for plastic pollution, alleging water contamination

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a lawsuit against PepsiCo Inc. on Wednesday, accusing the soda-and-snack food giant of polluting the environment and endangering public health after its single-use plastics were found along the Buffalo River. The lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court aims to require PepsiCo and its subsidiaries, Frito-Lay Inc. and Frito-Lay North America Inc., to clean up its mess, where its single-use plastic packaging including food wrappers and plastic bottles have found a way to the shores of the Buffalo River and watershed, contaminating drinking water supply for the city of Buffalo. No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo's irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo's water supply, environment, and public health, James said in a statement. PepsiCo is the single largest identifiable contributor to the plastic was

After floods, plastic garbage becoming a threat in Himachal: Scientists

Environmentalists, farmers and locals are worried as the tourists visiting the hills end up discarding plastic garbage in the hills of the Himalayan region

EC makes fresh push for eco-friendly campaigns ahead of state polls

Ahead of assembly polls in five states, the Election Commission has expressed concern over the use of non-biodegradable materials for campaigning and urged political parties to avoid plastic and polythene for making posters and banners. The poll panel has come out with consolidated instructions issued by it from 1999 onwards on making election campaign "eco-friendly". In a letter to presidents of all recognised national and state parties on August 18, the poll panel said, "In today's world, the environmental concerns have become more significant. Election Commission is also very concerned with the issue of environment hazards caused by use of non-biodegradable materials in elections." The commission pointed out that since 1999, it has been urging all political parties and candidates to avoid the use of plastic and polythene for preparation of posters, banners during election campaign. "Protecting the environment is not an individual task but a collective responsibility and hence th

Plastic market expected to reach Rs 10 trn by fiscal 2027-28: AIPMA

According to the All India Plastics Manufacturers' Association, the market size of plastics in India was Rs 3.5 lakh crore

Oceans release microplastics waste back into atmosphere: Research

In order to reach the Arctic region, the researchers collected air samples from several points along the Norwegian coast