Indian multinational conglomerate company, Reliance Industries Limited has announced that they have developed the technology to manufacture PBAT (poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)) and have started taking trials at the pilot stage. The commercial production will be started very soon and the material will be available in the market.
I was writing for a long about the corporate need to get involved in biopolymer manufacturing in India, it will strengthen the bioplastic/compostable market in India. The single-use plastic ban can be implemented strictly, once enough alternative supply is available locally. It will be easier for the processors to switch from regular plastic to compostable plastics. It would be the new start of the Indian biopolymer industry and the growth of the biopolymer industry would be multifold from what was forecasted earlier.
In addition, the most popular biopolymer PLA (Polylactic acid), bio-based and biodegradable, needs to be commercially manufactured in India to improve the bioplastics market.
It requires more effort, as sourcing of agricultural products and technology to manufacture PLA are crucial here. Few companies in India are working at an early stage on commercial technology to manufacture PLA. We also have developed the commercial technology to manufacture PLA and working towards developing a pilot plant.
Single-use plastic processing companies in India are eagerly waiting to see commercial production of all biopolymers and stabilize the processing business in a single channel. Currently, even though single-use plastic products are banned, it is being manufactured at a large scale and being distributed in the market fearlessly. The processors, who really want to follow all the government regulations and sustain their business, have to divert to wrong practices due to uneven situation. The tragic situation can be solved by making all the biopolymers locally available and banning the manufacture of single-use plastic products strictly. Moreover, the government need to motivate and subsidize the compostable products certification process.
Moreover, the magic additive is also doing negative marketing in the industry and many industries have started using it because of its low cost and ease compared to compostable materials. The magic additive claims that if it can be added to regular plastic like PP and PE by 1-2%, the complete plastic product becomes biodegradable. In addition, it biodegrades in a natural environment without producing any microplastic or toxic content. I am looking forward to seeing a certificate from a recognized certifying agency like CPCB, BPI, DIN CERTCO and TUV AUSTRIA. Unfortunately, they are unable to provide the basic necessity.
I see that government and companies still need to do a lot to stabilize and grow the single-use plastic industry in the correct direction.
The bioplastic industry’s future is bright but we are the ones who will make it bright. Hence, choose wisely, act wisely and make decisions wisely to be saved from going in a dark direction.