Single-use plastics (representative image).  Photograph:( Reuters )

Single-use plastic items, including the bottles used for beverages, are found everywhere, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains. It is not that the plastic remains there harmlessly. As it breaks down, the traces of microplastics percolate in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat, and consequently enter our bodies and organs, including our lungs, spleen, kidneys, and blood.

In June 2021, during a European Championships press conference, soccer player and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo removed two Coca-Cola bottles placed in front of him. He then picked up a water bottle and showed it to people, indicating the negative health impact of carbonated drinks and that it is better to have normal water.

The video became an instant hit on social media and, as per reports, the market valuation of Coca-Cola, which was the sponsor of the event, went down by $4 billion immediately as a consequence of this gesture.

You might ask, how is this related to the title of this article? Let me give you a couple of reasons. First, Coca-Cola is the world's biggest plastic polluter, and second, the idea of drinking water from single-use plastic bottles is not very environmentally tenable.

While a lot of us understand that drinking aerated drinks is not very health-friendly, not many of us know that the major manufacturers of these beverages are the world's biggest polluters. According to a survey conducted by Break Free From Plastic in 2021, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the world’s top plastic polluters for the 4th consecutive year. 

Single-use plastic items, including the bottles used for beverages, are found everywhere, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains. It is not that the plastic remains there harmlessly. As it breaks down, the traces of microplastics percolate in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat, and consequently enter our bodies and organs, including our lungs, spleen, kidneys, and blood.

This ubiquitous material poses a serious threat to humanity and all its species, and therefore needs replacement, and we need to act fast.

In line with this thought, from July 1st 2022, many single-use plastic items and disposable plastic products were banned by the Indian Government. Even though single-use plastic bottles are not included as part of the banned items, the list is a substantial start. There are many items that Indian consumers use on a regular, if not daily, basis.

If we look closely, all the items that are part of the banned list have existing alternatives that are feasible and also better for the environment. Let us go through this list and see the alternatives. 

Skeptics might argue that the replacement options are expensive compared to the plastic ones. For example, a biodegradable Arcea palm plate will cost Rs. 25, or a plate made with sugarcane bagasse will cost Rs. 12, compared to Rs. 4 for a disposable plastic plate. Similarly, paper straws are five times more costly than plastic straws.

Indeed, there are cases where the biodegradable options are expensive, and the main reasons for high prices are limited demand and the nascent domestic industry for these plastic substitutes. Many plastic substitute items are imported from other countries.

With the ban in place, the alternatives will generate better demand, which will lead to economies of scale, technological upgrades, localization, competition, and a subsequent reduction in prices. 

As we see, paper, wood, agricultural waste, food crops, and many plants have emerged as substitutes for many single-use plastic items. However, we need more clean alternatives. Firstly, growing trees and food crops for packaging is not very sustainable given the land constraints, and secondly, there are a plethora of disposable plastic items still requiring a solution-plastic packets for dairy and FMCG food products, plastic bottles used for liquids, food delivery containers, plastic wrappers and polystyrene (thermocol) used in white goods, plastic covers used by e-commerce companies, to name a few. 

Fortunately, efforts are already underway

Seaweed is a species of marine plant or algae that is extensively found in our oceans. With the advent of material science, plastic made with seaweed has emerged as a breakthrough alternative in the fight against plastic pollution. Many biotech startups have leveraged the properties of seaweed to create compostable, marine-safe, low-carbon bioplastic packaging. Compared to food crops, seaweed cultivation doesn’t need fresh water, arable land, or fertilisers to grow, and therefore, if this marine plant can be harvested sustainably, it has the potential to provide many benefits to humanity.

Another alternative that is being tried is oxo-biodegradable plastics. Oxo plastic is made using a bioadditive, which is added to the final plastic compound. The additive helps in the degradation of the plastic in the presence of sunlight and oxygen, eventually turning it into wax, which mixes with the soil in about a year.

These technologies are still in the early stages of development, but if given the right support and incentives, they carry a huge potential to replace many types of traditional plastic.

India, by banning some single-use plastic items, has taken a lead in curbing plastic pollution, but the country would need a long-term plastic management strategy that suits its economy, budget, resources, and societal needs. 

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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