Question - How Do We Judge Whether Plastics Are Eco-friendly In Relation To Other Materials?
Answer -
Plastindia Foundation's Enviroplast Committee, developed a model or criteria, which may be used forqualifying materials as eco-friendly. The material or product in question should:
- Improve the qualify of life, particularly of the economically weaker sections of society.
- Reduce signaficantly the pollution load on the environment - and water and air in relation to materials that are replaced or substituted.
- Use the non-renewable energy resources more efficiently.
- Contribute to the presevation of land, water resources and forests.
- Lend itself to recycling and/or recovery of a significant part of the inherent energy.
Normally the tendency is to judge a product or item in terms of its waste disposal problem. This islikesaying that an ice-berge is as big as it appears above the surface.
Every process connected with a product, right from the time that basic raw materials are extracted from theearth to the time a product is produced, transported, used and disposed, has some impact on the environment.
A comparative study of products or applications based on measurements of energy-input and the pollution discharged to land, water and air, at every stage, is called a Life Cycle Analysis (L.C.A.) - or more simply 'the cradle to grave' approach.