----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 10:04
AM
Subject: [PB] Plastics pose environmental
dilemma {01}
Plastics pose environmental dilemma
Bayu Dwi, Contributor,
Jakarta
THE JAKARTA POST, OCT 23 2001
Plastic has become integrated with
people's daily lives. It can range in form from shopping bags through to
automotive components. And what's more, it's cheaper.
However,
since plastic is one of the most destructive pollutants, it has been
gradually replaced with other materials such as wood, glass, paper and
iron.
Still, demand for plastic is still high. Every year, according
to State Minister of Research and Technology Hatta Radjasa, local demand
for plastic reaches 1.5 million tons, or about 7 kg per capita. Some 800
factories are responsible for producing plastic products.
The high
demand for plastic, however, is not compatible with an ability to manage
plastic waste.
According to research conducted in 1994 by the Agency
for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), out of 20,000 tons of
garbage collected every day in Jakarta, some 7.5 percent is plastic waste. It
means that approximately 1,500 tons of plastic waste should be managed on a
daily basis. Across the country, the figure was recorded at 1.6 million tons
per year, or some 4,400 tons of plastic waste a day.
If a solution for
the management of plastic waste is not implemented immediately, there will be
mountains of it everywhere. Furthermore, as plastic is not biodegradable, the
environment will be its first victim.
Indonesia is not alone in facing
problems in dealing with plastic waste. Other countries like Thailand, Vietnam
and Nepal are also in the same boat. The method of dumping garbage at the
final dumping site -- including all kinds of waste -- is still popular in
these countries.
"An integrated garbage management system is needed
for all kinds of garbage, not only plastic," said Lies A. Wisojodharmo of the
BPPT's Polymer group, the Center for Assessment and Application of Material
Technology. The integrated system, she said, should combine several aspects
such as recycling, composting, incinerating and sanitary landfill. This
approach supports the 4-R program, namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Replace
-- now an international consensus.
"Ideally, garbage is sorted right
at its source. For example, household garbage should be separated into organic
and inorganic categories at each house," she said. However, she found that
some people were still reluctant to sort their garbage.
"Before this
system is adopted, efforts must first be made to raise the public's awareness
of the need to sort garbage," Lies explained. Active participation of four
parties -- the government, the public as garbage producers, recycling
entrepreneurs and scavengers -- is crucial for the success of waste
management.
Some plastic recycling industries have started recycling
plastic waste they receive from scavengers.
According to the
Indonesian Plastic Recycling Association (AIDUPI), the plastic waste collected
from a final dumping site (TPA), like the one in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, is
categorized as filthy and must be cleaned several times. On the other hand,
plastic waste generated from factories, such as rejects, is clean.
When the plastic waste is clean, it will be cut up into pellets. Every
10 tons of plastic waste will generate 2.8 tons of plastic pellets.
In
order to create new products, the pellets will later be mixed with some new
plastic materials. The percentage of the additional materials depends on the
raw materials. Plastic collected by scavengers, for instance, will need
between 60 to 80 percent additional new plastic materials, while plastic from
factories only requires about 50 percent of new plastic materials.
The
recycling capacity of factories varies. A small-scale factory can recycle
about 3 to 4 tons of plastic waste per day, while large-scale factories can do
the same with some 5-10 tons of plastic waste a day.
AIDUPI can manage
about 495 tons per day.
Sometimes, pellets like PE (Polyethylene), PP
(Polypropylene) and PET (Polyethylene Terephtalate) are sold directly to
plastic manufacturers.
Black PE pellets are sold at Rp 4,600 per
kilogram and white pellets sell for Rp 6,000 per kilogram. The price of PP
pellets stands at Rp 6,500 each kilogram. The PET pellets can even be exported
or sold to factories producing dolls' hair and helmets.
However, some
people believe that the recycling sector is not yet strong enough to ensure
proper plastic waste management.
Lies said that out of the 4,400 tons
of plastic garbage produced on a daily basis across the country, only 11
percent can be recycled, while the remainder is left scattered, contaminating
rivers and the land.
A breakthrough in plastic manufacturing is
needed. Current technology should enable us to produce environmentally
friendly, degradable plastics (EDPs). In this way, plastic waste can be
destroyed by microbes or destroy itself due to natural phenomena, such as
temperature and weather.
The Polymer Technology Center of Puspitek
Serpong, for instance, has been successful in its research to produce a
polymer that microbes consume, such as the grafted co-polymer of starch-poly
methyl acrylate (S-g-PMA).
This grafted co-polymer is generated from
the mixture of starch (tapioca) and monomer methyl acrylate. The inclusion of
several other additives produces plastic. When this plastic gets buried in the
earth, microbes decompose it.
Indonesia's factories, however, are
ready to use environmentally friendly plastic. The problem is, it is only
available in small quantities and its price can be four to ten times higher
than petrochemical-based plastics.
"Industries related to the use of
plastic need to be warned (about the danger plastic poses for the
environment). At least, they should pay a fee for treating their plastic
waste. Look, plastic packages for food or drinks are simply thrown away. The
producers should be responsible for plastic waste. Funds raised from them
could be used to treat the waste or be allocated for research purposes," Lies
said.
===========================================================================
Clara
Lila Damayanthi
Marketing & Communication Officer
Dana Mitra
Lingkungan
Pusat Niaga Dutamas Fatmawati Blok B I no. 12
Jakarta
12150
(62-21) 724 88 84-85 Fax (62-21) 724 88 83
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] l www.dml.or.id
--
~~~~~~ PRODUKSI BERSIH (PB) MAILING LIST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posting = [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Berhenti = Kirim Email kosong ke mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Berlangganan = Kirim Email kosong ke mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Administrator = mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Arsip = http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
FORLINK @ http://www.forlink.dml.or.id
Environmental News @ http://forlink.dml.or.id/e-news/
Forum KMB Indonesia @ http://www.forumkmb.dml.or.id
Bursa Limbah Indonesia @ http://www.w2p.dml.or.id
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
