MINISTER OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS HAILS PLASTIC SECTOR FOR
QUALITY PACKAGING MATERIAL
For a country like India which has hopes of becoming
an economic super power in the years ahead, the concerns on economic
and environmental issues are well-known.
One of the major issues is the bulk handling
of commodities and packaging.
Traditionally bulk packaging material came from
jute and paper sectors. Plastic woven sacks are a relatively new
entrant but have made significant impact in the area of bulk packaging.
Amid the controversy over plastic versus jute
as a packaging material, the Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister
Shri Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today released a report on "Life Cycle
Analysis of HDPE/PP Woven Sacks vis-à-vis Jute/Paper Sack.
Shri Dhindsa hailed the plastic processing sector for providing
quality and cost effective material. Referring to the issue raised
by environmentalists demanding a ban on the use of plastic, Shri
Dhindsa added that the adverse publicity to plastic has been mainly
due to the littering habbits of people and ineffective collection
of wastes.
The Report has been prepared by Indian Institute
of Technology, Delhi. It analyses and evaluates various packaging
alternatives. The Report takes into account in and outflow of
raw material, in and outflow of energy production and in and outflow
of transport.
Based on the above parameters the Report favours
plastic woven sacks for bulk packaging. Among other things the
Report has recommended to the Government to withdraw compulsory
use of any form of packaging saying "Use of jute in packaging
under Jute Packaging Materials Act 1987 should be repealed immediately."
The Minister hoped that the report would enlighten
the public to understand the relevance and importance of plastic
woven sacks as packaging material.
The Report points out that though jute is a natural
product, its cultivation requires fertilizers, insectisides and
the chemicals that involve a number of energy intensive process
and related health hazards. On transportation front, there is
considerable saving of energy in the use of plastic woven sack
as these are lighter in weight than jute. The plastic woven sack
can be reused in a number of other forms.
