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Plastic in positive light

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 3. At a time when the global annual consumption of plastics has crossed 130 million metric tonnes, an encyclopaedic study on "Plastics for Environment and Sustainable Development'' has sought to set at rest any lingering doubts about the sustainability of plastics as materials or their adverse impact on the environment.

The first-of-its-kind scientific "Eco-Assessment Study'', which was released by the Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, R.A. Mashelkar, here over the week-end addresses the multifaceted issues and dimensions of plastics.

Initiated by the Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment and the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology, Chennai, the 250-page publication aims to provide a basis for a more informed discussion on plastics and their role in national development.

In the foreword to the book Dr. Mashelkar and Prof. M.M. Sharma of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Research have noted that in this "Plastics Age'', the lives of people would be much poorer without benign and environmentally-friendly materials like plastics as they offer a "cost-effective alternative'' to the severe pressure exerted by growing population and consumption on the natural resources and fragile eco-systems.

The president of the governing council of ICPE, K.G. Ramanathan, noted that the endeavour was to "address misperceptions and concerns about plastics, highlight its benefits and uses, understand its impact on the environment and provide a scientific basis for discussion''.

The study which strives to show plastics in a positive light, says plastics have a unique combination of properties as they can be lightweight yet strong, rigid as well as flexible, transparent as well as opaque and can allow selective permeation or act as a barrier and insulators.

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