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Constant change and a tiny step.

                   Finally a breathing space, realization during these period is that changes are constant , changes never change.  Little steps taken for a healthy environment can also make a better difference. Milk packets:          Recently I came across few articles and posts , that opening the milk packets without cutting off the tip  and just having a slit without separating  the small piece can reduce the number of small plastics entering the soil which never gets decomposed. Karnataka has encouraged citizens in this method. This can be used in any plastic covers we use in our day to day lives.           I hope we could implement this small step.            Comment on if you got any more ideas
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Is it always a Boon? Biodegradable plastics can turn the tables.

    The want to replace the whole single-use plastics with bioplastics is an environmentally friendly approach, but ultimately will it bring plastics pollution to an end?. This article is a table-turner. 

Though the bioplastics are certified degradable, some of the effects are left out. Studies on the effects of bioplastics on the marine environment showed some disturbing results. 


Earlier articles spoke about varieties of compostable bioplastics which have a rapid degrading time under a particular industrial setup, which is again a topic of controversy.  In a year More than hundreds of tons of plastics end up in the marine environment. The eventual replacement of plastics with bioplastics of different production strategies, also when used by the public, could ultimately end up in a similar way in the marine environment. Also, the degrading limit of 180 days is not to be forgotten. So the condition compostable plastics also have the chances of ending up in another environment than in the compostable pit.

Prof. Noa Shenkar tested the effects of single-use plastics and biodegradable plastics on Ascidians, marine invertebrates. At the end of the experiment, the Plastics made of PLA had a negative effect on the invertebrates reducing their fertility rate, and the result was very similar to those of plastics.  The additional pointers of their ill effects are, these PLA plastics;
  • Affects the early developmental stage like sperm motility, oocyte size, larval growth, and juvenile development.
  • Reduced fertility rate with high accumulation of PLA in a specific type of ascidians namely Microcosmus exasperatus 
  • The leaching from these PLA-made bioplastics indicated the presence of phthalates which in many earlier studies shows the reduced human sperm motility.
The research article concludes by saying that the production strategies of the bioplastics needed to be revised.

A light on the other side of bioplastics has been shed. The conclusion is in the hand of the consumers. The use of both plastics and bioplastics must be made carefully and responsibly. 















Reference:

Anderson, G., & Shenkar, N. (2021). Potential effects of biodegradable single-use items in the sea: Polylactic acid (PLA) and solitary ascidians. Environmental Pollution, 268, 115364.


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