For a long time, a never-ending controversy is going on about the efficiencysafety of the alternatives, which are considered to replace the use of plastics in different sectors. Plastic bags, plastic cups,so many other items are manufactured with plastic as a raw material. And, it is not a hidden fact that the population uses these items on a large scale. So, after much contemplation, different governments thought to introduce paper cups, compostable bags,other such alternatives to reduce the use of plastics. There are lots of paper cup manufacturer in India who deals in paper cups.
Initially, both the paper cupsthe compostable bags were considered to be the best alternative for the plastics. However, recent studies are showing that despite the biodegradable nature of the raw materials, they aren’t environmentally friendly,hence, are not the actual alternatives of plastics.
WHY PAPER CUPS AREN’T THE BEST ALTERNATIVE FOR PLASTICS?
If you really think that the cups, which are bought from the most famous printer paper cup exporters in Punjab, are safe for youthe environment, then you are highly mistaken. In fact, paper cups are more or less harmful, it not equally.
Here we have mentioned some of the documented reasons behind the rejection of the paper cup as a plastic alternative by many laboratories.
- If you take a look at most of the inland rivers of the western countries, you won’t find a water surface everywhere. Rather, the surface of the river remains covered with both plasticpaper cups, bottles,so on. This is actually polluting the water bodies because the type of paper used for the manufacturing cups cannot be degraded within a short time period.
- Most of the coffee paper cup suppliers in India exports cups with a plastic lining on the inner side. Had it been only made of paper, it wouldn’t have been capable of holding the liquids, especially the hot ones. So, despite the paper framework, the insulator lining is made of plastic, hence making the cup non-degradable.
- The microplastic lining of the paper cups in proving to be quite harmful to the environment. These compounds are increasing the toxic level of the environment, thereby harming the animalsbirds in the way.
WHY COMPOSTABLE BAGS ARE NOT A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR PLASTICS?
Compostable bags are made from the compostsother supposedly biodegradable materials. According to the standard definition, biodegradable compounds are those, which can be easily degraded into simpler substances, which are not harmful to the environment. However, the compostable bags are having a thin lining of polymeric plastic, making it partially degradable.
A huge controversy is still going on regarding the biodegradability of the raw material owing to the fact that the biodegradation process is not known properly. Also, the speed at which the compostable bags are decomposed varies with the type of materialthe manufacturing process of the same. As a result, it is extremely difficult to predict which bag will be safer.
Another reason for the non-environment friendly status of the compostable bag is because of its manufacturing nature. Most of the bags are manufactured from natural compost via chemical reactions which emit gases like sulfur dioxide, methane, carbon dioxide,so on in the air. These gases are the major source of air pollution, harming the environment in an indirect manner.
Sometimes, different additives are added to the bags to make them durable. Such additives are harmful since they increase the toxic level of the biosphere, posing a great threat to the living world, especially the grazing animals, marine life,the birds. The process of creating the best-suited alternative for the plastics needs a lot of evaluation because plastic itself is a complex chemical compound.
