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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Back in 2016, a number of issues are popular amongst Indonesians with regards to the use of polystyrene-based packaging which is seen harmful to environment due to its basic materials. It contains 5-10% plastic which requires thousand years to naturally degrade. This condition creates a demand to change the polystyrene-based packaging into an alternative packaging made of paper or corn-based materials. But, is it true that such alternative packaging more friendly and sustainable to environment? Surprisingly not! The head of The Laboratory of Technology of Polymer and Membrane, Ir. Akhmad Zainal Abidin, M.Sc., Ph.D., shares his knowledge with regards to packaging that holds best environmental impact if it is seen from a holistic perspective.
"The first important thing to know is that the polystyrene foam is an organic substance. The elements forming polystyrene foam are carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen whereas plastic only composes 5–10% within a polystyrene packaging. The rest is air", he said in a roadshow to Sepuluh November Institute of Technology, Surabaya.
Any products made of polystyrene foam consume less energy than other alternative products. This material is 50% less energy than paper-based plastic laminated packaging and 30% less energy if compared to food packaging made from PLA (a raw corn-based material). In addition, products made of polystyrene foam use less water than the other alternatives - four times lesser than food packaging made out of PLA.
Maximum Recyclability (5R)
"When we talk about environment-friendly, we cannot judge only by how fast a material could easily be biodegraded. As a human, we have to take responsibility to any waste we produce and not just give it to nature" said Zainal. He also adds that a wax-coated paper will become a great expense just to recycle. The process of separating plastic and paper actually requires a huge capital. On the contrary, the waste out of paper is less favourable for pulp and paper industry to turn into another product in terms of economic and advantages. "So, each time a new paper-based package is made, more trees are cut down", he added.
Food packaging made out of plastic and polystyrene can be directly recycled into various other products. For polystyrene, the product can be broken down and turned into a new product. This is where the sustainability aspect of polystyrene lies. All polystyrene waste can be optimally used to create new products. "However, currently there is no integrated technology and endeavor to recycle the polystyrene waste," he explained.
Seeing the current condition, some major countries around the globe ensure polystyrene recycling facilities are available. Zainal also mentions that the weight of polystyrene foam-based packaging is two to five times lighter than an equivalent paper-based packaging. This means that air-pollution emission in transporting the products could be reduced.
About LTPM ITB
LTPM ITB is a reseach laboratory on the field of Polymer and Membrane owned by Insitut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). As an ITB-owned laboratory, LTPM has the duty of supporting ITB's academic activities through research activity in the field of polymer and membrane, including providing consultancy, training and development of effective technology. In carrying out its duty, LTPM ITB is supported by ITB through the empowerment of:
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