A professor from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee has developed an advanced technology to make biodegradable polybags, the institute said in a statement on Tuesday. "P P Kundu, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Roorkee, has developed a thermoplastic starch that will be blended with Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) to make LDPE biodegradable," read the press release.
India produces starch-producing vegetables and foodgrains in bulk such as potato, rice, wheat, and maize or corn starch along with other starches that are available in plenty. IIT Roorkee has transferred this technology to Noida-based Agrsar Innovatives LLP for manufacturing biodegradable polybags in bulk quantities. The firm will commercially utilise the present technology for manufacturing biodegradable polybags in large quantities. Such technology can prove to be of great use in a country considering a ban on polybags. Polybags can prove to be threatening to our ecosystem and such technology can only better our ecosystem.
The nation has already seen a ban imposed on plastic carry bags having a thickness of less than 75 microns with effect from 30 September, 2021. It is said that from 31 December, bags with a thickness of less than 120 microns will also be banned.
Director of IIT Roorkee Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi said, "The developed technology is expected to have immense value in view of the large quantities of starch produced in India and the environment-friendly nature of the solution."