Melt-away plastics

Date : June 2 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Melt-away plastics

By WONG LI ZA

Here’s something to look forward to – plastic bags that dissolve in water. IF YOU have been feeling guilty using all those plastic bags for your groceries, a green solution is at hand. A team of seven researchers from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) has invented an award-winning material called Greenphylic Water-Soluble Degradable Plastic, a polymer similar to plastic that dilutes in water.

Led by electrical and electronic engineering lecturer Prof Dr Ramiah Jegatheesan, the team comprised Hossam Mahmoud Gamal Eldin, Mohammad Faizal Che Daud, Nor Hidayah Usop, Noordiana Khalil, Mohd Anuar Sulaiman and Ahmad Ridhwan Hassan.

The project was awarded the Gold Medal at the 19th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition last May. It also received three special awards – Best Invention for Universities/Research Institutes, World Intellectual Property Organisation Best Invention Award and KASS International (a Malaysian intellectual property firm) Best Invention Award.
In November, the project garnered international glory by winning the Gold Medal at the Belgian and International Trade Fair for Technological Innovation in Brussels.

The project was exhibited under the name Eco Plast, short for “eco-friendly plastic-like material”. Winning the latest award has heightened the material’s potential for commercialisation, according to Ramiah, 68.

Plastic bags are harmful as they take a long time to degrade. And once broken into molecular materials, they can contaminate the soil and water tables. Ramiah said when burnt, plastics produce hazardous gases which can cause serious health problems. In addition, discarded plastics can clog water and sewerage pipes.

“Bearing these in mind, usage of plastic bags is banned in several countries,” he said. Eco Plast consists of a synthetic polymer material made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, polyvinyl alcohol is a colourless, water-soluble, flammable resin belonging to the family of organic polymers. It is derived from a vinyl polymer.

The resin is used in sizing agents that confer resistance to oils and greases upon paper and textiles, to make films resistant to attack by solvents or oxygen, as a component of adhesives and emulsifiers, and as a starting material for the preparation of other resins.

“Polyvinyl alcohol is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which has excellent film forming, emulsifying and adhesive properties. It is odourless and non-toxic, has high tensile strength and flexibility as well as high oxygen and aroma barrier. However, these properties are dependent on humidity. With higher humidity, more water is absorbed. The water, which acts as a plasticiser, will then reduce its tensile strength, but increase its elongation and tear strength,” explained Ramiah.

Eco Plast can dissolve in water at normal room temperatures of between 25°C and 35°C. If the water is heated, the dissolving time reduces considerably.

In normal thickness, Eco Plast dissolves in water in 60 minutes when the water temperature is around 25°C. It will dissolve in 15 minutes if the water temperature is 40°C. If the water temperature is increased to 50°C, the dissolving time will be around five minutes.

According to Ramiah, water that is used to dissolve Eco Plast will not contain any toxic eleme

nts and thus no harmful effect to living beings or the environment will occur. This water can be disposed of via the kitchen sink as normal waste water.

He added that Eco Plast can be used to manufacture carrier bags that are useful for grocery items, to pack medical pills, produce gloves and for packaging of other substances.

At present, Eco Plast is two to three times costlier to produce compared to plastic.

“Once it is commercialised and manufactured on a large scale, the cost will reduce substantially. Furthermore, (it must be highlighted that) no cost is involved in disposing of this material. We have filed for patent and are currently in the process of commerciali­sing the product,” he said.

Loss of world's seagrass beds accelerating - study

By : Jim Loney

MIAMI (Reuters) - The world's seagrass meadows, a critical habitat for marine life and profit-maker for the fishing industry, are in decline due to coastal development and the losses are accelerating, according to a new study.Billed as the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass losses, the study found 58 percent of seagrass meadows are declining and the rate of annual loss has accelerated from about 1 percent per year before 1940 to 7 percent per year since 1990.

Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study, based on more than 200 surveys and 1,800 observations dating back to 1879, found that seagrasses are disappearing at rates similar to coral reefs and tropical rainforests. "Seagrasses are disappearing because they live in the same kind of environments that attract people," James Fourqurean, a professor at Florida International University and a co-author of the study, said in an e-mailed response to questions.

"They live in shallow areas protected from large storm waves, and they are especially prevalent in bays and around river mouths."Scientists say seagrass processes waste dumped into the sea, helps stabilize ocean-bottom sediments in coastal areas to reduce erosion, provide nurseries for fish and shellfish and feeding grounds for larger marine creatures, including those that live in coral reefs.

But the grasses can be damaged by polluted water from coastal development, decreasing water clarity, and by dredging and filling of meadows. The scientists also said global climate change "is predicted to have deleterious effects on seagrasses." Many scientists believe greenhouse gases are causing the world to warm, leading to a host of environmental effects including warming and rising oceans.

'ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT'

Seagrass meadows are important food fisheries and host gamefish like tarpon, permit and bonefish. A recent study estimated the annual economic value of seagrass at $3,500 per hectare (2.5 acres), Fourqurean said. "Seagrass beds are at least as economically and ecologically important as tropical forests or coral reefs," he said.

The study, by a team of scientists from the United States, Australia and Spain, found that 29 percent of known seagrass meadows have disappeared since 1879. Over the entire 130-year period, seagrass was lost at a rate of 1.5 percent per year. An estimated 19,690 square miles (51,000 square km) of seagrass has been lost since 1879 of a total estimated area of 68,350 square miles (177,000 square km), the researchers said.

"Globally, we lose a seagrass meadow the size of a soccer field every thirty minutes," said co-author William Dennison of the University of Maryland. The scientists said 45 percent of the world's population lives on 5 percent of its land adjacent to the coast.

In the early 20th century, heavy seagrass losses were noted in North America and Europe, where the industrial revolution led to rapid coastal development. Today, population growth in the regions bordering the Pacific and Indian Oceans are likely leading to the heaviest losses of seagrass, but those regions lack the scientific infrastructure to assess the loss, Fourqurean said.

He said mitigation efforts have had some success in saving and restoring seagrass. For example, in Florida, where treated sewage water is often dumped in the ocean, water managers in Tampa changed their method of treating wastewater and failing seagrasses rebounded.

Copyright © 2008 Reuters

Jorak sanitary landfill will be environs-friendly

JOHOR BARU: The proposed sanitary landfill in Jorak, Muar, will be equipped with environment-friendly modern technology, said Local Government, Housing, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil. It would utilise the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) technology which segregates the solid waste into three major components, namely items which can be recycled, organic matter and waste, he told the State Assembly.
He said 8% of the rubbish collected would be recyclable waste including plastic, paper and glass while 64% would be organic waste which could be used as fertiliser.

Ahmad Zahri said the remaining 28% would be rejected materials to be deposited in the landfill.
The lifespan of the landfill could be prolonged with the use of the MRF technology which could also reduce leachate and prevent the production of methane gas. He was responding to a question by Dr Shahruddin Salleh (BN – Jorak) who was concerned about the environmental issues.

Kaitan sampah dengan cara hidup

HIDUP dikelilingi oleh sampah memang tidak menyenangkan. Tetapi hakikatnya, hidup kita sering 'diwarnai' oleh beraneka jenis sampah-sarap. Manusia membuang sampah tidak kira tempat. Natijahnya, sampah ada di mana-mana. Ia disebabkan oleh sikap sesetengah daripada kita yang gemar membuang sampah di merata-rata tempat. Munculnya sampah dalam kehidupan disebabkan adanya aktiviti atau tindakan manusia itu sendiri.

Penulis ingin mendefinisikan sampah sebagai simbol masyarakat. Sebagai simbol, ia memiliki nilai makna yang luas, baik daripada segi kebendaan mahupun sosial. n Pertama, sampah sebagai tahap kepenggunaan seseorang. Jumlah sampah boleh dirujuk sebagai petunjuk mengenai banyaknya penggunaan seseorang. Begitu juga dengan jenis sampah. Jenis sampah memberi gambaran mengenai budaya dan pola kitaran hidup seseorang itu.

Jenis sampah di kawasan perumahan pastinya berbeza dengan sampah di kawasan industri. Begitu juga jenis sampah yang dibuang dari rumah bujang, ia berbeza daripada sampah yang dihasilkan dari rumah yang didiami oleh keluarga.dan Kedua, sampah sebagai simbol gaya hidup individu atau masyarakat.

Ini lebih berkaitan dengan kesihatan, iaitu sama ada gaya hidup sihat atau sebaliknya. Rata-rata sampah dikaitkan dengan kekotoran. Sampah itu kotor, sampah boleh mendatangkan penyakit, sampah busuk, sampah menyakitkan mata dan seribu satu macam keburukan sampah.Corak pemikiran itu akan menegaskan bahawa sampah adalah simbol kepada gaya hidup, sama ada boleh digelar seorang pengotor atau pembersih berdasarkan gaya menguruskan sampah di sekitarnya.

Di Malaysia, urusan tadbir sampah masih tidak memuaskan. Ia masih dilihat sebagai tanggungjawab kumpulan tertentu dan bukan tanggungjawab bersama seluruh ahli masyarakat berbanding sikap penduduk di negara maju.Memang benar, ada yang kerjanya mengutip dan membersihkan sampah tetapi mereka tidak bertugas di semua kawasan. Mereka tidak dibayar untuk mengutip sampah sehingga ke dalam rumah atau halaman rumah kita. Urusan selebihnya sebenarnya terletak di bahu kita semua. Sekiranya kesedaran mengenai kebersihan tinggi, maka bersihlah persekitaran kita. Namun tahap kesedaran yang tinggi masih belum wujud dalam gaya hidup masyarakat Malaysia ini. dan Ketiga, keberkesanan menguruskan sampah-sarap.

Di Malaysia, purata setiap penduduk bandar menyumbang sekurang-kurangnya 1.5 kilogram sampah sehari berbanding 0.8 kilogram bagi penduduk luar bandar.
Berdasarkan statistik itu, jumlah sampah di bandar-bandar utama di negara ini ialah sekitar 18,000 tan metrik! Ia terus meningkat saban tahun. Mungkin tidak keterlaluan jika kita mengambil iktibar daripada peristiwa runtuhan sampah di kawasan setinggan Leuwigajah di Bandung, Indonesia pada 21 Februari 2005.

Runtuhan sampah dari tempat pembuangan sampah di kawasan itu yang menimbus kawasan setinggan tersebut telah mengorbankan lebih 100 nyawa. Ia merupakan satu tragedi. Mungkin kejadian itu boleh memberi pengajaran kepada kita bahawa pengurusan sampah bukanlah satu perkara yang boleh dipandang dengan sebelah mata. Tanpa pengurusan yang baik dan tersusun maka nyawa menjadi taruhannya.

Sementara itu, lihat sahaja kepada masalah denggi di negara ini. Sampah merupakan penyebab utama pembiakan nyamuk aedes, punca demam denggi tersebut. Aedes membiak di dalam air bertakung dan biasanya di kawasan yang banyak sampah-sarap.dan Keempat, sampah sebagai cabaran keilmuan dan peluang kewangan kepada golongan yang kreatif.

Sejak kebelakangan ini, sampah telah bertukar sebagai sumber rezeki kepada golongan yang tahu memanfaatkannya. Teknologi terkini mampu menukar sampah dan najis kepada baja untuk pertanian dan penghasilan gas untuk penjanaan kuasa. Dengan kata lain, sedikit daya pemikiran kreatif yang dibantu oleh teknologi telah memindahkan status sampah kepada bahan berfaedah untuk manusia.

Kini sudah ada pula teknologi untuk mengitar semula sampah untuk dijadikan pelbagai bahan bermutu yang dapat diguna semula. Perkembangan sebegini memperlihatkan kepada kita bahawa masyarakat yang berilmu dan produktif akan menganggap sampah sebagai satu cabaran dan peluang. Bahkan kepada yang kreatif berupaya pula menjadikan sampah itu sebagai sumber ekonomi. Ini bermakna apabila sampah ditakrifkan sebagai takdir terakhir untuk satu perjalanan penggunaan kebendaan, maka perkembangan intelektual keilmuan kita akan menjadi beku dan jumud.

n Kelima, bagaimana untuk "mengupayakan" sampah menjadi sesuatu yang positif dan bukannya satu konflik. Kita tidak mahu sebagai satu simbol masyarakat, sampah dilihat sebagai penunjuk gaya kepenggunaan yang keterlaluan selain memaparkan imej pengotor ahli masyarakat kerana ia adalah sesuatu yang tidak sihat.

Oleh itu, kita perlu berhemah dalam berbelanja dan memastikan tahap kepenggunaan kita tidak keterlaluan. Dalam hal ini, sampah juga perlu diuruskan secara berhemah. Jadikan kebersihan sebagai satu daripada keutamaan hidup kita.

Namun kesimpulan mudah terhadap gaya hidup masyarakat kita ialah kita baru sampai kepada tahap teknologi "buang" dan belum berupaya sepenuhnya untuk sampai ke tahap teknologi "mengupayakan" sampah sebagai bahan kitar semula dan menjadi komoditi. Konflik berpanjangan antara "ya" ataupun "tidak" di kalangan ahli masyarakat terhadap teknologi pelupusan sampah adalah antara beberapa episod yang menggambarkan tahap pencapaian teknologi "buang" yang dimaksudkan. Masyarakat kita belum sampai ke peringkat "urus tadbir" sampah secara sewajarnya.

Namun ia bukan sesuatu yang mustahil kerana jika ada kesedaran, kita semua mampu melakukannya. Kewajarannya terletak kepada kesedaran dan kerjasama menyeluruh daripada semua lapisan masyarakat. Kita boleh menangani masalah sampah ini sekiranya kita mahu. Jangan hanya mengharapkan orang lain, kesedaran dan tindakan perlu bermula daripada kita sendiri. Kita mesti bijak menguruskan sampah.

PENULIS ialah Felo, Pusat Sains dan Teknologi,Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM)

Business and water – should we be concerned?

By TAY KAY LUAN

MALAYSIANS who take water for granted are reminded once again during this current hot and dry season of the need to conserve and not to take this precious resource for granted. Water as a resource has been one of the main drivers behind the rapid industry development and good standard of living. Water consumption is expected to double every two decades but rising affluence and wealth accumulation mean that people are now using on average six times more water than a century ago.

The most popular approaches to water issues include measures for greater efficiency, recycling and reuse, and employee education. – Reuters

Water sustainability is anything but clear. In a rapidly changing world, there are now challenges of conserving what we have and overcoming the problems of water too contaminated to consume. Although the planet’s surface is covered with water, less than 1.5% is freshwater which is safe for human consumption.

The Stockholm International Water Institute predicted by 2075, the number of people with chronic water shortages is estimated to be between 3 billion and 7 billion. The United Nations sees this as “one of the largest public health issues of our time.”
Business risks

Virtually every industrial activity requires water. The likes of manufacturing, power generation, food processing, agriculture, paper and drinks sectors are particularly water intensive. That’s why water issues are of serious concerns to business. One immediate action is to determine the material water impacts and how they can be better managed. One of the tools, Global Water Tool, released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is to help companies map out the use the water for their businesses – also to assess risks relative to their supply chains.

A recent ACCA discussion paper on Water: The Next Carbon highlighted that companies, as major users of water, could play a key role in promoting better water management. Several business risks related to water were also highlighted in the paper. First there is the physical risk arising through flooding, pollution, and droughts in regions where business operates. All businesses would be affected by the increased operating costs resulting from diminishing water supplies.

Companies would also see their capital expenditure rise as they are forced to find expensive new ways of treating and extracting water. Such financial risks are not healthy to the competitiveness of the industry. There is also the regulatory risk – where licensing or privatisation of water can possibly affect the quality of water resources, and costs being passed on to consumers.

The probability of reputation damage presents reputation risk for the company. As access to water decreases, people will be looking for “scagegoats” – as evidenced whenever the supply of water resource is temporarily halted. Companies which manage the operations and supply chains of the water resources will put their reputation at risks whenever, frequency of consumer complaints of poor delivery and services increases.

In the food and drink companies for example, wherever there is a limit on water supply, the immediate impact on prices is quite imminent. Business responses Agriculture, drinks and food processing are most vulnerable to water shortages. The threat of water scarcity makes the credit crunch relatively lightweight! Once companies have a hold on their overall water use, the next phase is obviously to reduce it. The most popular approaches include measures for greater efficiency, recycling and reuse, and employee education.

SABMiller, the global brewery company, has identified water as one of its three “opportunities”’ for global leadership. Its “5R” model of water responsibility includes changing attitudes and behaviours towards reducing water consumption across its business operations; reusing waste waters within facilities; recycling using new technologies within the plant; redistributing clean water to the community it operates; and influencing farmers to be more responsible on water use.

Swiss food giant Nestle has a more comprehensive policy towards water consumption. As part of its environment strategy the company is committed to continue reducing the amount of water used per kilogramme of food and drink produced, assuring its activities within its supply chain, respect water resources – both conserving and recycling. Even Intel reclaims more than 3 billion gallons of water a year by collecting and recycling wastewater, solid waste and chemical waste.
Water consumption is high in IT manufacturing plants – clean water is a must for production. Indeed water availability is the lifeblood to business – and therefore critical. Water strategy as part of sustainable solutions is to apply water conservation and demand management measures.
This involves better management of water productivity and quality including working towards a zero effluent discharge.

There is also a need to engage with government and other stakeholders on public policy of water – the extent to how water use should be regulated, monitored and managed. It is important to recognise that water footprint once exceeds its capacity – it would be an almost impossible task to reverse. As big consumers, businesses must share this responsibility more seriously as fundamentally it is a resource we can’t do without.

·The writer is ACCA director, Asean & Australasia. The full report ‘Water, the next carbon?’ is available at: http://www.accaglobal.com/documents/WaterFootprinting.pdf

Problems with waste disposal disposal, sewage treatment

I REFER to the letter “Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash” (The Star, June 15). For the last few months, Reef Check Malaysia has been working with the resorts and dive operators in the Perhentian islands to find ways to address some of the problems they face, with a view to protecting the local marine environment.

We have held extensive discussions with resorts and dive operators, as well as the local community, and we have identified a number of common concerns among businesses operating on the islands which include:

Waste disposal: The current system is inadequate and it results in a lot of waste ending up in the water. The rafts shown in the photo are most definitely not for tourists.They are the collection stations from which the state-appointed contractor is supposed to collect the waste.
The system is clearly not working as collection is not regular enough and waste builds up, often falling into the sea.

Sewage treatment: Individual operators have their own sewage treatment systems, which are mainly simple systems that might be releasing some pollution into the water. Individual operators do not have the resources to be able to finance their own comprehensive treatment systems. We feel that continuing development of tourism facilities such as jetties are of questionable benefit.

Many operators we have spoken to told us that they had repeatedly tried to raise these issues with the local authorities for a long time. It was not right, therefore, to put the blame squarely on the operators there. Our consultations have shown that the local authorities are partly to be blamed.

One of the steps being taken is to form an association of operators on the Perhentian Islands.
This association, which is being registered with the Registrar of Societies, will represent the business operators on the islands collectively and will address the various problems they are facing.

We would like to invite representatives of the state government to meet representatives of the association to discuss these problems, with a view to finding mutually acceptable solutions.

JULIAN HYDE, General manager, Reef Check Malaysia Bhd.

Target to make hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry is considering the possibility of increasing the share of hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation by 2030.

Gas and coal currently collectively account for about 90% of the fuel mix in Peninsular Malaysia for power generation while hydropower contributes 8%. “Steps are being taken to tap the vast hydro potential from Sarawak for export to Peninsular Malaysia, especially for the period after 2015,” said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin said in his keynote address at the launch of the ABB Executive Forum yesterday.

His speech was read by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (energy) Loo Took Gee. Themed Challenges and Opportunities of the New Economic Realities and the Energy Sector, the forum was organised by ABB Malaysia to provide industry professional with a deeper understanding of the changing economic landscape, its impact on the Malaysian economy and opportunities for turning challenges into sustained long-term growth.

Chin said the transfer of electricity from the Bakun hydroelectric project in Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia represented the first major step taken to increase the share of green energy in the fuel mix.

From left: ABB regional manager for South Asia and country manager of ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd Sim Boon Kiat and Energy, Green Technology and Water ministry deputy secretary-general (energy) Loo Took Gee launching the ABB Executive Forum on 'Challenges and Opportunities of the New Economic Realities and the Energy Sector' on Tuesday.

On the Renewable Energy Action Plan, he said the ministry was in the midst of finalising the plan, which would feature the introduction of the feed-in-tariff (FIT) to spur demand for electricity from renewable energy.

Renewable energy includes biomass, biogas, solar, mini-hydro and municipal waste. The plan would spell out the way forward to increase the share of renewable energy in the fuel mix of the country. Loo told a press conference the ministry was currently getting the Cabinet’s clearance on this action plan.

A FIT is a premium rate paid for electricity fed into the national grid from a designated renewable electricity generation source, like a rooftop solar photovoltaic system.