MLP Boards

According to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules 2016, Multi-Layer Plastic (MLP) is “any material used for packaging and having at least one layer of plastic as the main ingredient in combination with one or more layers of materials such as paper, paper board, polymeric materials, metalized layers or aluminum.

The recycling process of MLP is cumbersome because the plastic must be cleaned thoroughly after it is collected and then, separated based on its type. Hence, the only way to process MLPs to get it out of sight is incineration or waste to energy plants. The incineration plants are sold to the public as a better alternative to landfills. However, incineration releases dioxins and one-fourth of the incinerated trash remains as toxic fly ash which ends up in the landfills. The current solutions that are being touted to treat the fly ash are to use it in making paver blocks or use it for road construction. These solutions are being proposed without a backup of any scientific studies and this fly ash can pollute the air, water, and soil for the next several generations.

  • Growth of Multi-Layer Laminate Plastics
    • The annual production of laminates in India is expected to be over 1 million MT with a market growth rate of 15-20%.
  • Expensive Process To Recycle
    • Waste generated from laminates has no productive value as it is expensive to recycle and thus ends up in landfills.
  • Statistics
    • 55% or 116.3 million tons of plastics ends up in landfills and 17.2% or 36.1 million tones is combusted.

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