An oxo-biodegradable component manufactured by a British company promises to end plastic waste could be the solution to dealing with litter in Bahrain.

The revelation comes as environmentalists say that an average of 360 bags are being discarded per person every year in Bahrain.

Reverte, manufactured by British company Wells Plastics, when blended with standard plastics raw material, produces a finished plastic with a two-stage degradation process leading to full bio-degradation within a year, according to UAE distributor Excel International.

The process involves the reduction of molecules, which then biodegrade in the ground to ultimately turn into water, carbon-dioxide and compost.

Reverte is unique in its composition in that the degradation process is enhanced by ultra-violet rays and sunlight if exposed to the two for long periods of time, said officials.

This ensures that the plastic remains intact while in storage but once it is discarded after use, for example in open waste bins, constant sun exposure will speed up the bio-degradation, they added.

The product was selected as the oxo-biodegradable additive of choice by Dubai Duty Free in December 2009 and UAE authorities will have made the adoption of bio-degradable plastics mandatory by January 2013, said Excel International FZC managing director Shakul Rai.

Rai and Wells Plastic export manager John James visited Bahrain with the aim to introduce their product to the wholesale and retail markets to discover certain manufacturers and retail outlets were already using it.

Degradable

"We actually heard that various government departments and plastic bag users want to switch to degradable bags," said Rai. "This was part of a major effort to combat pollution from post-consumer plastic waste in Bahrain, which gave us a huge incentive to visit the country.

"During our stay we discovered that two supermarkets - Jawad and LuLu Hypermarket - have adopted bio-degradable bags. This is in addition to two packaging companies Manama Packaging and Maskati Commercial Services that have also started using it."

Rai said that at the moment, bio-degradable plastics were being used on a voluntary basis. "Greater public awareness and more legislation are needed so that plastic pollution here can be controlled to a greater extent," he said.

Bags made with Reverte are recyclable and are safe for food contact, according to James.

If packaging and items were in the future to contain this bio-degradable element, the waste problem could be drastically reduced, according to the officials. These include grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, clingfilm, magazine packaging, garment bags, garbage bags, aprons, gloves, agricultural mulch film and moulded containers.

Bahraini citizens are aware of the environmental hazards caused by plastic waste, yet more needs to be done to move forward, said Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife senior environment specialist Rehan Ahmed.

"People in Bahrain know the dangers about how plastic waste affects the soil, water, sea, birds and I have noticed that now they are using fewer bags," said Ahmed.
"I have observed shoppers at supermarkets saying 'no' to plastic bags, carrying their purchases in their hands or using bags of non-plastic materials, because they are beginning to be more cautious about the environmental impacts."

In Bahrain an average of 360 bags are used per person each year and a plastic bag has an average 15 minute-long life before being discarded, said Ahmed.

Ahmed said that Bahrain was steadily moving forward, but that at the moment public awareness had more impact than any official ruling on the use and availability of plastic bags.

"In theory banning plastic bags altogether would be fine. However, in practice it would be very difficult to implement here, as there are currently no alternative materials to this versatile product," he said.

"You can ban plastic bags, but then technology and machinery would have to be altered and this would be very costly. Authorities understand the hazards of this product, and while the UAE will make bio-degradable bags mandatory in two years time, we cannot just follow every country's actions.”

"We have to observe them closely and follow their movements, but it is more about people changing their attitudes, which is what I can see happening now,” Ahmed added. – TradeArabia News Service