Plastic-Mixed Handmade Paper:
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has secured Patent registration for its innovative Plastic-mixed Handmade Paper developed to reduce plastic menace from nature.
- The plastic-mixed handmade paper (which is recyclable and eco-friendly) was developed under Project REPLAN (REducing PLAstic from Nature).
- The project was launched in September 2018 as part of KVIC’s commitment to Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
- It aims to make carry bags by mixing processed and treated plastic waste with cotton fibre rags in the ratio 20:80.
- This is the first of its kind project in India, where plastic waste is de-structured, degraded, diluted and used with paper pulp while making handmade paper and thus reduces plastic waste from nature.
- The invention is aligned with the Prime Minister’s call for fighting the menace of single-use plastic.
- The production of waste-plastic mixed handmade paper is likely to serve the twin objectives:
- Protecting the environment
- Creating sustainable employment
- The technology developed by KVIC uses both high & low density waste polythene that not only adds extra strength to the paper but also reduces the cost by up to 34%.
- KVIC has developed products such as carry bags, envelopes, files/folders, etc. using plastic mixed handmade paper.