{"id":759,"date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/27-03-2023\/biotransformation-technology\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T18:18:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:48:40","slug":"biotransformation-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/27-03-2023\/biotransformation-technology","title":{"rendered":"Biotransformation Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A UK-based startup claims to have developed a Biotransformation Technology that could alter the state of <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/23-09-2022\/mou-to-tackle-plastic-pollution\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>plastics <\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">and make them biodegradable without leaving behind any microplastics<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About Biotransformation Technology<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is a novel approach to ensure <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/23-09-2022\/mou-to-tackle-plastic-pollution\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>plastics <\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">that escape refuse streams are processed efficiently and broken down.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was co-developed by the Imperial College in London, UK, and a Britain-based startup, Polymateria.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The technology would digest the <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/23-09-2022\/mou-to-tackle-plastic-pollution\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>plastics <\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">packaging waste naturally with the help of microbes and biodegrade the waste without leaving behind any microplastics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This biotransformation technology is the world\u2019s first that ensures polyolefins fully biodegrade in an open environment causing no microplastics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>\u00a0How it works<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/23-09-2022\/mou-to-tackle-plastic-pollution\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>Plastics<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> made using this technology are given a pre-programmed time during which the manufactured material looks and feels like conventional plastics without compromising on quality.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Once the product expires and is exposed to the external environment, it self-destructs and biotransforms into bioavailable wax.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This wax is then consumed by microorganisms, converting waste into water, CO2, and biomass.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Applications&nbsp;<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Food packaging and healthcare industries are the two prime sectors that could use this technology to reduce waste.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The increase in cost is relatively small compared to conventional plastic that does not contain\u201d this technology.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Usage in India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some well-known Indian firms in the food and packaging industries deploy such technologies.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Within the healthcare and pharma industries, this technology provides biodegradable solutions for non-woven hygiene products like diapers, sanitary napkins, facial pads, etc.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Other initiatives of India&nbsp;<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Government introduced a <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/29-12-2022\/cag-report-on-plastic-waste-management\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>plastic waste management<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> gazette to help tackle the ever-growing plastic pollution caused by single-use plastics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2022, the Indian government <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>imposed a <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/08-06-2022\/single-use-plastics\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>ban on single-use plastic<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>s<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to bring a stop to their use in the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The N<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>ational Dashboard on Elimination of Single-Use Plastic and Plastic Waste<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Management brings all stakeholders together to track the progress made in eliminating single-use plastic and effectively managing such waste.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> portal helps in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>improving accountability traceability and facilitating <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">ease of compliance reporting in relation to EPR obligations of the producers, importers, and brand-owners.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>India has also developed a mobile app<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>report single-use plastics grievances<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to check the sale, usage or manufacturing of single-use plastics in their area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Other alternatives to reducing plastic waste<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A switch to jute or paper-based packaging could <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>potentially cut down plastic<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> waste. This could also build sustainability within the paper industry, and save on the import bill for ethylene solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Wooden packaging<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> is yet another alternative, but that will make the packaging bulkier and increase the cost.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #b6d7a8; vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Do you Know ?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As per 2022 data, India is generating around <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>3.5 billion kgs of plastic waste annually<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and the per capita plastic waste generation has also doubled in the past five years. Of this, a third comes from packaging waste.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2019, plastic packaging waste from e-commerce firms was estimated at over a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>billion kilograms<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> worldwide, according to Statista.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Book Antiqua',serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A joint research project by the Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi, and Sea Movement noted that Amazon generated nearly 210 million kgs (465 million pounds) of plastic from packaging waste in 2019.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News About Biotransformation Technology \u00a0How it works Applications&nbsp; Usage in India Other initiatives of India&nbsp; Other alternatives to reducing plastic waste Do you Know ? As per 2022 data, India is generating around 3.5 billion kgs of plastic waste annually and the per capita plastic waste generation has also doubled in the past five [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[54,26],"class_list":["post-759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-biodiversity-and-environment","tag-gs-3"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/100593Screenshot_6.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=759"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54041,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759\/revisions\/54041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}