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Traditional plastics made from fossil fuels have permeated our daily lives for the past 50 years. This is caused, in part, by their special qualities, which include longevity, endurance, simplicity, electrical and thermal insulation, resistance to both toxins and rust, in addition to their low manufacturing expenses. From 234 million tonnes (Mt) in 2000 to 460 Mt in 2019, the yearly production of plastics has increased by half worldwide. Between 2000 and 2019, the amount of plastic garbage has nearly doubled, from 156 Mt to 353 Mt. Approximately 3.47 million tonnes of plastic garbage were produced in India each year, and 43% of the generated plastics were utilised for packaging, the most of which were single-use. The issue is that single-use plastics (SUPs), which were banned in order to combat waste from plastics and rising pollution in the nation, are still widely used everywhere. With the shutdown brought on by the coronavirus, the issue was made worse since there was less demand for oil, which resulted in lower oil prices, which made plastics derived from fossil fuels more affordable. In addition, there are other issues related to the usage and disposal of plastic that seriously endanger both the planet's ecosystem and the well-being of people.
Therefore, it is crucial to transition to environmentally friendly options and implement a circular economy. Bioplastics (either biodegradable, biobased, or both) are a component of this answer because their manufacturing produces a lesser amount of carbon dioxide than that of plastic. From 2020 to 2027, the Indian bioplastics industry is projected to increase from 308 million to 1420 million units. Since public conduct has a significant impact on the use of plastic, this thesis details a study that examined Delhi/NCR residents' perception regarding bioplastics. The purchasing intention for bioplastic products is combined with 18 independent factors gleaned from the literature study in an analysis of logistic regression. The findings indicated that among individuals, plastic carry bags, plastic containers, and SUPs were the most frequently used plastic products. The majority of participants also know that plastic waste can harm both the environment and people's health, therefore they separate and dispose of plastics correctly.
Additionally, it's important to know the distinction between bio-based and biodegradable plastics and to utilise them properly in order to support societal adaptation. This study discovered through an offline questionnaire survey that the general people in Delhi/NCR had less subjective and objective understanding about bio-based plastics than they did of biodegradable plastics. Although there were substantial distinctions between subjective and objective knowledge, they had a more favourable opinion of bioplastics than they did of traditional plastics. They did not have much practical experience with bioplastics, though.
Additionally, despite the fact that the majority of those polled were conscious of the harmful effects caused by the use of petroleum-based materials and indicated a favourable preference for utilising products made of bioplastics, their restricted availability and the dearth of pertinent information on bioplastics make them difficult to utilise widely. In addition to shedding some light on some other significant factors, such as product information, price, belief, attributes, location, and availability, this paper also departs from the presumption that factors of theory of planned behavior are determining factors in the consumption of bioplastics in particular. These other factors should be focused on in order to motivate more rational application of bioplastics.
The findings demonstrated that giving information, improving product qualities, and increasing product availability would encourage the intention to use bioplastics. As a consequence, all of these, with the exception of location, were probably useful in raising the readiness to utilise bioplastics as well as fostering positive impressions. More than 50% of participants said they would be willing to spend more money on bioplastic products.
The findings of this research will be useful to policy makers and businesses that support advertising and educational operations relating to bioplastic products since they will offer perspectives on the elements that stakeholders should take into account when coming up with various solutions and strategies.
Keyword: Bio-based, Biodegradable, perception, theory of planned behavior, plastic, knowledge, attitude.
