Editor
Guwahati: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Guwahati has announced the establishment of the NRL-Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Sustainable Materials Translational Facility on Bioplastics. The facility aims to contribute to the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable plastics.
The pressing environmental issues associated with conventional plastics have created an urgent need for alternatives that possess similar performance properties while being cost-effective to produce, according to a press release issued by the institute on Monday.
Prof Parameswar K Iyer, the Officiating Director of IIT Guwahati, expressed his enthusiasm for the newly inaugurated facility, stating, "This holistic technological advancement in the field of biodegradable plastics, with the support of the industry, is a unique initiative in the country. We hope that industries will utilize the available knowledge to expedite commercial activities in the compostable plastics sector, as the current plastic problem needs to be addressed without delay."
The collaboration between IIT Guwahati and NRL (Numaligarh Refinery Limited) to establish the CoE for Sustainable Materials Translational Facility on Bioplastics is an unprecedented academic-industrial partnership. This venture will facilitate research and development (R&D) efforts and the production of biodegradable plastics using waste and intermediate materials.
"At IIT Guwahati, our focus is on utilizing bamboo as the primary raw material for producing biodegradable plastics and related products. Once adopted, this approach will lead to significant industrialization in the region. We have worked on various technologies related to compostable plastics, and these technologies are open for the industry," explained Prof Vimal Katiyar, the Coordinator of the NRL-Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Materials and the Dean of Research and Development at IIT Guwahati.
The Translational Facility on Bioplastics, recently established at IIT Guwahati, houses the first pilot plant for biodegradable plastic production. It also includes several processing facilities for various biodegradable plastic products such as compostable cutlery, carry bags, plastic containers, and glasses. The facility is equipped with a customized film packaging line, injection molding machines, a cast sheet line, and a thermoforming products line.
These state-of-the-art facilities will play a crucial role in raising awareness among industries nationwide and providing them with the initial knowledge required to develop commercial production facilities that cater to the needs of a sustainable society. Dr. Amit Kumar, the Head of the Centre for Sustainable Polymers at IIT Guwahati, stated, "IIT Guwahati aims to cultivate a highly skilled workforce in the field of biodegradable plastics and has proposed multiple industry-academic collaboration ideas. The newly established Translational Facility on Bioplastics will offer potential industry partners the opportunity to engage in targeted projects with our researchers."
He further emphasized that IIT Guwahati is actively addressing emerging environmental concerns and challenges. The current global emphasis on environmental sustainability necessitates the development of eco-friendly products using affordable renewable sources.