Recycling of Rice Straw to Form Pulp in Order to Prevent Rice Straw Burning

Abstract

Approximately 39 million tons of rice straw are burnt annually by Indian farmers, as there is no economically viable alternative for its waste disposal. Due to its low bulk density and high volume, the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective solution is to simply burn it. However, as this causes large emissions of greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide), rice straw burning is an extremely dangerous procedure. Not only does it pollute the environment- giving rise to smog in urban settlements- and cause global warming, but it also induces respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma. For these reasons, the Indian government had made it illegal to burn rice straw (and other residues). Farmers face the threat of fines and “red entries”- marks on their records that make it difficult to get loans or subsidiaries. According to government regulations, deploying combine harvesters without the installation of the Super Straw Management System (SMS). These rules are difficult to adhere to for small farmers with less capital as they cannot afford the SMS. Hence, we propose a different solution. Using rice straw to make pulp (which is further bleached to make paper), farmers have a convenient method of waste disposal, as well as, an additional source of income. The procedure detailed in this paper uses easily accessible materials and requires minimal effort.