Biodegradable Plastics
- Jun 14, 2019
- 2 min read
There has been a lot of focus on plastic waste and how harmful it has become in our world today, and because of this focus people are on the hunt to find a replacement for plastic. What about biodegradable plastics? What comes to mind when you think of the word biodegradable?
The real question is are biodegradable plastics better for the environment? To answer this question it's important we explore the process. Biodegradable plastics are made from plant materials like corn oil, starch and plants. They should be broken down by bacteria, if disposed of correctly or composted. If one were to throw biodegradable plastics into the trash or the landfill it wouldn't have the correct elements to breakdown.
Landfills are so tightly packed with trash that the correct elements don't exist. Oxygen is needed to break down material and in a landfill it's hard for oxygen to get in. In the end some plastics will get broken into tiny little pieces and pollute our soils. Many things are thrown into the trash today without a second thought, including plastic bags. So, what will change those actions?
Do biodegradable plastics really break down if given the correct environment?
There was a study done by a Marine biologist, Richard Thompson and he conducted this study with his students. They planted some biodegradable bags in the schools garden and waited three years. After three years they discovered some bags were still strong enough to carry five pounds. To learn more about this study check out the article here on National Geographic web page. (also check out the video above)
So overall biodegradable plastics are still being researched, and are probably not the best solution to the plastic waste issue we have today.
Other sources/links to check out:
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