Plastics are acting as a threat to urban drainage system and biodiversity. Different bio degradable plastics are already developed (Bio plastics and plastics with biodegradable additives).
Do you think these can be effectively used to replace presently used non - bio degradable plastics ? In which area of use it can be done ? Up to what extent ? What are the problems in their widespread use ?
It is a progress, one is cautiously optimistic, what is the percentage of biodegradability? Are there latent problems using the too general too generic term bio ??
But Dr. Pal, main problem of plastic is it's non - biodegradability. If it can be overcome, what should be the problem?
Hi dear,
It's possible. But, i beieve that bioplastic will causes new problems.
With my best regards!
Adel
Hi Sir...
you can see the link.... http://medcraveonline.com/JABB/JABB-03-00074.pdf
It is important to find out different options, but at the same time, we have to work in reuse materials and management of non-bio degradable plastics.
With present system, bio-degradable plastics are not an answer. 1st, litter is a people problem, not a material problem and action should be to discourage litter and encourage recycling as all thermoplastics, by definition, can be reprocessed with heat. 2nd, bio-degradability is defined through a standard ASTM testing procedure that requires commercial composting that is rare in the US. Commercial composting reaches temperatures that breakdown bio-degradable plastics and produce useable products that does not happen in reasonable time with either home composting or litter.
The main problem lies in the energy and carbon footprint of using oil as a non-renewable raw material instead of renewable raw materials with inherent biodegradability.
Dear Dr. Gonzalez - Paz,
Not only carbon footprint, preparation of plastics require a huge water - so water footprint is not less important.
Thanks.
The million dollar question is how to retain the benefits of plastics whilst reducing the problem of them. The solution isn't linear. Plastic litter is a symptom of behavioural norms related to their application and use - almost half of all plastics found along shorelines are single-use. It''s yet uncertain whether biodegradable plastics will prevent this further accumulation of plastics. Consideration has to be given to the constituent parts of biodigradable plastics, how the ecosystem which receives the biodegraded components will react to these, and how to ensure that the plastics are within environmental conditions appropriate to the biodegrading process in the first place. There is hope though with increased focus on redesign of plastic products for sustainability in their life (reuse) and end of life (breakdown and removal).
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