From which materials should biodegradable plastic substitutes be created?
Environmental pollution from microplastic particles is growing rapidly. Consequently, the importance of improving waste separation and recycling systems and the demand for replacing plastic with biodegradable substitutes is growing. Due to the rapidly increasing environmental pollution from plastic waste, it is urgently necessary to develop biodegradable plastic substitutes from which different types of product packaging and also different products can be made.
In view of the above, I address the following research question to the esteemed community of researchers and scientists:
What materials should biodegradable plastic substitutes be made of?
What is your opinion on this subject?
Please reply,
I invite you all to discuss,
Thank you very much,
Warm regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Natural Cloth, Bamboo wood, Banana Leaves, Mushroom packing, pressed hay, and seaweed could be the best alternatives.
Phil Geis, Landfilling of municipal waste isn't allowed in EU and other developed countries move the same way. Reuse and incineration is far better.
Biodegradation in a landfill result in methane so it is better that plastic isn't biodegradable in these conditions (regardless that it is unintended). It is more relevant that plastic is biodegradable in the water environment and on soil.
Henrik Rasmus Andersen
Can you provide more info re. EU ban of landfill? I understand there are relevant goals - e.g. 10% or less municipal waste to landfill by 2035* but am not aware of an existing ban. In any case, US is not "going that way."
Combustion to energy rather than reuse (even less useful than recycle) or incineration is likely the best technology at this time - esp. considering EU's energy vulnerability. It's questionable to develop and use "biodegradable" plastic to address quantitatively-poor, labor intensive composting and what effectively in soil and water is littering.
Methane from landfill is the leading source of "renewable" energy .
*https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20180328STO00751/eu-waste-management-infographic-with-facts-and-figures
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