It would be a good start but there is still a lot of plastic waste already buried in landfills and in our rivers and oceans all over the world. We need to get on top of this, clean it up and find alternative methods of using these existing plastics in renewable / sustainable ways.

The super material that can replace plastic. Plastic trash is a rapidly growing environmental problem. But a biodegradable and natural material could replace plastic packaging and eliminate this problem. ... Much of this plastic ends up as waste in the environment, especially in the oc

Sometimes, scientific findings are publicized early in an "exaggerated" way. We are still in the "infancy" stage of biodegradable polymers that can substitute or replace common synthetic plastics (such as the most widespread polyethylene) with regard to cost & adequacy.

The picture is not gloomy (at all) and there is progress but not to the extent that we hope for. I say that after examining few MSc dissertations, which dealt with biodegradable polymers "such as PLA, PLG, PEG, some polyanhydrides, Hyaluronic acid…etc." & after reading research papers on this subject as well.

When proper cost-effective biodegradable polymers become available, a huge cleaning up ought to precede/accompany their usage and this work on land & sea requires massive efforts & costs so who will ring the bell ?!

Good discussion.

No, but it will sure help in lowering it. As the damage done already can't be undone completely but the rate will be controlled or slowed down.

As currently the processes are being for developed for the conversion of plastic waste for production of petroleum products, as well as recycled into other products.

It will be better option, if we replace by biodegradable plastics

Any specific papers dealing with production of biopolymers. I have a student working on producing a biopolymer.

It will help to a certain extent. Plastics can be recycled and made into chairs, tables and it will be a good idea to encourage recycling of plastics which is done in Africa and Asia. The poor collect plastic bottles and they deliver them to the companied that make drinks and it has become a job and they are earning an income from it. Biodegradable plastics are a good idea but the question is how long do will they take to beak down into the soil or water?

Valuable discussion

Plastic waste

Plastic waste buried and landfill.

Yes, I also think that plastic waste is becoming one of the most serious problems in the pollution of environments in both the ocean and the ocean. Recycling and automation of the waste segregation process should be improved. It is necessary to develop technological development and create new pro-ecological innovations that will help in solving this growing problem.

plastic waste is biggest problem and its impact is vast

it fully occupy soil and arrest soil percolation and cause soil degradation

it cause bio magnification

it digestion problem for many animals finally cause death

one more dangerous is plastics convert into micro plastic when it exposed to sunlight which is cause more impact to aquatic organism etc

so avoid plastics and replace other degradable materials or less use of plastic need to protect our environment.

Plastic waste is major problem in management of solid waste and its impact is vast.

It depends on what you you consider as the "problem of rubbish". You may simply say that the final disposal requirements (e.g. landfilling) is the problem and then I would say "yes"; it reduces the problem. However, the truth is that LCA of the commonly called "biodegradable plastics" is still a matter of concern. If you broadly consider the life cycle assessment of these two options, then the answer would not be an easy one. The production procedure of biodegradable plastics is still in a haze of ambiguity and needs much more assessments.

Many studies show that environmental pollution with plastic waste is increasing strongly in recent years. Plastic waste causes environmental pollution because it is mostly non-biodegradable material used in packaging. The disintegration time of most types of plastic is determined to be several hundred or more years. Plastic wastes release chemical substances that penetrate into surface and subcutaneous waters, penetrate into plants, including arable crops and in this way can also negatively affect animals and people. In addition, it happens that unsorted plastic waste is improperly burned and in this way into the atmosphere and then with the rain get into the soil carcinogenic, poisonous substances that also poison crops, etc.

Therefore, the key question is: What types of technologies should be developed to reduce the use of plastic in packaging?

Please reply

Thank you,

Greetings,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

I think yes.

My colleagues worked on this question. Summing up they carved out problems with biodegradeables that suggest specific applications, but see limited potential and usefullness for a general replacement of plastics by biodegradeable substitutes... I guess we must think about reuse, recycle and waste avoidance...

Article Plastics of the future? The impact of biodegradable polymers...

Hello everyone, thank you for participating in the discussion. Thank you very much for participating in this discussion, for valuable tips, supplements, inspiring theses and new insights on the above issues. I would like to add a few words to the above discussion on this interesting topic. Environmental pollution with plastic waste has grown strongly in recent years. Therefore, it is currently one of the most important problems of land and marine pollution, including oceans. In recent years, Plasik has been one of the most important problems of rapidly growing environmental pollution. Plasik should be removed from packaging as soon as possible and replaced with rapidly biodegradable materials. Therefore, as part of implementing the principles of sustainable development, programs for replacing plastic packaging with biodegradable materials are being developed.

Do you agree with my opinion?

What is your opinion on this topic?

I am asking for an answer and invite you to a discussion,

Thank you very much, Best regards, Have a nice day,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

It would help - but as noted there is also a considerable amount deposited.

This will not fully solve the problem but yes to some extend it will lead to reduction in generation of plastic waste especially from packaging industry.

Moreover, plastic from various spheres of the earth like from oceans, seas ,soil need to be efficiently removed in order to solve the problems caused by it.

The pollution due to the plastic waste is one the biggest problem, the world is facing. It takes several hundred years to get broken up into simpler substances. Lot of plastic waste have already burried into the soil thus effecting the percolation of water into the soil causing degradation. When these plastic materials are consumed by the animals, their digestion process arrest as it does not get digested up, thus causing death. When the plastic get exposed to sunlight, microplastic is formed. These micoplastic have direct impact on the aquatic life. Few researches have gained magnificant importance as invention of biodegradable pakaging materials have come into limelight. And these materials have proved to be a safer materials that have neglible impact on the environment.So, biodegradable material can be proved to be the best substitute for plastic packaging materials.

Dear Neil Dagnall,

That's right. Thank you for participating in the discussion.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Dear Sonika Kumari,

Yes, plastic packaging is one of the most serious environmental pollution problems in recent years. It is essential to improve the technology of removing plastic waste from various types of aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Dear Neeraj Pandey,

That's right, biodegradable substitutes for plastic packaging are one of the most important pro-ecological inventions in recent years. Biodegradable materials should be introduced as soon as possible as substitutes for plastic packaging.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Dear Mehran Akrami

Yes, many tons of plastic waste has accumulated in the seas and oceans, from which microplastics particles precipitating into the bodies of living organisms. Thus, plastic has a negative impact on the biosphere of the seas and oceans. Plastic waste is urgently removed from seas, oceans and other natural environments.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

not solve but will surely reduce

1. Biodegradable single-use water bottles:

Nearly half a trillion plastic water bottles are purchased and consumed each year, and fewer than 7% are recycled into new water bottles.

In recent years, scientists have been racing to find an alternative to single-use plastic water bottles and have come up with some prototypes, often derived from plants, that supposedly degrade in natural environments and pose no risk to animals.

2. Biodegradable plastic bags:

Similar to water bottles derived from plant-based plastics, some companies have begun selling biodegradable plastic bags.

Globally, more than 1 trillion single-use plastic bags are used each year, and less than 5% get recycled. The vast majority of these bags end up in landfills or contaminate environments, causing harm to animals. Paper bag production, meanwhile, often leads to deforestation and is not necessarily a sustainable alternative.

3. Clothes made with “recovered” plastic:

Each year, more than 8 million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans. Marine animals, including whales and turtles, often consume this plastic by accident and become sick or die as a result.

In recent years, many multinational clothing brands have responded to the growing epidemic of plastic waste by incorporating recovered plastic into their clothing lines.

Dear Shahab Uddin, Yes, I agree with you that waste segregation and recycling will not fully solve the problem of rapidly growing plastic waste deposited in the natural environment and environmental pollution also with other types of waste, but it can significantly reduce this problem.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

No, a long term solution is a lower rate of population growth.

Lou

Dear Rashmi Pramanik, Thank you very much for the information sent on the use of biodegradable materials made of biodegradable plastic substitutes and the re-use of plastic materials for the production of certain types of goods from raw materials, including recycled materials. Unfortunately, however, the current scale of application of both biodegradable materials and the production of certain types of recycled plastic products is still too small. In order to reduce the scale of environmental pollution, it is necessary to develop and increase the scale of applications of biodegradable materials and recycled materials. Best wishes,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Biodegradable plastic is important, and can reduce accumulation of plastic waste

Dear Bayu Ardiansah, Yes, I agree with your opinion on this point that biodegradable substitutes for plastic materials, products made of plastic, are a particularly important issue today. The development of ecotechnology, thanks to which plastic will be quickly replaced with its biodegradable substitutes, will reduce the accumulation of plastic waste. Greetings,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

No.

Dear Emmanuel V Murray,

Thank you for participating in this discussion.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

thanks for the valuable information. I think this procedure will solve this problem partially, hopefully it does .

Dear Hashim H. Kareem Aldhahi,

Thanks for answering the question: Will replacing all plastic packaging with their biodegradable substitutes solve the problem of rubbish?

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Microplastic is everywhere. Even in the bodies of the sea fish we eat and the air we breathe. It is imperative to urgently replace plastic used in packaging with biodegradable materials of organic origin.

What do you think about it?

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Biodegradable polymers surely can help in the reduction of 'rubbish', however, as it was said, a careful LCA must be done to know the real impact of this change (non-biodegradable polyolefins vs renewable biodegradable). Although economically it is a quite hard decision (today), considering packagings, biodegradable polymers can be a direct and economically viable solution for a number of applications, especially in agriculture (plantations).

Dear Sergio Pezzin,

Yes of course. Biodegradable polymers should now be used on a massive scale to replace non-biodegradable plastics used primarily in various types of packaging. Technologies are here. They only need to be implemented urgently. Applied changes in legal norms concerning environmental policy and economic activity are necessary.

Thank you very much,

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Yes

Yes of course, But I still see conflict between economy of production and environmental protection interplaying. Looking at the production output of non-degradable polymers as to the degradable ones makes the replacement quite far to be achieved. the best is to research into how all non-degradable polymers could be synthesized to become degradable.

Dear Rogerson Anokye,

Yes of course. The process of replacing non-biodegradable plastics with biodegradable substitutes of organic origin is still too slow. In addition, in order to reduce the scale of environmental pollution with packaging made of non-biodegradable plastics, it is necessary to develop deposit systems, i.e. reusable plastic bottles in which various drinks, water, milk, etc. are sold.

Thank you very much,

Best wishes,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Because waste is not just plastic packaging, replacing it with biodegradable packaging cannot solve the problem of waste in general.

Regards

Vit

Dear Vit,

Yes, that's right. In addition to plastic waste, other types of toxic waste also end up in the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to improve waste segregation techniques, develop and improve technologies used for recycling, create biodegradable substitutes for plastics for the production of packaging and other products made of various types of plastic, develop toxic waste disposal techniques, and improve techniques for recovering rare metals from waste. which is currently growing in demand, reducing overproduction, etc. All these pro-ecological activities are important components of pro-environmental waste management. Improving the pro-environmental waste management is an important element of the implementation of the sustainable development goals.

Thank you, Regards,

Dariusz

My point of view is that the community awareness matters about the plastic waste recycling issue because the companies are license approved by the respective Governments.

It is possible but the initiative have to start from the ground level stakeholders to think about the recycling aspects.

The best alternative for the plastic waste could be biodegradable items to alter the threats of polluting the environment.

Al menos, contribuiría de manera muy decisiva a un problema que es realmente muy serio, aunque todavía, por desgracia, la mayor parte de los Gobiernos no se den por aludidos.

Dear Dariusz:

You are absolutely right and I agree with your view on how to treat waste and what to improve and change to reduce the burden on the environment.

As waste management is a very complex problem, it goes without saying that the solution will have to be complex. However, the big problem is that some technical solutions for waste treatment or disposal, which produce good results, are technically complicated and very expensive so that their global application is not possible for economic reasons.

Therefore, I think that even solving one problem is very positive and important. This is also the case with the replacement of conventional plastics with biodegradable ones.

Best regards

Vit

Dear Vit Mateju,

Thanks for the answer. I agree with you. Yes, some waste disposal and treatment technologies are expensive and still not widespread for economic reasons. In such a situation, the state should develop pro-environmental investment projects as part of interventionist investment projects. In this way, new jobs will be created and green sectors of the economy will be developed. In connection with the still growing problem of pollution of the environment with waste and the progressing global warming process, it is necessary to accelerate the processes of activating green entrepreneurship, creating new eco-innovations and pro-environmental technologies, thanks to which the scale of waste segregation, recycling, creation of biodegradable substitutes for plastics, etc. creating eco-innovations, including biodegradable substitutes for plastics, is an important factor in reducing the level of environmental pollution. Since the processes of pro-environmental transformation of the economy carried out by commercial sectors of the economy are progressing too slowly, it is necessary to develop pro-environmental state interventionism. Thanks to the increased state participation in this matter, the process of carrying out a pro-environmental transformation of the classic growth, brown, linear economy of surplus into a sustainable, green, zero-emission economy of zero growth and a circular economy may be accelerated. Therefore, improving waste management by creating eco-innovations of materials made of biodegradable organic materials and replacing them with plastics used in the production of packaging is an important factor in the pro-environmental transformation of the economy. Increasing the role and importance of environmental policy in the context of the broadly understood socio-economic policy is necessary in connection with the need to increase the scale of reducing the level of environmental pollution.

Thank you very much,

Best regards,

Dariusz

Most certainly yes! Don't forget the plastics have gone inside the fish already and we are eating them. If we don't stop the plastics most of the fish will become plastic, if they survive until then..

Plastic is relatively cheap compared to other substitutes. So, many who are aware of the effects of plastic use and disposal on the environment would still use plastic; because it is cheap. Finding alternatives is good, but for low income earners, would such alternatives be affordable?