Biodegradable plastic

For plastics derived from renewable resources, see Bioplastic. For plastics that biodegrade in the human body, see Biodegradable polymer.
Disposable plastic cups made from biodegradable plastic

Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can be decomposed by the action of living organisms, usually microbes, into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass.[1] Biodegradable plastics are commonly produced with renewable raw materials, micro-organisms, petrochemicals, or combinations of all three.[2]

While the words "bioplastic" and "biodegradable plastic" are similar, they are not synonymous.[3] Not all bioplastics (plastics derived partly or entirely from biomass) are biodegradable, and some biodegradable plastics are fully petroleum based.[4] As more companies are keen to be seen as having "Green" credentials, solutions such as using bioplastics are being investigated and implemented more. The definition of bioplastics is still up for debate. The phrase is frequently used to refer to a wide range of diverse goods that may be biobased, biodegradable, or both. This could imply that polymers made from oil can be branded as "bioplastics" even if they have no biological components at all.[5] However, there are many skeptics who believe that bioplastics will not solve problems as others expect.[6]

  1. ^ Ammala, Anne; Bateman, Stuart; Dean, Katherine; Petinakis, Eustathios; Sangwan, Parveen; Wong, Susan; Yuan, Qiang; Yu, Long; Patrick, Colin; Leong, K.H. (August 2011). "An overview of degradable and biodegradable polyolefins". Progress in Polymer Science. 36 (8): 1015–1049. doi:10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2010.12.002.
  2. ^ William Harris (2010-12-15). "How long does it take for plastics to biodegrade?". How Stuff Works. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
  3. ^ "Are bioplastics better for the environment than conventional plastics?". Ensia. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  4. ^ Rudin, Alfred; Choi, Phillip (2013). "Biopolymers". The Elements of Polymer Science & Engineering. pp. 521–535. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-382178-2.00013-4. ISBN 978-0-12-382178-2.
  5. ^ Chakrabongse, Dominic (2022-04-27). "We need to have a serious conversation about 'bioplastics' - Thai Enquirer Current Affairs". Thai Enquirer. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  6. ^ "Why Bioplastics Will Not Solve the World's Plastics Problem". Yale E360. Retrieved 2022-01-12.