Biodegradable FactsBenefits & Features of Biodegradable Plastics
a. Controlled Lifetime The shelf life and service life of degradable and biodegradable plastic products can be customized based on customer requirements ranging from a few months to years depending on the type.
b. Processability Degradable plastic additive technology is applied to conventional commodity plastics and is processed using almost identical conditions as is required for the unmodified resins.
c. Performance Degradable have similar physical properties and are indistinguishable in look and performance from regular products prior to the onset of degradation.
d. Cost The cost of degradable products is only a few percentage higher than the unmodified ones.
e. Reusable & Recyclable Degradable products prior to the onset of degradation, can be reused and are compatible with existing recycling streams during post production or at post consumer level.
f. Non-toxic Degradable products are non-toxic and safe for food contact applications.
g. Non-ecotoxic Degradable products produce no harmful residue after biodegradation.
h. Commercialized Degradable products are used by international brand names in Europe, USA, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
i. Availability Degradable products are readily available worldwide. Top
Biodegradation
Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms. The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management and environmental remediation (bioremediation). Organic material can be degraded aerobically, with oxygen, or anaerobically, without oxygen.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Top
What is Biodegradable?
The claim biodegradable is often associated with environmentally friendly products. What exactly does this mean? I would define it as being able to be broken down by natural processes, into more basic components. Products are usually broken down by bacteria, fungi or other simple organisms. By this definition, most chemicals are biodegradable; the only thing differing would be the amount of time it takes to break down. A piece of bread will break down rather quickly, whereas a piece of plastic will take decades and beyond.
Rate of breakdown may not be as important as what the product breaks down into. The ideal final products of any complex product of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen would be Carbon Dioxide(CO2) and Water (H2O). A majority of products are made mostly of these three elements. The previously mentioned piece of bread is made mostly of these, and after breaking down from complex sugars to simpler sugars, will eventually degrade to CO2 and H2O. This process would be accelerated if we ate the bread and our body would break it down and use it as energy, until only CO2 and H2O are left.
In a perfect would all products would break down to CO2 and H2O. It gets more complicated with different chemicals. The banned pesticide DDT, is hazardous and toxic in its own right. It does biodegrade, rather slowly. The problem is that its breakdown products of DDD and DDE are even more toxic and dangerous than the original DDT.
I ran across a popular cleaning product that proudly claims to be "biodegradable" and even has an environmentally pleasing name and color. The main (active) cleaning chemical is a nonylphenolethoxylate (NPE), made solely of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. This class of chemicals are considered suspicious because they are possible endocrine disruptors. This means they may mimic the endocrine hormones and may cause havoc with a female's reproductive system. NPE's do biodegrade to a benzene ring type structure and other simpler structures. This biodegrading may or may not lead to a less hazardous chemical, but still hazardous. Although it is biodegradable, this product is by no means environmentally friendly.
Biodegradability is definitely a positive trait, yet it could be applied to virtually anything. What is a "green" consumer to do or look for? Try to be educated about the products you purchase. Read the label and reward companies which fully disclose the ingredients in their products. Also products based on natural ingredients are more, but not always, likely to be safer and degrade easier. Even though a product may say it is biodegradable, it may not be environmentally friendly. Top
How Long Does Biodegradable Plastic
Take to Degrade or Compost?
Biodegradable plastic is fully compostable and biodegradable. In commercial composting conditions, PLA will compost in approximately 30-45 days. Composting may take longer in a home composting bin. Top
What is PLA?
Bioplastics: PLA derived from corn-starch
Bioplastics are a new generation of biodegradable and compostable plastics. They are derived from renewable raw materials like starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), cellulose, soy protein, lactic acid etc., not hazardous in production and decompose back into carbon dioxide, water, biomass etc. when discarded. Corn starch is currently the main raw material being used in the manufacture of bioplastic resins. Mater-Bi (main component corn-starch), and PolyActide (PLA) (made from corn-starch as well) are currently the 2 main resins (raw materials), being used today in the production of compostable & biodegradable plastics and are certified for compostability under standards set by international organizations. However, other resins are coming into the market made from potato starch, soybean protein, cellulose etc. Most of these are currently not certified for compostability, though some are for biodegradability. The field of bioplastics is constantly evolving with new materials and technologies being worked on and being brought to market. Top
PLA Quick Facts
- Freezer safe
- Handles hot items up to 120F (except 200F utensils)
- Sterilized and sanitized, conforms to US Food & Drug Administration guidelines
- Fully compostable, sturdy and strong
- Clear, plastic-like texture
- Home Composting
- Commercial Composting Top
Heat Resistance
- Corn-starch based products (bags, cutlery, cold cups, drinking straws): 120 degrees F
- Corn Starch Biodegradable Cutlery: 220 degrees F Top
Biodegradability & Compostability
Compostable Plastic is plastic which is "capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose). and leaves no toxic residue." American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). In order for a plastic to be called compostable, three criteria need to be met:
- Biodegrade - break down into carbon dioxide, water, biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper).
- Disintegrate - the material is indistinguishable in the compost, that it is not visible and needs to be screened out
- Eco-toxicity - the biodegradation does not produce any toxic material and the compost can support plant growth.
Biodegradable Plastic is plastic which will degrade from the action of naturally occurring microorganism, such as bacteria, fungi etc. over a period of time. Note, that there is no requirement for leaving "no toxic residue", and as well as no requirement for the time it needs to take to biodegrade.
Degradable Plastic is plastic which will undergo a significant change in its chemical structure under specific environmental conditions resulting in a loss of some properties. Please note that there is no requirement that the plastic has to be degrade from the action of "naturally occurring microorganism" or any of the other criteria required for compostable plastics.
A plastic therefore may be degradable but not biodegradable or it may be biodegradable but not compostable (that is, it breaks down too slowly to be called compostable or leaves toxic residue). Top
- Did you know...
- ...that a plastic beverage bottle takes 1,000,000 years to decompose?
So why don’t you join us from this moment, make the planet a better place for our children. - .. that "Eco-friendly" or "Environmentally friendly" means the product pose no harmful effects on the environment or its inhabitants. This includes the methods being used to produce biodegradable products such as cups, bags and containers. Unlike petroleum-based (traditional) plastics, biodegradable plastic does not produce greenhouse gases as it is formed because it is made from plant fibers.
Biodegradable Packaging: Need of the Hour
The technological advances and growing demand of human population have finally pushed our Earth to a grave danger- the danger of extinction. Widespread deforestation, rapid industrialization and high levels of CO2 emissions have led to climate crisis. While global warming has become one of the major environmental issues, another equally dangerous event is the huge amount of hazardous waste caused by petroleum derived, non-biodegradable plastics. Our landfills and water bodies are getting polluted causing a threat to the very existence of our ecosystem.
Non-biodegradable plastics are no less than a monster that will destroy life on Earth one day if we do not act now. This calls for immediate attention and collaboration. Environmentalists all over the world have been campaigning against the use of petroleum-derived plastics vigorously. It is their efforts that people across the world have started discarding plastic bags. They now prefer to use environmentally friendly paper or jute bags. Another solution to this problem is the use of biodegradable plastics in the form of biodegradable packaging such as biodegradable plates, biodegradable food containers, and many other such products.
Biodegradable packaging is made of organic plastics derived from renewable sources of energy such as vegetable oil, corn starch, pea starch, and so on. They are designed to biodegrade harmlessly back to the earth. Biodegradable packaging has become the need of the hour, as plastics derived from fossil fuels like petroleum do not biodegrade and remain as hazardous waste for hundreds of years, endangering the life of many species.
Since production and use of biodegradable packaging relies less on fossil fuels as a source of power, it is regarded as a more sustainable activity. Studies show that bioplastics can reduce carbon footprint by 42%. Also, they give out fewer greenhouse emissions when biodegrade. In some cases, bioplastics are made from used plastic items with the help of microorganisms.
Biodegradable plastics are widely used for packaging. Biodegradable packaging generally includes biodegradable plates, biodegradable food containers, biodegradable trays, boxes, and bowls, and so on. These are disposable items. So, after use you can dispose them without any tension, as they biodegrade easily without posing any treat to the environment. In many countries, biodegradable packaging is also used for organic waste bags. The bags, in this case, get composted together with the food or green waste kept inside them.
So, if you want to contribute to the environmental cause and making earth a “friendly planet”, it’s time to take a call. Biodegradable packaging items like biodegradable plates, biodegradable food containers, biodegradable trays, boxes, and bowls, and so on can help you in your endeavor to contribute to this noble cause in your own little yet effective way.
Think Green with Biodegradable Packaging
Are you concerned about the global warming that is posing a threat to our existence and that of our planet? Are you one of them who think they can contribute in every small way to preserving the earth? Are you looking for ways to show you care for your planet? If, this is the way how you feel, biodegradable packaging is just for you. In today’s climate crisis that has compelled the world leaders to give a halt to their growth plans and instead think about our planet and its rapid degradation, you can show your commitment to “environmental preservation” with the help of biodegradable packaging.
Biodegradable packaging, as the name suggests, refers to packaging items that biodegrade easily without causing any threat to our ecosystem. Made from organic plastics, biodegradable packaging is widely used as disposable, biodegradable plates, food containers, trays, boxes, and bowls, and so on. Hotel industry use catering items like crockery, cutlery, pots, bowls, and straws made from organic plastic.
As opposed to petroleum-derived plastics, biodegradable plastic is derived from renewable sources of energy such as vegetable oil, corn starch, pea starch, and so on. As a result, their production makes use of minimum amount of fossil fuels, leading to a significant reduction in carbon footprint when compared to production of plastics from petroleum. Also, when these plastics biodegrade, fewer greenhouse gases are emitted.
Just think how much of positive impact you can effect by substituting packaging items made from non-biodegradable, fossil-fuel derived plastics with biodegradable packaging items like biodegradable plates, biodegradable food containers, bowls, boxes and so on. These items are used in huge numbers for both domestic and industrial applications every single day. For instance, trays and containers for fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and bottles for dairy products and aerated drinks which we use on a daily basis can be made from biodegradable plastics. So, with biodegradable packaging, you take a great step to making our planet greener. These environmentally friendly products support you in your endeavor to save the earth.
There are many companies that offer biodegradable packaging items, including biodegradable plates, biodegradable food containers, biodegradable bowls and boxes at highly affordable prices. Many of such companies are continuously striving to develop new forms of biodegradable packaging that are not only environmentally friendly but also perform well. They are spending huge dollars to evaluate new subtracts and biodegradable packaging media.
So, it’s time you too think about biodegradable packaging seriously and embrace it in your day-to-day life!