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I've wondered for a time, why we put so much energy into banning certain plastic items, instead of improving biodegradable plastic technologies in conjunction w

by Alupis 8y ago

I've wondered for a time, why we put so much energy into banning certain plastic items, instead of improving biodegradable plastic technologies in conjunction with efficient trash sorting at waste management plants. If we can replace most plastics with biodegradable forms, a large part of these issues go away completely within our lifetime; plastics decomposing in as little as 24 months![1] > According to a 2010 EPA report, 12.4%, or 31 million tons, of all municipal solid waste (MSW) is plastic. 8.2% of that, or 2.55 million tons, were recovered[1] A large part of our recycling problem is that it's entirely dependent on people doing the right thing and putting recyclable materials in the correct bin. Why not have machines that can sort recyclables from true decompostable trash? Plastics tend to float, glass tends to sink, tin and many other metals are magnetic... etc. Removing a dependence on people to remember what's recyclable and where to dispose of used items would be a huge win for the environment. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic

bargl 8y ago
I like this plan because if we make biodegradable plastic cheaper than regular plastic then it would even help in places like the DR and it's neighbor Haiti where there literally is no garbage collection infrastructure and it's easier to throw trash in the street thank to take it home and burn it.
MikeKusold 8y ago
The problem with Biodegradable plastic is that it still requires a special process to break it down. You can’t just toss it in the ocean and have it magically break down. Compostable materials are the ideal.
- Alupis 8y ago
  > The problem with Biodegradable plastic is that it still requires a special process to break it down That's not true, actually. From the article: > A peer-reviewed report of the work shows 91% biodegradation in a soil environment within 24 months, when tested in accordance with ISO 17556 > Under proper conditions, some biodegradable plastics can degrade to the point where microorganisms can completely metabolise them to carbon dioxide (and water). For example, starch-based bioplastics produced from sustainable farming methods could be almost carbon neutral.
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    The ocean is not a soil environment; so it degrading well in soil doesn't necessarily help if it is a waste stream that ends up in the ocean.
    - Alupis 8y ago
      The article references starch-based bioplastics - and the ocean is quite an environment, filled with micro-organisms and minerals which readily decompose other organic materials. I don't see a reason we cannot create something that works in that environment too - however, the overwhelming majority of our plastic waste isn't going into the ocean; rather, it's going into landfills where it will sit for thousands of years.
      - njarboe 8y ago
        Things sitting in landfills are not a problem for the environment. It is producing them in the first place that causes environmental damage. Imagine everything going into a landfill as a resource our ancestors can mine in the future.
        Alupis 8y ago
        > Things sitting in landfills are not a problem for the environment That's not true either. Toxins, leachate, and greanhouse gases are given off from landfills and leach into ground water, or pollute the land around landfills[1]. Plastics will stay there, be washed away into streams/rivers, or be unburied in the future, practically in the same condition they were originally - even hundreds or thousands of years in the future. > Products that are not biodegradable or are slow to decompose, like plastic, can remain in landfill sites for centuries, often emitting gases that could be harmful to the environment.[2] > Landfills and dumps buried over often become suburban home sites in later years, unbeknownst to people who may live on them. Landfills have a distinctive effect on air pollution, nature, land and humans. Soil in the area may be saturated with chemicals or hazardous substances[3] [1] https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/problem-landfill/ https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/problem-landfill... [2] https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Does_Recycling_Affect_the_Environment https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Does_Recycling_Affect... [3] https://sciencing.com/effects-landfills-environment-8662463.html https://sciencing.com/effects-landfills-environment-8662463....

by Alupis 8y ago

bargl 8y ago

I like this plan because if we make biodegradable plastic cheaper than regular plastic then it would even help in places like the DR and it's neighbor Haiti where there literally is no garbage collection infrastructure and it's easier to throw trash in the street thank to take it home and burn it.

MikeKusold 8y ago

The problem with Biodegradable plastic is that it still requires a special process to break it down. You can’t just toss it in the ocean and have it magically break down. Compostable materials are the ideal.

Alupis 8y ago
> The problem with Biodegradable plastic is that it still requires a special process to break it down That's not true, actually. From the article: > A peer-reviewed report of the work shows 91% biodegradation in a soil environment within 24 months, when tested in accordance with ISO 17556 > Under proper conditions, some biodegradable plastics can degrade to the point where microorganisms can completely metabolise them to carbon dioxide (and water). For example, starch-based bioplastics produced from sustainable farming methods could be almost carbon neutral.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  The ocean is not a soil environment; so it degrading well in soil doesn't necessarily help if it is a waste stream that ends up in the ocean.
  - Alupis 8y ago
    The article references starch-based bioplastics - and the ocean is quite an environment, filled with micro-organisms and minerals which readily decompose other organic materials. I don't see a reason we cannot create something that works in that environment too - however, the overwhelming majority of our plastic waste isn't going into the ocean; rather, it's going into landfills where it will sit for thousands of years.
    - njarboe 8y ago
      Things sitting in landfills are not a problem for the environment. It is producing them in the first place that causes environmental damage. Imagine everything going into a landfill as a resource our ancestors can mine in the future.
      - Alupis 8y ago
        > Things sitting in landfills are not a problem for the environment That's not true either. Toxins, leachate, and greanhouse gases are given off from landfills and leach into ground water, or pollute the land around landfills[1]. Plastics will stay there, be washed away into streams/rivers, or be unburied in the future, practically in the same condition they were originally - even hundreds or thousands of years in the future. > Products that are not biodegradable or are slow to decompose, like plastic, can remain in landfill sites for centuries, often emitting gases that could be harmful to the environment.[2] > Landfills and dumps buried over often become suburban home sites in later years, unbeknownst to people who may live on them. Landfills have a distinctive effect on air pollution, nature, land and humans. Soil in the area may be saturated with chemicals or hazardous substances[3] [1] https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/problem-landfill/ https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/problem-landfill... [2] https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Does_Recycling_Affect_the_Environment https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/How_Does_Recycling_Affect... [3] https://sciencing.com/effects-landfills-environment-8662463.html https://sciencing.com/effects-landfills-environment-8662463....