4 ms·

Are those biodegradable?

ReptileMan 1y ago
Kinda. I think that modern airsoft balls degrade in a couple of years. Which shouldn't be an issue in a dedicated venue.
- Sharlin 1y ago
  Would think it's trivial to make those from cellulose or something, but I guess it's always about money. Most "biodegradable" plastics are just turned into smaller pieces of plastic by UV.
  - lloeki 1y ago
    The ISO 14855-1 standard for biodegradability: https://www.iso.org/standard/57902.html https://www.iso.org/standard/57902.html "Bio" BBs are made out of PLA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid And typically made out of corn or manioc starch, or even cane sugar. Precise weight is controlled via barium sulfate. There's a small coating of varnish to make it smooth as well as a bit more resistant to external conditions, otherwise they would degrade too quickly.
  - ErikBjare 1y ago
    In the case of BBs they need to withstand a fair bit of force, so I don't think it's about money. The biodegradable ones (PLA) on the market I've tried perform less well than their non-biodegradable alternatives and can shatter on impact, cause jams, etc. I doubt you could make a hard enough cellulose pellet, maybe it's possible but costly, idk.
GOD_Over_Djinn 1y ago
They’re marketed that way, but there’s a giant asterisk. They’re biodegradable in an industrial composter, and similar conditions are incredibly unlikely in nature. So they are, effectively, not biodegradable. There is a new manufacturer called Terra that has apparently made “true” biodegradable Airsoft pellets
- troupo 1y ago
  > They’re biodegradable in an industrial composter, and similar conditions are incredibly unlikely in nature. So they are, effectively, not biodegradable. Just like every plastic marketed as biodegradable. I feel like most of the "biodegradable"/"eco-friendly" products rushed to the markets in the wake of stricter regulations are worse for the environment since they either require significantly more resources (especially water) to produce, extremely complicated special setups to dispose of, or even both.
- jijijijij 1y ago
  > They’re biodegradable in an industrial composter, and similar conditions are incredibly unlikely in nature. Thinking of PLA, for me at least, it's fine if it takes years instead of weeks, as long as it's fundamentally vulnerable to common bio-chemical attack and the monomers aren't toxic. That's not the stuff that's causing issues, I think.
- mapt 1y ago
  I would accept "Can be depolymerized, and absorbed by the biosphere or water table or bonded to alkaline rock, when suspended in normal soil in a temperate climate in less than 100 years" as a victory here. Lactic acid is in milk/yogurt/etc.

Kinda. I think that modern airsoft balls degrade in a couple of years. Which shouldn't be an issue in a dedicated venue.

Sharlin 1y ago
Would think it's trivial to make those from cellulose or something, but I guess it's always about money. Most "biodegradable" plastics are just turned into smaller pieces of plastic by UV.
- lloeki 1y ago
  The ISO 14855-1 standard for biodegradability: https://www.iso.org/standard/57902.html https://www.iso.org/standard/57902.html "Bio" BBs are made out of PLA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid And typically made out of corn or manioc starch, or even cane sugar. Precise weight is controlled via barium sulfate. There's a small coating of varnish to make it smooth as well as a bit more resistant to external conditions, otherwise they would degrade too quickly.
- ErikBjare 1y ago
  In the case of BBs they need to withstand a fair bit of force, so I don't think it's about money. The biodegradable ones (PLA) on the market I've tried perform less well than their non-biodegradable alternatives and can shatter on impact, cause jams, etc. I doubt you could make a hard enough cellulose pellet, maybe it's possible but costly, idk.

GOD_Over_Djinn 1y ago

They’re marketed that way, but there’s a giant asterisk. They’re biodegradable in an industrial composter, and similar conditions are incredibly unlikely in nature. So they are, effectively, not biodegradable. There is a new manufacturer called Terra that has apparently made “true” biodegradable Airsoft pellets

troupo 1y ago
> They’re biodegradable in an industrial composter, and similar conditions are incredibly unlikely in nature. So they are, effectively, not biodegradable. Just like every plastic marketed as biodegradable. I feel like most of the "biodegradable"/"eco-friendly" products rushed to the markets in the wake of stricter regulations are worse for the environment since they either require significantly more resources (especially water) to produce, extremely complicated special setups to dispose of, or even both.
jijijijij 1y ago
> They’re biodegradable in an industrial composter, and similar conditions are incredibly unlikely in nature. Thinking of PLA, for me at least, it's fine if it takes years instead of weeks, as long as it's fundamentally vulnerable to common bio-chemical attack and the monomers aren't toxic. That's not the stuff that's causing issues, I think.
mapt 1y ago
I would accept "Can be depolymerized, and absorbed by the biosphere or water table or bonded to alkaline rock, when suspended in normal soil in a temperate climate in less than 100 years" as a victory here. Lactic acid is in milk/yogurt/etc.