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plastic in the environment

Plastic can be a problem.

While the invention of plastic has done a massive amount for humanity, revolutionizing everything from sanitation to health care, no technological advance comes without its price. Improperly discarded plastic is one of the most urgent problems facing the environment today. According to the U. Much of the rest ends up as litter and pollution, clogging waterways, threatening wildlife, and releasing potentially toxic chemicals into the earth. Being so aware of this conflict is what drives our commitment to finding greener ways of dealing with trash, especially when it comes to the production and disposal of plastic bags.

When biodegradable plastics first arrived on the scene, they were hailed as the scientific breakthrough that would cure all the problems that plastic can create. The idea of a plastic that would behave and break down just like a natural material seemed too good to be true.

Was it? We took a look at the facts and found out. First it will help to define the sometimes confusing terms which are often used interchangeably when discussing biodegradable plastics.

The effects of plastic bags on the Environment

Without getting too deep into the science, the long polymer chains in regular plastic are so resilient and resistant to breakdown that they can last for hundreds of years. Biodegradable plastic, which is also made from petrochemicals, is manufactured differently so that it can begin to break down quickly in the presence of air and sunshine.

You might see this plastic labeled as photodegradable or oxydegradable. Bioplastic is made from organic, renewable sources, such as vegetable oils, corn, and grains. Dubious claims abounded as companies rushed to get on the green bandwagon and made all kind of promises to consumers that were not actually true. Eventually, the Federal Trade Commission stepped in with a strict set of guidelines defining exactly what could and could not be labeled as biodegradable. The problem with the FTC guidelines is that some extremely important factors are completely left out. It could mean any amount of time from a week to several years. The fact is that most plastic ends up in landfills. By design, the conditions in a landfill are extremely hostile to the biodegrading process. Nothing is actually Plastic Bags And Its Effects On The to decompose there: air, moisture, and sunlight, the three factors most necessary to decomposition, are purposely kept out of landfills in order to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

As it Plastic Bags And Its Effects On The, it releases two greenhouse gasses: methane and carbon dioxide, which both contribute hugely to global warming. Many traditional petrochemical-based biodegradable plastics also leave behind toxic metals and traces which can contribute to soil and water pollution.

If bioplastic is mixed in with these, it will contaminate the whole batch. Finally, even relatively friendly bioplastics have their drawbacks: arguably, the land and resources and carbon output used to grow corn and other materials for bioplastic might be better used growing actual food.

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Oh The genetically modified crops used for the production of bioplastic and the necessary chemical fertilizer and pesticides have their own consequences for the environment. On a very practical level, these bags are often not as strong as the petrochemical-based bags, which means that they may require double-bagging. Now we get to the good news. In spite of all the drawbacks, there are several ways that bioplastics can make a positive impact on the planet. First, and this is huge, anything that cuts down on the amount of petrochemicals we consume is important.

Truly compostable bags can also make a source difference.]