The Shocking Truth About Biodegradable Plastics
Plastic makes our lives much more convenient, but it takes a very, very long time to decompose. How long does it take, and do biodegradable plastics solve this problem? Read More: How long...
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Biodegradable means being able to decompose by living organisms, and yet plastic is completely synthetic and therefore NOT POSSIBLY biodegradable?! And yet, somehow biodegradable plastics exist? Oxymoron much?! Plastic is one of the most versatile materials in the world, and it's everywhere, in every part of world society. The problem is, plastics are not natural. Drinks and containers are commonly made of polyethylene terephthalate[1] or PET[2] plastic. A bottle of soda is designed to be used once and then thrown away, but it takes hundreds of years for plastic bottles to degrade -- not BIOdegrade, just degrade[3],[4] Bacteria don't digest plastic in the environment. Instead, the plastic degrades under UV radiation or ocean punishment and the pieces g...
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Biodegradable means being able to decompose by living organisms, and yet plastic is completely synthetic and therefore NOT POSSIBLY biodegradable?! And yet, somehow biodegradable plastics exist? Oxymoron much?! Plastic is one of the most versatile materials in the world, and it's everywhere, in every part of world society. The problem is, plastics are not natural. Drinks and containers are commonly made of polyethylene terephthalate[1] or PET[2] plastic. A bottle of soda is designed to be used once and then thrown away, but it takes hundreds of years for plastic bottles to degrade -- not BIOdegrade, just degrade[3],[4] Bacteria don't digest plastic in the environment. Instead, the plastic degrades under UV radiation or ocean punishment and the pieces g...
