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Biodegradable technology is established technology with some applications in product packaging, production, and medicine. [31] The chief barrier to widespread implementation is the trade-off between biodegradability and performance. For example, lactide-based plastics are inferior packaging properties in comparison to traditional materials.
A plastic is considered biodegradable if it can degrade into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass in a given time frame (dependent on different standards). Thus, the terms are not synonymous. Not all bioplastics are biodegradable. [44] An example of a non-biodegradable bioplastic is bio-based PET. PET is a petrochemical plastic, derived from ...
Almost all plastic is non-biodegradable and without recycling, spreads across the environment [109] [110] where it causes plastic pollution. For example, as of 2015, approximately 8 million tonnes of waste plastic enters the oceans annually, damaging oceanic ecosystems and forming ocean garbage patches. [111]
Polystyrene is generally considered to be non-biodegradable. However, certain organisms are able to degrade it, albeit very slowly. [27] In 2015, researchers discovered that mealworms, the larvae form of the darkling beetle Tenebrio molitor, could digest and subsist healthily on a diet of EPS.
Some familiar household synthetic polymers include: Nylons in textiles and fabrics, Teflon in non-stick pans, Bakelite for electrical switches, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in pipes, etc. The common PET bottles are made of a synthetic polymer, polyethylene terephthalate.
For example, body panels of an original Ford automobile were made of soy-based plastic. [42] There are difficulties with using soy protein-based plastics due to their water sensitivity and relatively high cost. Therefore, producing blends of soy protein with some already-available biodegradable polyesters improves the water sensitivity and cost ...
Biodegradable waste can be used for composting or a resource for heat, electricity and fuel by means of incineration or anaerobic digestion. [7] Swiss Kompogas and the Danish AIKAN process are examples of anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste.
This page was last edited on 26 February 2015, at 12:58 (UTC).; Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License; additional terms may apply.