Oxodegradable Plastic: A Working Solution toward a Better Environment

These days the general population is aware of the various avenues of being environmentally conscious, but the problem tends to lie in the hassle and work that’s required to implement these practices.  Many companies are now working to create Green products to assist consumers in reducing their environmental waste without the hassle.  Case in point, oxodegradable plastic trash bags.

Because thousands of tons of plastic waste are entering the world’s environment every day, and could remain there for thousands of years, oxodegradable plastic is one of the working solutions toward a better environment.  Plastic is made oxodegradable by the insertion of an additive during the manufacturing process.  These additives have been formulated so that after the plastic has been used and discarded, its degradation takes place when it’s exposed to oxygen and it breaks down into fragments.  The fragments will then be consumed by microbes as a food source leaving behind water, CO₂ and biomass.

How long it takes for oxodegradable plastics to degrade depends on the type of environment in which the bag ends up in.  Again, the speed at which the bag begins breaking down into smaller pieces will depend on the availability of UV light, oxygen, heat and physical stress.  However, generally speaking, oxodegradable plastics will begin degrading after 18-24 months if exposed to enough environmental elements.

You may be asking yourself, “Isn’t it better to recycle than to let it biodegrade?” The answer is yes. One of the benefits of oxodegradable plastics is that it can be recycled as part of a normal plastic waste stream. However, we know sometimes plastics end up in the environment or the water and harm animals that mistake plastics for food.  The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a perfect example of this.  Oxodegradable plastics prevent that from happening because they degrade over time.  It’s important to mention that oxodegradable plastics will not degrade in static landfills that isolate garbage from groundwater and air.  But even organic trash, such as leaves and vegetables, won’t decompose under these conditions because there’s too little oxygen and moisture.

As a society we need to start making better choices for ourselves, as well as for the environment.  If we intend for there to be something left for our children’s children, or their children’s children, then we need to start making some changes.  Oxodegradable plastics may only be a small part of that change, but at least it’s a change in the right direction!