| Biodegradable bags are a novelty that can | | | | bio-plastics are used in production. |
| eliminate the issues arising from countless tons of | | | | Biodegradable bags have the following |
| non-degradable plastic garbage produced by | | | | characteristics: |
| humankind. Almost anything that we bring home | | | | Their decomposition takes 1.5-2 years. |
| from the stores is packed in non-degradable | | | | Their degradation products are not toxic. |
| plastics. Almost daily we dispose of trash in plastic | | | | They can be placed in compost. |
| bags. Every inhabitant on planet earth "produces" | | | | They can be processed again. |
| 1 ton of garbage per year. One family uses about | | | | Their strength corresponds to that of standard |
| 1,500 plastic bags, on average, per year. The | | | | plastics, and in some cases exceeds it. |
| problem of polymer waste is especially acute in | | | | Another great feature to note: you can even find |
| large cities. The waste is collected and disposed of | | | | biopolymer bags for food; simply look for those |
| in landfills, where it lays for hundreds of years. | | | | with a certificate for contact with food. |
| The decomposing of regular polymers takes up to | | | | Another option to create environmentally-safe |
| 200 years. | | | | materials is by using biodegradable additives (i.e., |
| The problem of disposing of plastic can be solved | | | | d2w) for regular plastic, rather than using |
| by the following: regular poly materials need to be | | | | bio-plastic in its entirety. Scientists compared the |
| replaced with biodegradable bags. The use of | | | | decomposing ability of d2w-enriched film with a |
| biopolymers in all types of plastic packaging will | | | | control sample of non-degradable film, using |
| ensure their utilization in a period of several weeks | | | | accelerated aging. The test results showed that |
| to several years, instead of hundreds of years. | | | | d2w-enriched film degraded much faster and to a |
| The good point is that many modern companies | | | | much greater extent than the control sample |
| have mastered the production of | | | | without the additive. The d2w-enriched film |
| environmentally-safe plastics. | | | | showed a greater change of the carbonyl |
| Polymers decompose to form volatile and solid | | | | absorbance than the control samples, which |
| products that don't damage the environment. The | | | | indicates that d2w film decomposed to a greater |
| mechanism of their decomposition is as follows: | | | | extent and faster. |
| first there's oxidation caused by exposure to light, | | | | Trillions of plastic bags are discarded in landfills, |
| heat and mechanical loads; then there's | | | | contributing to the pollution of our planet. To |
| biodegradation caused by microorganisms. | | | | mend this, environmental polymers were |
| Biodegradable plastics are usually tested to ensure | | | | developed that decompose into safe components |
| that they will degrade in the environment by | | | | within years. Many companies have started the |
| oxidation and biodegradation. Different companies | | | | commercial production of these |
| conduct tests of various environmental materials. | | | | environment-friendly bags. These new products |
| One of the test methods is accelerated aging - | | | | contribute to the cause of saving our planet from |
| the materials are subjected to high humidity, | | | | the looming threat of a "garbage catastrophe". |
| temperature and UV radiation, for the duration of | | | | Using biodegradable bags, you will also contribute |
| hundreds of hours. If the results of the | | | | to saving our planet from waste. |
| experiment show high performance, such | | | | |