Many people are looking at the way we eat, drive, produce, etc., and are coming up with sustainable ways to do them. PLASTIVISION INDIA 2020. There are typically two forms that we use today: solid and injection-molded. The most important benefit of biodegradable packaging is the potential to reduce overall waste in the food industry. Benefits of oxo-degradable plastics Following are some advantages of using oxo-degradable plastics: Retain the same properties and strength as conventional plastics during its product life. prodegradant additives) creates a significant challenge. It releases fewer harmful substances when breaking down. The list of benefits of using biodegradable polymers is listed as follows: It is Easy to recycle biodegradable polymers: These polymers not only decompose faster when discarded but can also be easily recycled using an organic method. When it comes to a simple step you can take to save the Earth, changing your conventional plastic to bioplastic is the right choice. Many of the advantages of bioplastics rely on a net savings being created by a reducing of energy, water, or greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional plastics, like fossil-fuel plastics come from natural gas or petroleum. Biodegradable plastics have a clear benefit, they reduce waste and leave less of an impact on the environment than normal plastics. They must be thrown into our landfills or other waste management systems. Switching to biodegradables is a step in the right direction, but it is not the final solution that we require. However, these bacteria will turn up their nose at traditional plastic. Manufacturers and product designers choose plastic due to its ease of use, versatility, and durability. This outcome is achievable because the microorganisms in the environment are able to break down the structures which make the biodegradable plastic. Also, biodegradable plastic manufacturing uses less energy compared to regular plastic production. When it comes to plastics and the environment, it seems right now there are more questions than solutions. Having something we can use to help fight the pollution of plastic can be very helpful in the future and help define the standard for future sustainable projects. 3. We would need more factors to help contribute to the effort of dealing with waste. Although it would be ignorant to say that biodegradable plastics are 100% safe, they are usually viewed as a product that supports sustainable business practices by consumers and those in the C-Suite. In principle, biodegradable plastics could replace many applications for conventional plastics. Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic (OBP) Hydro-Biodegradable Plastic (HBP) Made by adding a small portion of fatty acid compounds of specific transition metals to traditional plastics. Plastics are a central part of modern life. Other types of traditional plastic constitute 13 percent of the waste stream that is 32 million tons of trash annually, and only 9 percent of this type of plastic can be recycled. Using a printing machine, company name, logo, etc are printed . Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 185.229.237.37 Another drawback is the fact that biodegradable plastics may need to be disposed of in a certain way to properly degrade. Finally, we'll explore the potential risks and drawbacks of cactus-based biodegradable plastic. On average, biodegradable plastic material can take 3 months to six months or a year to decompose. Many biodegradable plastics are designed to degrade in industrial composting systems. Because corn products represent 40% of the U.S.-based bioplastics industry, so it is notable that one acre requires 3,000 gallons of water for each bushel of yield. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Additionally, they contaminate other plastic recycling processes and end up producing microplastics. Instead of discarding tons of plastic to languish in landfills for decades, biodegradable food packaging naturally and completely degrades. Products like food, electronics, cups, pans, drinks, and other materials have all used plastics to help with marketing, packaging, and transporting. 3. . Why Is There A Growing Need For Ethical Buying Of Eco-products? Biodegradable plastics can be easily recycled to avoid the increasing number of plastic waste and emissions of greenhouse gases from the production by the industry. Created to address the plastic waste problem, these plastic types will turn to compost after a certain period of time. The requirement to properly dispose of biodegradable plastic products automatically reduces the amount of waste. Biodegradable plastics offer reduces carbon dioxide levels. ). That would mean we would need to come up with a system where it can be disposed of properly instead of winding up in other areas where it does not belong. Specialized bacteria may hold the key to reducing already-existing plastic deposits, however. We need to do something about our planet, and we need to do something soon or we may be facing a future where the planet may be inhabitable. Biodegradable plastics offer reduces carbon dioxide levels. Having biodegradable plastics as an alternative will help with the inability to recycle normal plastics. Not just that, since the materials used to create . 2. Bioplastics are considered to be more eco-friendly than traditional plastics. Below are four reasons why biodegradable plastics benefit the environment and help save natural resources. Several different types of bacteria have evolved the ability to consume hydrocarbons, giving them the capacity to "eat" plastic and hasten its decomposition. Bioplastics degrade under well regulated conditions of temperature and humidity in industrial settings. Plastics are but one small facet of the problem. The recycled materials are compatible with standard plastic manufacturing equipment, thus making a way for rapid market adoption. For now, our biodegradable facial sheet masks are: Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol and our NEW Cica + Niacinamide. Essentially, the cost of producing these types of plastic is higher than one of the traditional ones. The major benefits of biodegradable plastic are that it is environmentally friendly and does not contribute to pollution like traditional petroleum-based plastics. Bioplastic is made of organic materials such as soybean and corn plus polylactic acid (PLA). Lets check this out! Hence, plastic, defined as biodegradable, is made of molecule that can break down naturally by the action of micro-organisms. 2. As a consequence, the land that could have been used for agriculture, residence or industrial applications is converted into landfills by non-biodegradable plastic. Clearly, we must consider better options for reducing the negative impact that the un-recycled plastic containers have on the environment. Conversely, biodegradable plastics decompose naturally and blend with the soil. There are many benefits of using biodegradable plastics. In fact, the creation of bioplastics results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional plastic. Weight-saving advantages of plastics over metal have greatly improved fuel efficiency of automobiles, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil and reduction of carbon dioxide. We do not need to make completely new products using biodegradable plastics to create an environmental benefit with this technology. Furthermore, even if a total breakdown does not take place, it is simple to reduce the amount of area needed to get rid of the worlds plastic waste. The food containers, pens, and water bottles in your office and household are all plastic. Because biodegradable plastics do not always require CO2 as part of the manufacturing process, then this greenhouse gas release may never occur during the decomposition process. The design of the circular economy mimics the living environment itself and is restorative and regenerative. It means that a bioplastic can contain 0 percent bio-based materials. This waste would otherwise be sent to landfills in order to discard them. The typical farmer produces 168 bushels per acre. As the demand for biodegradable plastics increases, they will contribute to save our planet. Although the plastics in the items we use might be biodegradable when we use these technologies, some items (especially plastic bags) might release metals during the decomposition process. Required fields are marked *. This is a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The machines that are necessary to produce these plastics and to maintain them is another major cost to take into consideration. This amount is 68% less than that of traditional plastics. All these contribute positively to curbing global warming. Your email address will not be published. Moreover, biodegradable plastic decomposes naturally in the environment when microorganisms metabolize and break down the structure. If your company needs assistance in making products that are more environmentally friendly and/or using plastics that are biobased, we can help. Bioplastics are generally compostable, which means they will decay into natural materials that will eventually blend harmlessly into the soil. Using a material flow analysis, the challenges of the plastic market are highlighted, and with it the . A bioplastic may be 100 percent fossil-based. There are many variables that control the consumption rate of the stabilizer which keeps the PET from breaking down prematurely including temperature, humidity and UV exposure. That figure represents about 32 million tons of waste each year, with only 9% of that amount directed into recycling programs. Biodegradable plastics can reduce greenhouse gas emission levels. 11) Avocado. are engineered to degrade and biodegrade after use Biodegradable plastics totally degrade returning the carbon to the natural bio-cycle as a food source for microorganisms 5 Biodegradable Plastics Dispelling the Myths Organics are garbage to be wasted Are a resource that nurtures and restores the soil All biodegradable plastics are compostable 3. 6. However, biodegradable plastics are still only a tiny portion of the global plastics market and require further efforts in research and commercialization. While traditional plastic releases four tons of emissions, biodegradable plastics emit only 0.8 tons of carbon - a 500% reduction! Biodegradable plastic bags need a few months to a few years to completely decompose, depending on the environment that is populated by microbes to speed up the process. Crops and soybeans can be used to produce the materials needed to make these plastics and can be a huge help in changing the way we use plastics today. However, the biodegradable film was able to limit the daily temperature fluctuation, which was 1.7 C in both soils compared with 2.3 C recorded for LDPE. However, some bioplastics are not fully using natural ingredients. Required fields are marked *. Biodegradable plastics may reduce the amount of recycling that we can do. 30 This value represents approximately 0.0005 % of all plastics produced every year. The Many Benefits of Hemp Plastic. Traditional plastic products come from the heating and treatment of oil molecules. To unpack this, that means that a bioplastic can be inherently non-biodegradable. In the past, this substance was used in plastic tableware, water bottles, and sports equipment. In fact, they still mix between the renewable and non-renewable resources. It is possible to boost the biodegradability of plastics by adding specific microbial strains, a process known as bioaugmentation. Some bioplastics will inevitably end up in landfills where, deprived of oxygen, they may release methane. During decomposition, the contamination can get to the soil or water and have harmful effects on animals and humans. Bioplastics are not as toxic as other plastics. If we were to recycle our plastics each year, then our net carbon savings alone would be up to 30%, which some researchers suggesting the savings could be as high as 80%. The creation of bioplastics was prompted by the 1970s rising oil prices and reliance on oil. Plastics that are already compostable, such poly lactic acid, have had their rate of decomposition accelerated through the use of bioaugmentation. A number of conditions have to be met for biodegradable and compostable plastics to have positive environmental impacts. Temperature and humidity play significant roles in the process. No doubt, there are many advantages and disadvantages of biodegradable plastics. In the end, the benefits of using biodegradable plastic that are explained before is definitely promising in the long term, saving our planet and future generations! Oxo-biodegradable plastic is reusable and recyclable. These materials take centuries to decompose, becoming a threat to the environment, humans, and animals. Biodegradation is the process of breaking down of particles into water, carbon dioxide and biomass through the micro-organisms like fungi and bacteria. The products produced are non-toxic as they dont contain chemicals or toxins if compared to traditional plastic. MaterBi also elicited increases in total soluble solids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant . The goal should be to reduce overall plastic consumption. Paper Type: Essay Pages: 7 Wordcount: 1820 Words Date: 2022-09-28 In spite of the U.S. producing more plastic debris than ever before, recycling rates are declining. Hence, they are not a solution to the ocean pollution problems. Recently a company in Mexico worked out how to turn the biodegradable material into plastic. With the environment as it is now, we need to come up with ways that help the environment and ways that can leave a path for our future generations. Even though these drawbacks may seem like a huge hurdle, it would be very beneficial to iron out these problems and move on to switch to using biodegradable plastics more regularly. The polyethylene created through the manufacturing cycle using natural items may contain high levels of manganese, which can stop breaking down when you begin the composting process for these items. Being made from plants and crops like corn or soybean, there can be the risk of contamination from pesticides and other harmful products that are used on these crops. These are applications wherein reuse and recycling of plastics is often limited because the plastics are contaminated with food residues or soil, or wherein plastics cannot be recovered. Energy Information Administration: How Much Oil Is Used to Make Plastic? Waste is a major problem that we encounter every day. 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Most companies these days are jumping on the go green bandwagon and looking for ways to promote their plastic businesses by using certain words and phrases in their corporate mission statements and sales literature. If we were to look at increasing the production of biodegradable plastics, we would need to make way for more areas where we can produce more of the crops used to make these plastics. In essence, the bioplastic production process emits only 8% of carbon dioxide. Roughly 3% of petroleum consumption in the United States is due to the number of plastics that we consume each year. We are producing more waste plastic today than ever. Unless we can eliminate chemicals from the entire manufacturing chain, there will always be a risk of pollution to consider with biodegradables. It can be any combination of being partially bio-based, fully bio-based, non-bio-based, biodegradable, compostable or non-biodegradable, so long as . That means many of the advantages that are possible with this product disappear in equatorial and far-northern climates. The wide use of plastic has come with the consequence of the poor disposal of it. The microorganisms in soil will break down the plastic pieces into compost, humus, and other useful compounds. https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainability/how-sustainable-are-biodegradable-and-plant-based-plastics, https://letsdoitfoundation.org/2020/09/04/what-are-biodegradable-plastics-the-need-for-a-clarified-terminology/, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191030-why-biodegradables-wont-solve-the-plastic-crisis, https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-disadvantages-uses-biodegradable-plastics.php, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/biodegradable-plastic-guide#what-are-the-benefits-of-biodegradable-plastic Images, http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20201209000882, https://bioplasticsnews.com/2015/09/03/biodegradable-plastics-will-grow-10-8-per-year/, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/this-plastic-bag-is-100-biodegradable-and-made-of-plants/, https://news.stanford.edu/2016/07/28/catalyst-making-biodegradable-plastics/, https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/waste/can-bioplastics-save-us-from-drowning-in-our-own-waste--66999, A Division of Cloud PublicationsEmail:Info@packcon.orgTel: (+91)- 1202648076, TAPPI Student ChapterGadomski School of Engineering, Christian Brothers University (Memphis, TN, USA), Michael Turner, Christian Brothers University, USA, The Importance of Packaging in the Clinical Trial World, Turning Packaging into a Sustainable Business Opportunity, Development of Red Meat Packaging and How it Influences Consumer Purchasing, Steps to Designing a Sterile Medical Device Package, Coca-Colas PlantBottle Revolutionizing Packaging, Plastic Packagings Major Flaw; Advancements and Alternatives to Overcoming Plastic Packaging, The Technical and Sustainable Processes of Aerosol, Biodegradable Plastics: The Sustainable Solution. 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