The Problem With (Bio)plastic

The so-called solution to our eco-woes is quickly proving nearly as troublesome as the issue itself

By Matt Ransford Posted 05.07.2008 at 11:48 am 14 Comments

I Am Not a Plastic Bag Anya Hindmarch

Bioplastics, like biofuels, are on the rise as consumers demand alternatives to fossil fuel-based plastics and big business take their wants seriously. Everything from shopping bags to clamshell containers are being reengineered out of bio-based packaging in the hope of finding a truly disposable container; one that, instead of ending up floating in the ocean, will quickly decompose underground. That ideal, as you might expect, is not quite so simple. And already, our two leading alternative bag types are falling short of the hype.

Packaging made from polyactic acid (something we reported on a few weeks ago) needs anaerobic conditions in order to break down. (This is part of the reason researchers are looking for hybrids of polyactic acid that can break down in all conditions.) Current commercial anaerobic digesters—used mostly for treating wastewater— don't take this kind of packaging and are very difficult and expensive to maintain. If the bags end up in current plastics recycling operations, they can contaminate the works and make the entire batch they're in unrecyclable.

The other alternative, oxy-degradable bags and materials, need composters in order to break down correctly. While digesters are as complicated as power plants, a composter can be nothing more than a tremendous pile of hot dirt and waste. Unfortunately, a landfill is not a composter, and that's where the majority of these bags will end up. Landfills are in fact terrible places for degradation; they're oxygen-starved and tightly packed, both factors that work against natural chemical breakdown.

If nothing else, these difficulties should tell us we need to think more seriously about not throwing out that shopping bag or even taking it in the first place. No matter how well-engineered it may be to break down in the environment, we are quickly learning the cost of putting it there in the first place.

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14 Comments

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vscythian

from Neenah, Wisconsin

05/07/08 at 11:33 am

If those bags need anaerobic conditions to break down, wouldn't an oxygen starved landfill be a good place for them?

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MissJones

05/07/08 at 10:33 pm

what the hell is a commercial anaerobic digester?

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MissJones

05/07/08 at 10:36 pm

what the hell is a commercial anaerobic digester?

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luke123abc

05/08/08 at 4:26 am

no offence but whats so wrong with bringing our own canvas bags...?

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HeatherL

05/08/08 at 6:13 pm

Yet another "alternative" that turned out not so good.

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guruuswa

05/09/08 at 6:28 am

just give people paper bags instead. you know, real recycled paper...we dont want to MAKE more bags...we want to get rid of bags altogether..

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green guy

05/12/08 at 10:29 pm

ya if we make more bags, that kind of defets the whole porpose doesnt it?

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Peterman

05/14/08 at 2:12 pm

Well, with the oxy-degradable bags, we are supposed to compost them. That's how we're supposed to get rid of landfills. WTF else?

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mac11

07/28/08 at 9:16 pm

منتديات -
صور -
برامج كمبيوتر -
العاب كمبيوتر -
مسجات
رسائل

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mac11

07/28/08 at 9:18 pm

thamnks
مكياج
e pro
صور سيارات
رجيم
المطبخ
-طيور الجنة

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mac11

07/28/08 at 9:19 pm

thank uui

مدونة
مسجات جوال
تسريحات -
فساتين سهرة -
ديكور -
صور ماسنجر -

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sahayeb

10/04/08 at 6:07 am

منتديات ,

منتدى ,

ارجوان ,

العاب جوال نوكيا ,

مسجات ,
مسجات حب ,مسجات
وسائط ,

توبيكات ,
توبيكات مسن ,

دردشه ,

شات ,

شات ارجوان,

دردشة ارجوان,

مص القضيب ,

البنظر ,مسلسل
التركي دموع الورد ,

مسلسل التركي لا مكان لا وطن
اناشيد
طيور الجنه ,
طيور الجنه ,

اناشيد اطفال

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pelmhirst

11/08/08 at 2:18 pm

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to bio-plastics. Part of the reason is because they're relatively new and partly because there aren't many universal standards put on them so some companies take advantage of the fact and put out poor quality films.

The article states that polyactic acid plastics require anaerobic conditions in order to degrade. This is not true. pure PLA plastics pass ASTM 6400 standards which requires them to biodegrade in both anaerobic and standard compost conditions. A study done on PLA (polyactic acid) plastics can be seen at www.agproducts.unl.edu/compost.htm where results are given for PLA in standard open air compost conditions.

more information for differnt types of biodegradable and degradable plastic materials can be found at www.elmhirstpackaging.ca

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linake5

02/01/09 at 6:27 pm

The person who wrote this article needs to spell check. PLA = Polylactic Acid not Polyactic Acid.... get it poly lactic acid