Do you know plastic makes up to 13 percent of the waste stream? Yes, it represents about 32 million tons of waste, out of which only 9 percent goes into recycling programs.
What about the rest? It enters into the landfills. Then it pollutes the earth for more than hundreds of years. The biggest problem with plastic is that it takes extremely long period for it to break down. And all this contribute to massive problems with landfill waste; it becomes dreadful for the wildlife.
Thankfully, biodegradable plastics are there. They are the best alternate, which are specialized enzymatic, break down the material in a faster mode. It may break down over the course of several months. This technology has something more to offer, have a look;
It takes less amount of time to break down
As stated earlier, biodegradable packaging and bags acquire less time to break down. This simply means that it easily gets absorbed in the earth.
It needs less energy to produce
Do you know this type of plastics require less than half the energy than their non-biodegradable counterparts generally take? Thus, it is now possible to produce twice the amount of biodegradable packaging and bags in the same amount of energy.
It is easy to recycle
While these are manufactured from materials which are fully biodegradable, it simply means that these break down at a much faster rate. Hence, recycling takes less energy. For this reason, biodegradable plastics can be reused more resourcefully.
It is not toxic
When it is about the traditional plastics, the biggest disadvantage is that they are full of harmful by-products and chemicals. And these pose a danger when released during their breakdown process. But, biodegradable plastics are completely safe. No chemicals or toxins are released. It harmlessly breaks down and is absorbed into the earth without any harm.
It is renewable
Being made of biomass, biodegradable plastic is a completely renewable resource. Also it is an organic compound, making it easier to break down. As far as biomass is concerned, it includes grass, trees, plants, and several other organic materials which decompose.
It is beneficial for the environment
Without any doubt, biodegradable plastics are better for the environment. While they do less harm to the earth, on the other hand when recovering fossil fuels this process releases very few greenhouse gas and harmful carbon emissions. Moreover, biodegradable plastics don’t need oil for their manufacturing, like the other plastic. Hence, it causes less pollution to the environment.
So, these were some of the reasons which make biodegradable plastics significant in the world of packaging today. They are of great importance for the future of the planet.
