Why don't we use biodegradable plastic?

Introduction

There's a great deal of misunderstanding about biodegradable plastics. In this article, we'll explore some of the reasons why we don't use them, as well as some promising alternatives that could help us get rid of single-use plastics and stop contributing to the ocean plastic crisis.

There's a great deal of misunderstanding about biodegradable plastics.

Biodegradable plastics are not compostable.

Biodegradable plastics are not degradable in landfills, and they don't break down into harmless byproducts like most other plastic products do. They just sit there for hundreds of years, slowly releasing toxic chemicals into the environment as they degrade.

They can't be used at sea because they will break apart into small pieces that look like food to fish and other marine life--and then those animals will die from ingesting them (if you've ever seen a fisherman pull an abandoned fishing net out of the ocean, you know what this looks like).

Biodegradable plastics are not compostable.

The problem with biodegradable plastics is that they're not compostable. Compostable plastics are designed to break down in a controlled environment, like an industrial composting facility or home bin. Biodegradable plastic, on the other hand, requires sunlight and oxygen--and lots of it--to degrade properly.

As a result:

• Biodegradable plastic can't be used at sea because it would take too long for them to disintegrate in water (this includes ocean dumping).
• Compostable materials aren't actually degradable in landfills; instead they break down into smaller pieces that aren't easily filtered out by waste management systems or removed from landfills by maintenance crews

Compostable plastic is not degradable in landfills.

Compostable plastics are not degradable in landfills. Biodegradable plastics are not compostable, and vice versa.

Compostable plastic is made from renewable resources like cornstarch or potato starch, which means it can be broken down by microorganisms in a controlled environment like an industrial compost facility or municipal landfill where there's plenty of oxygen and moisture present. However, these conditions don't exist in most landfills--the oxygen levels are low and there's no moisture for microbes to work with as they break down the material into water vapor and carbon dioxide gas (which we then breathe out). As such, most compostable materials end up sitting there forever until someone digs them up again at some point far into the future--and even then only after undergoing significant degradation before being excavated from their resting place underground!

Biodegradable plastics can't be used at sea.

Biodegradable plastic is not degradable in landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that biodegradable plastics cannot be used at sea, as they may be mistaken for food by marine animals or birds. Because the degradation process takes place over time and not instantly, it can take months for these materials to break down into smaller pieces; during this time these plastics will continue to pollute our environment and harm wildlife if they're not properly disposed of at a recycling facility that accepts them.

Because of these facts, we don't want you thinking biodegradable plastic is any better than regular plastic when it comes to your health or planet's health!

There are many reasons why we don't use biodegradable plastics, but there are some promising alternatives that we should explore.

There are many reasons why we don't use biodegradable plastics. First, they're not compostable--and most products that are labeled "biodegradable" aren't actually compostable. Biodegradable plastic won't break down in landfills or marine environments, so it will just sit there for thousands of years.

Compostable plastics have been around for about 25 years now and have proven to be very useful for specific applications like food packaging or disposable utensils at restaurants and cafeterias. Composting facilities can take these items and turn them into soil amendments that improve soil quality over time as they break down into smaller pieces over time (often within six months). However, these items cannot be recycled through traditional recycling programs because they usually aren't made from renewable resources like paper products would be; instead they're made from petroleum-based plastics like polylactic acid (PLA) which cannot be melted down again after being used once--so if you throw away your compostable yogurt cup after eating your breakfast at home one morning then chances are it won't ever get recycled!

Conclusion

We've covered a lot of ground in this article. We talked about the difference between compostable plastic and biodegradable plastics, as well as why we don't use those materials today. We also looked at some alternatives that may be more promising in terms of their environmental impact. In the end, it comes down to what works best for your situation--and hopefully this article has given you some ideas on how to make that decision!