When exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun, enzymes, bacteria, water, or wind abrasion, biodegradable plastics will break down or degrade. As people become more aware of global warming and environmental challenges, they are increasingly inclined to utilize biodegradable plastics. In this post, we will give you some great advantages of biodegradable plastics.
Advantages of Biodegradable Plastics
Less energy consumption and less petroleum
Biodegradable plastics require less energy to manufacture than regular plastics, which require significantly more energy. Biodegradable plastic, when compared to plastic made from raw petroleum, uses 65 percent less energy to produce the same quantity and quality.
We become less reliant on petroleum when we obtain it from products such as switchgrass or corn, and our use of petroleum can be limited to other reasons such as transportation and heating.
Apart from that, unlike conventional plastic, the manufacturing process for biodegradable plastic does not necessitate the use of a more time-consuming technology involving the combustion of fossil fuels.
Reduction of the amount of waste produced
Depending on the substance used to manufacture the bioplastic and the manner of disposal, biodegradable plastic breaks down in a matter of months. Other types of traditional plastic account for 13% of the waste stream, or 32 million tons of trash per year, with only 9% of this type of plastic being recyclable. Biodegradable plastics are a preferable option because they break down quickly and can be absorbed by the soil or composted.
Reduction of carbon dioxide levels
With biodegradable plastics, the world may look forward to a future when plastics degrade and release just the energy that was required to create them.
Carbon dioxide emissions are also reduced because fossil fuels are not used in the manufacturing process of such environmentally friendly, biodegradable plastic items.
Their disintegration produces only as much CO2 as was used up in their manufacture.
Less breakdown time
This is one of the great advantages of biodegradable plastics in our life that you need to know. The main issue with standard plastic is that it takes hundreds of years to degrade after being discarded, whereas biodegradable plastics use alternative ingredients or specialized enzymes or chemicals to degrade the content in three to six months after being exposed to the weather.
No release of toxins or chemicals
In comparison to other forms of ordinary plastics, biodegradable plastics are non-toxic because they contain no carbon, chemicals, or poisons. Carbon, methane, chemical compounds, and other contaminants are held in regular plastics. They release carbon, toxic chemicals, and other toxins into the atmosphere when they are disposed of and begin to degrade, or when they are melted, burned, or recycled.
They may also contain potentially hazardous compounds that may have an impact on our health. Biodegradable polymers, on the other hand, emit no carbon, chemicals, or other pollutants.
Easy to recycle
These polymers not only degrade faster when disposed of but can also be easily recycled using an organic process. They’re also non-toxic because they don’t contain any chemicals or poisons. Recycling helps to reduce landfill waste, and the recycled bio-waste can also be used as compost or as a sustainable energy source for biogas production.
New combination
Once natural materials have been converted to polymers, they can be combined with those made using oil molecules in the process of generating biodegradable plastics. As a result, the percentage of energy derived from fossil fuels can be reduced, and the blended product is often stronger than the original.
Reduction of emission of greenhouse gas levels
When biodegradable plastics are used instead of standard plastics, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
According to a little statistical survey, we use roughly 100 million tons of plastic each year. Furthermore, the creation of such massive quantities of plastic products emits around 500 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
If you’re wondering how much carbon dioxide it is, it’s equivalent to the annual emissions of 19 million vehicles.
Switching to bioplastics can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, avoiding negative consequences such as desertification and excessive flooding.
Biodegradable plastics are thought to be more environmentally friendly than regular plastics because of their obvious environmental benefits. This sort of plastic is clearly a better solution for reducing environmental pollution, but it still has drawbacks.
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