the truth about biodegradable plastic tested by chemists of Michigan state university avoid plastic use paper bags and recyclable plastic

1. By – KETAN PAJNI

3. PLASTIC
Plastic is material consisting of any of a wide range
of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds
that are malleable and so can be molded into solid
objects.

4. What is BIODEGRADATION?

5. BUT micro organisms can’t eat plastic,
so those grocery bags and shampoo bottles
that thrown away
just hangout until they are broken down by
heat or sun’s UV radiations.
That can take centuries !!!

6. BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC
Its your usual , run of the mill
plastic that is treated with
chemical additives that allow it
to biodegrade faster.

7. Chemists from Michigan State University
tested these biodegradable plastics and
found that they don’t work.
The scientist studied the kind of
plastic that you and i use all the time
like POLYETHYLENE used in grocery
bags and POLYETHYLENE
TEREPHTHALATE in soda bottles.

8. The chemists prepared this plastic with five different
additives like compounds of Iron , Cobalt , and nickel that
have been said to speed up the degradation process by
breaking the bonds in plastic carbon-rich chains called
POLYMERS.
Polyethylene
Polyethylene terephthalate

9. Test for bio degradable plastic
Researchers took both biodegradable and non
biodegradable plastic
Tested for different
conditions that
garbage is usually
exposed to.

10. One was the oxygen-rich environment
The compost pile

11. Another was the oxygen-poor environment
The landfill

12. And the third was
Just in a regular soil

13. Then they measured the daily output of methane
and carbon dioxide gas which micro-organisms
release when they digest matter.
After six months in compost
One and a half year in landfill
Three years in a soil

14. The amount of gas released from both
kind of plastic was the same
And under the microscope both plastic
showed almost no signs of physical
degradation.

15. Interestingly enough this research was paid for by
companies that use so called biodegradable
plastic in their packaging , because they wanted
to see if they were getting what they paying for.
And now, it seems they know .

16. Effects of plastic pollution
2.Groundwater Pollution
1. Land Pollution

17. 3. Air Pollution
4.It Upsets the Food Chain

18. 5.It kills animals

19. Solutions to Plastic Pollution
Use of paper bags
Recycle the plastic

20. Refuse single-serving
packaging, excess
packaging, straws and
other 'disposable'
plastics.
Carry reusable utensils in your
purse, backpack or car for usage.

21. Use of Polylactic acid (PLA)
It is a biodegradable and bioactive
thermoplastic aliphatic polyester .
Derived from renewable resources, such
as corn starch ,cassava roots, chips or
starch or sugarcane.