Why compostable plastics may be no better for the environment-cosmos magazine

New biodegradable or compostable plastic products seem to offer an alternative to plastics but they may be no better for the environment.
In many cases, biodegradable plastic bags are made from crude oil, requiring carbon-based production processes and emitting carbon dioxide or methane when degrading.
A degradable or compostable plastic item may indeed deteriorate slightly faster than a conventional product, but only if the conditions are right.
The current industry standards are underestimating the breakdown times. The standards are also not accounting for the damage to marine life that ingest breakdown particles before a product is completely degraded.
Consumer action and demand is a good start, with more and more of us changing our behaviour, leading by example, and asking industry to do likewise. This can take the form of a ban of single-use plastics.

Published by articlessybms17