Compostable plastic defect detected, 60% does not degrade

A major drawback of biodegradable plastic has been discovered even at home: 60% does not actually degrade and thus ends up polluting more vegetable gardens and gardens as it is inadvertently reused.
This was stated in a study by University College London, published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainability, which involved British citizens in a great experience. The research also shows how labels applied to biodegradable and biodegradable plastics are misleading and misleading consumers, leading to incorrect disposal of waste.

Global plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time: a report published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) last February showed that plastic consumption has quadrupled in the past 30 years, and only 9% is recycling. Thus the demand for compostable plastics is increasing more and more, with uses in organic waste bags, food packaging, dishes and cutlery.

The problem, highlighted by the study led by Danielle Birkes, is that this type of plastic is currently not compatible with most waste management systems and there is no international standard for home compostable plastic. Thus, the fate of these plastics, once disposed of, is either incineration or landfill, a fact that consumers are not aware of.

“We’ve shown that home composting, being uncontrolled, is largely ineffective and not a good way to get rid of compostable packs,” says Berkes. “The idea that a substance can be sustainable is a widespread misunderstanding: in fact – adds the researcher – what is sustainable is the system through which those materials are produced and recycled.”