Biodegradable Plastic
Fantastic Plastic an Optimistic Prospect
Introduction
A. Background of the study A plastic is a type of synthetic or man-made polymer; similar in many ways to natural resins found in trees and other plants. Webster's Dictionary defines polymers as: any of various complex organic compounds produced by polymerization, capable of being molded, extruded, cast into various shapes and films, or drawn into filaments and then used as textile fibers. Plastics are durable that is why most of the stuffs we see nowadays are made from plastics like cellphone, plastic bags etc.., but they degrade very slowly; the chemical bonds that make plastic so durable make it equally resistant to natural processes of degradation.
B. Statement of the problem Plastics made from synthetic polymers leaves long and enduring problems than its usage. Since the 1950s, one billion tons of plastic have been discarded and may persist for hundreds or even thousands of years. Serious environmental threats from plastic include the increasing presence of microplastics in the marine food chain along with the many other highly toxic chemical pollutants that plastic attracts and concentrates, and larger fragmented pieces of plastic called nurdles.
In the 1960s the latter were observed in the guts of seabirds, and since then have been found in increasing concentration. In 2009, it was estimated that 10% of modern waste was plastics, although estimates vary according to region. Meanwhile, 50-80% of debris in marine areas is plastic. They also contribute great effect on global warming especially if they are incinerated because it increases carbon emissions. So how can we continuously use plastic without compromising our environment? On the other hand, vegetables like potato, tapioca and corn also contain polymers from starch which can be used as alternative materials for plastic. Vegetables take only days or weeks to degrade so imagine with a plastic made from vegetables instead
Introduction
A. Background of the study A plastic is a type of synthetic or man-made polymer; similar in many ways to natural resins found in trees and other plants. Webster's Dictionary defines polymers as: any of various complex organic compounds produced by polymerization, capable of being molded, extruded, cast into various shapes and films, or drawn into filaments and then used as textile fibers. Plastics are durable that is why most of the stuffs we see nowadays are made from plastics like cellphone, plastic bags etc.., but they degrade very slowly; the chemical bonds that make plastic so durable make it equally resistant to natural processes of degradation.
B. Statement of the problem Plastics made from synthetic polymers leaves long and enduring problems than its usage. Since the 1950s, one billion tons of plastic have been discarded and may persist for hundreds or even thousands of years. Serious environmental threats from plastic include the increasing presence of microplastics in the marine food chain along with the many other highly toxic chemical pollutants that plastic attracts and concentrates, and larger fragmented pieces of plastic called nurdles.
In the 1960s the latter were observed in the guts of seabirds, and since then have been found in increasing concentration. In 2009, it was estimated that 10% of modern waste was plastics, although estimates vary according to region. Meanwhile, 50-80% of debris in marine areas is plastic. They also contribute great effect on global warming especially if they are incinerated because it increases carbon emissions. So how can we continuously use plastic without compromising our environment? On the other hand, vegetables like potato, tapioca and corn also contain polymers from starch which can be used as alternative materials for plastic. Vegetables take only days or weeks to degrade so imagine with a plastic made from vegetables instead