BIODEGRADATION OF WASTED BIOPLASTICS

Abstract

Bioplastic is plastic made from renewable biological material, usually plants, bio-waste or microorganisms, rather than petroleum or natural gas. Most bioplastics are environmentally friendly compared to plastics that are made from fossil fuels. But this is not always the case - a lot depends on how bioplastic is produced and disposed of. The bioplastics industry is young—accounting for only 1% of global plastics production in 2019. Standardization of raw material sources, types of plastic, or labeling of what is biodegradable or compostable is poorly developed. This often confuses consumers because not everything made from plants is biodegradable. However, growing awareness of the dangers of overuse of plastics and increased government regulation of plastic waste have led to a surge of interest and investment in bioplastics, an industry expected to grow 10-14% in the next few years. It is possible that this will partially help solve one of the most serious environmental problems in the world: plastic pollution. Marine plastic pollution is a growing global problem. The most striking example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. According to the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), of the approximately 36 million tons of plastic produced annually in the United States, less than 1% is recycled. Globally, only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled. About 11 million tons of plastic waste are dumped into the world's oceans every year. Even more comes from land-based sources, where plastic slowly breaks down into smaller and smaller particles. According to some estimates, there are up to 51 trillion microplastic particles floating in our oceans. Scientists estimate that the average adult ingests approximately 883 microplastic particles every day, which accumulate in our body tissues. Ingestion of plastic by marine and terrestrial animals can have extremely adverse effects on their health, including death.