Biodegradable Plastic Blends Create New Possibilities for End-of-Life Management of Plastics but They Are Not a Panacea for Plastic Pollution

Environmental Science & Technology
Tanja NarancicKevin E O'Connor

Abstract

Plastic waste pollution is a global environmental problem which could be addressed by biodegradable plastics. The latter are blended together to achieve commercially functional properties, but the environmental fate of these blends is unknown. We have tested neat polymers, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyoctanoate, poly(butylene succinate), thermoplastic starch, polycaprolactone (PCL), and blends thereof for biodegradation across seven managed and unmanaged environments. PLA is one of the world's best-selling biodegradable plastics, but it is not home compostable. We show here that PLA when blended with PCL becomes home compostable. We also demonstrate that the majority of the tested bioplastics and their blends degrade by thermophilic anaerobic digestion with high biogas output, but degradation times are 3-6 times longer than the retention times in commercial plants. While some polymers and their blends showed good biodegradation in soil and water, the majority of polymers and their blends tested in this study failed to achieve ISO and ASTM biodegradation standards, and some failed to show any biodegradation. Thus, biodegradable plastic blends need careful postconsumer management, and further design to a...Continue Reading

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Citations

Nov 2, 2018·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Samaneh KarbalaeiMatthew Cole
Jan 14, 2020·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Pietro CarlozziEleftherios Touloupakis
Apr 25, 2020·Polymers·Tanja NarancicKevin E O'Connor
Jan 16, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Patrizia CinelliAndrea Lazzeri
May 28, 2020·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Yuushou NakayamaAtsuyoshi Nakayama
Dec 11, 2020·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Parameswaran ShaijuRamesh Babu Padamati
Jan 10, 2021·Journal of Hazardous Materials·Yuanze SunJie Wang
Oct 15, 2020·Polymers·Francesco Paolo La MantiaVincenzo Titone
Feb 13, 2021·Polymers·Yu MiaoAlexandre Yokochi
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Apr 14, 2021·Scientific Reports·Thomas HarterUlrich Hirn
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Sep 10, 2021·Microbial Biotechnology·Maciej W GuzikKevin E O'Connor
Sep 30, 2021·Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·Giovanni DolciMario Grosso

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