Materials and Polymer Chemistry

Biodegradable Plastics

Submit Abstract Register Now

Polymers also known as plastics are synthetic organic compounds which are malleable and can be molded in the desired form for different purposes. After the usage, disposal of plastics pollutes the environment in different ways. The traditional plastics are not degraded easily because of their long polymer molecules which are too large and too tightly bonded together to be broken apart and assimilated by decomposer organisms. However, biodegradable plastics have molecules that are readily attacked and broken down by microbial organisms. Biodegradable are the substances which are decomposed by bacteria or other biological organisms thereby not polluting the environment. Biodegradable plastics fits to be one of the best alternative of plastics. Biodegradable plastics are made from many natural plants like corn oil, orange peels, starch. These natural plants made into pulp, melted down and poured into molds of different shapes according to the needs and uses. Injection molded and solid are the two forms of biodegradable plastics in which solid form is used as food containers, leaf collection bags and water bottles.

The role of plastics in our daily life is omnipresent. The fact that biodegradable plastics are the products which meets the needs of manufacturers and consumers along with active dilution of environmental risks has attracted most Scientists and Researchers in the plastic industry to continue research on biodegradable plastics. Despite finding new technologies to cut down the environmental pollution caused by plastics, certain awareness on saying “NO” to the excess use of plastics has to be created to save the environment fully. The following four R’s to be borne in mind to curtail the use of plastics: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Finding an alternative like biodegradable plastic can truncate the effects of plastic in the environment and not fully make the effect to be disappeared on the whole. Therefore, changes in the way we buy, consume and dispose of plastics are just as important as any scientific breakthrough.