Thu, December 26, 2024
Wed, December 25, 2024
Tue, December 24, 2024
[ Tue, Dec 24th 2024 ] - Forbes
10 AI Predictions For 2025
[ Tue, Dec 24th 2024 ] - Politico
Governing health care AI
Fri, December 20, 2024
Thu, December 19, 2024
Wed, December 18, 2024
[ Wed, Dec 18th 2024 ] - knowledge.insead.edu
Decoding AI Adoption
[ Wed, Dec 18th 2024 ] - The Western Producer
Science news briefs
Tue, December 17, 2024
[ Tue, Dec 17th 2024 ] - Yahoo
Top science stories of 2024
Mon, December 16, 2024

Why compostable plastic is not a silver bullet for eliminating plastic waste


//science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. silver-bullet-for-eliminating-plastic-waste.html
Published in Science and Technology on by MSN   Print publication without navigation

Modern society has a big problem when it comes to plastic -- and it's contributing heavily to pollution and climate change.

The article from MSN discusses the limitations and misconceptions surrounding compostable plastics as a solution to plastic waste. While compostable plastics are designed to break down more quickly than traditional plastics, they require specific conditions to decompose properly, such as high heat, moisture, and microbial activity found in industrial composting facilities, which are not universally available. This means that when these plastics end up in regular landfills, they do not degrade as intended, potentially releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Additionally, the production of compostable plastics can still involve fossil fuels, and they might not be as biodegradable in natural environments as claimed, leading to similar environmental persistence issues as conventional plastics. The article highlights that while compostable plastics can be part of the solution, they are not a complete fix without systemic changes in waste management, consumer behavior, and broader environmental policies.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-us/science/environmental-science/why-compostable-plastic-is-not-a-silver-bullet-for-eliminating-plastic-waste/ar-AA1w66Kh ]

Publication Contributing Sources