Biodegradable polymers in polymer waste management

Polymer wastes are expected to reach 10-11% of total wastes by the year 2000 [79]. Polymer waste management requires sound complementary practices of conservation, recycling, incineration and biodegradation-bioconversion. Since biodegradation is potentially the most environmentally friendly of all these practices there is increasing activity in the area of biodegradable polymers as packaging materials [80-86]. 

Starch derivatives have received less attention as compared with cellulose acetates. Among the promising packaging materials are long chain esters of starch [104]. Again, the details of degradation processes remain to be clarified. 

Blends of starch with biodegradable polymers are now commercially available as packaging materials [105-107]. The materials are degraded in composts. Since complex structures and morphologies exist in these materials, it will take some time before the biodegradation processes are fully understood. 

The biodegradation of synthetic and biopolymers is a complex process. As the applications of these materials increase with time, especially in the biomedical area [108-127], understanding of the mechanisms will grow rapidly. A logical consequence is the increased use of environmentally friendly degradable polymers as one of the many means to reduce the problems of polymer waste management. 

Gilding, D. K. (1982) in Biocompatibility of Clinical Implant Materials, Vol II (ed. D. F. Williams), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 

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