Landfill degradable plastics

Did you know that the first plastics were considered too valuable to be thrown out Today, many plastics are considered disposable. Plastics now take up nearly one third of all landfill space, and society s use of plastics is on the rise. Recycling initiatives are helping to reduce plastic waste. Another solution to this problem may involve the technology of degradable plastics. 

Figure 8. Landfill Degradation of Plastic Films. Control samples on left, experimental samples on right, before (top) and after (bottom 10 months in a UK landfill at 2 meters depth.

P.K. Shin, M.H. Kim, and J.M. Kim, Biodegradabihty of degradable plastics exposed to anaerobic digested sludge and simulated landfill conditions. J. Environ. Polym. Degrad. 5(1), 33-39 (1997). 

Using degradable plastic sheets as cover for landfills will reduce the need for conventional imported cover materials and maximize void in the site for waste. ... 

In the landfill sites, plastics are slowly degraded and the different additives, such as metal additives and other impurities, can cause serious environmental effects. 

It follows that there are three reasons why the use of degradable plastics in place of conventional packaging plastics in landfill disposal is encouraged by both financial and environmental considerations. 

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