Litter problems

O Hara K, Iudicello S, Bierce R (1988) A citizen s guide to plastics in the ocean more than a litter problem. Center for Marine Conservation, Washington, DC... 

The photosensitizing degradation may considerable contribute to the solution of the plastic-litter problem. In order to improye the standards of our enyironment the amounts of plastic litter should be reduced and this aim may easily be aohiyed by the use of plastics mhich would readily degradable by sunlight. This practioal problem has been fully reviewed by the following publioations (3,127). 

It is a fact that actinic deterioration of Degradable Plastic films will, in due course, lead to the crumbling of them into fine particles. Such disintegration obviates the plastics litter problem and provides the possibility of a solution to the agricultural plastics residue situation. There is evidence in this paper and elsewhere ( ) that there are commercially viable formulations with which packaging (and related) plastics can be made to have controlled, short embrittlement times outdoors but no indoor stability problems. 

The photolysis of copolymers containing ketone groups has both academic and practical interest since the way in which the polymeric environment affects the photochemical pathways leads to an understanding of the photodegradation of polymers in which the ketone group is present as an adventitious or intended impurity. Copolymers with vinyl ketones also provide a practical means for preparing plastics with controlled lifetimes as a means of combatting litter problems (1.-3). 

This introduction leads to several observations. First, although a speaker should write an introduction to ensure an excellent first impression, it is best to improvise a little if the circumstances dictate. If the student who spoke about littering had thought about audience adaptation in advance, he would have planned to mention the campus littering problem. Then, after noticing the extra littering, he would have had to add only one or two sentences to the planned introduction. 

Poly(vinyl alcohol) is one polymer that poses no litter problem, because it dissolves in water and is readily biodegradable. It makes ideal packaging for such things as swimming pool chemicals, detergents, descalers, seed strips, sanitary items, and even oxygen tenting. 

Litter Problem Plastics waste in urban litter does pose a serious and real waste management problem. Unlike paper, plastics do not degrade in the outdoor environment at a fast enough rate compared to that of littering. The result is a serious aesthetic problem in highly populated urban areas in almost any part of... 

The litter problem remains with us. While it is certainly true that litter is a consequence of unacceptable human behavior, not inherent in the material, when littered, PS does not biodegrade, so it can remain in the environment for a very long period of Ume. The static cling tendencies of PS also contribute to its propensity to be littered, as can be attested to by anyone who has tried to pour a box of loosefill cushioning into their trash—especially if there was even a gentle breeze at the Ume ... 

In the waste disposal area, the environmental benefits of biodegradable plastics are limited to waste streams that will be composted, items that are associated with litter problems, and items that are apt to get into sewage treatment systems. If wastes will be disposed by landfill or incineration, biodegradability offers no real advantage. 

CEE Plastics in the Ocean (1987) More Than a Litter Problem. Report prepared by the Center for Environmental Education (now called Center for Marine Conservation), Washington, DC, under Contract No. 68-02-4228, to the Environmental Protection Agency, p. 128. Washington, DC). 

Thin single-use carrier bags are considered a clear case of over packaging all over the world. They are mostly used just once, which is a waste of resources and can lead to a litter problem. Carrier bags are airy, and tend to fly away and disperse... 

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