Photodegradable plastic defined

A photodegradable plastic is defined as degradable plastic in which the degradation results from the action of natural sunlight. 

Weatherability is defined as the retention of the general mechanical, chemical, electrical, and other physical properties when exposed outdoors for extended time periods. Good weatherability is important to the selection of materials for outdoor use. Sunlight, oxygen, moisture, and pollutants like acid gases can be destructive to plastic materials. The nature of attacks is by photodegradation, oxidative, and chemi-... 

Weatherability of polymers (plastic) can generally be defined as the ability to withstand complex and variable atmospheric conditions similar to those prevailing in nature [142, 544, 1127, 1863, 2298]. Several papers have been devoted to the study of photodegradation of polymers in environmental conditions (Table 10.27). 

An amendment to the Plastics Pollution Control Act of 1987 was enacted by the US Government in 1990 which requires all ring carriers in the US to be degradable. Currently, all such carriers, as defined by US Public Law 100-556, are manufactured from a photodegradable ethylene-carbon monoxide (E-CO) resin. This is the largest application of degradable plastics for packaging of any kind in the world to date. 

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