Waste disposal, of plastics

Another factor potentially affecting the market for halogenated fire retardants is the waste disposal of plastics (see Wastes, industrial). As landfiU availabihty declines or becomes less popular, two alternatives are incineration and recycling (qv). The nature of the combustion products from halogenated products requires carefiil constmction and maintenance of incinerators (qv) to avoid damage to the incinerator itself and a pubHc health problem from the exhaust. The ease of recycling used products also has a potential effect on fire retardants. 

Broad interest in the possible biodegradation of synthetic polymers has developed only in recent years and primarily in response to the growing problem of the waste disposal of plastics. Essentially all biopolymers are susceptible to enzymatic degradation because the enzymatic polymerization reactions responsible for their synthesis in nature have closely related counterparts in nature for their enzymatic depolymerization what nature creates, nature can destroy . If it were not so, polymers could not be utilized as reserve materials and waste... 

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