But, after three years at least, our research shows that might not be the case.”Ībout half of plastics are discarded after a single use and considerable quantities end up as litter.ĭespite the introduction of charges for plastic bags in the UK, supermarkets are still producing billions each year. When you see something labelled in that way, I think you automatically assume it will degrade more quickly than conventional bags. For biodegradable bags to be able to do that was the most surprising. Imogen Napper, who led the study, said: “After three years, I was really amazed that any of the bags could still hold a load of shopping. Researchers from the University of Plymouth’s International Marine Litter Research Unit say the study – published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology – raises the question of whether biodegradable formulations can be relied on to offer a sufficiently advanced rate of degradation and therefore a realistic solution to the problem of plastic litter. The compostable bag was present in the soil 27 months after being buried, but when tested with shopping was unable to hold any weight without tearing. The compostable bag sample had completely disappeared after three months in the marine environment but researchers say more work is needed to establish what the breakdown products are and to consider any potential environmental consequences.Īfter three years the “biodegradable” bags that had been buried in the soil and the sea were able to carry shopping. The compostable bag appears to have fared better than the so-called biodegradable bag.
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