<
https://theconversation.com/do-you-toss-biodegradable-plastic-in-the-compost-bin-heres-why-it-might-not-break-down-178542>
"Over one-fifth of all plastic produced worldwide is tossed into uncontrolled
dumpsites, burned in open pits or leaked into the environment. In Australia,
1.1 million tonnes of plastic is placed in the market, yet just 16% (179,000
tonnes) is recovered.
To deal with this mounting issue, the Morrison government last week announced
A$60 million to fund plastic recycling technologies. The goal is to boost
plastic packaging recycling from 16% to 70% by 2025.
It comes after 176 countries, including Australia, last month endorsed a United
Nation’s resolution to establish a legally binding treaty by 2024 to end
plastic pollution.
This is a good start – more effective recycling and recovery of plastics will
go a long way to solve the problem.
But some plastics, particularly agricultural plastics and heavily contaminated
packaging, will remain difficult to recycle despite these new efforts. These
plastics will end up being burnt or in landfill, or worse, leaking into the
environment.
“Biodegradable” plastic is often touted as an environmentally friendly
alternative. But depending on the type of plastic, this label can be very
misleading and can lead environmentally conscious consumers astray."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
