Plastic is one of the most important materials that are necessary to produce a quality product which is compatible for a long run usage. Around 10 million tons plastics are being wasted every year which results to a big problem concerning our environment Pollution is one of the causes why people get these different diseases. Plastics have a contribution to the Pollution, since the traditional plastics which are petroleum based are non-biodegradable. It is also one of the causes why floods happen because of the clogged drainage systems which are caused by plastics. Although plastics have a great contribution and help to mankind, it also can harm and affect the environment and the health of the people living in it.
Although most plastics are recyclable these days, their disposal becomes a problem due to the lack of landfill area. Plastics which we are using today are not Eco-friendly and not safe. The government has been implementing laws which states to minimize the use of plastics so that we could restore the cleanliness of our environment as well as to stop the tearing of our ozone layer and to have a fresh atmosphere. A single-use packaging always ends up in a landfill, a situation which prompted the government to formulate 13 House Bills and Senate Bills on the regulation and phasing out of plastic bags and other plastic packaging materials.
Synthetic plastics are petrochemical-based, which means that they are not easily break down and would take almost a decade to decompose. This prompted lawmakers and plastic makers worldwide to identify and develop durable Biodegradable bio-based alternatives. The downside, though, is that not all plastics can be replaced with biodegradable polymer, like those single use plastics in which recycling is not an option. Then there is the cost of biodegradable polymer which is slightly higher than the synthetic plastic.The small size of industry players in the area of biodegradable polymer signals an opportunity for those who want to venture into the manufacturing of plastics. Plastic manufacturers can easily shift to this type of technology because there are no required investment for pre-processing equipment and skilled workers. They can still use their existing equipment of extrusion and face pelletizer machine.
Science has made its way to somehow minimize the causes of pollution and to have a Greener and Cleaner environment, introducing the Bio-Plastics which compose of the main ingredient used in the project: Corn Starch and Potato Starch. Some bio-plastics are made of other ingredients like vegetable fats, corn, peas and Jicama (Singkamas) which also contains starches. Some bio-plastics are designed to be biodegradable. By using this innovation, we can make a cleaner and greener environment. The advantages of these are: the plastics are renewable, less energy to produce, easier to recycle, non toxic and it is biodegradable. Making these bio-plastics can really help minimize the pollution on our environment. Imagine the world replacing all petroleum based plastics to bio-plastics.
Production of bioplastics have an definitely impact to the environment because it doesn’t emit or emit less greenhouse gases than the traditional plastic. But using bio plastics has pitfalls. For example, bio plastics cannot be mixed with traditional plastics when recycling; it has substances that can interfere with the process of recycling traditional plastics. Also, it cannot be simply thrown in the compost pit with other organic garbage; bio plastics cannot biodegrade under normal circumstances. Common plastics are composed of harmful chemicals and by-products which are released to the air when it breaks down. Bio plastics are better for the environment for there is no harm done to earth. Bio plastics do not have chemicals or toxins in its composition, which make it safe. The use of this kind of plastic will reduce the country’s dependence to fossil fuel.