Does Biodegradable Plastic Bags Have an Impact on Environmental Protection

Degradable plastic bags have a certain impact on environmental protection, but this impact depends on multiple factors, including the degradation conditions, usage methods, and environmental factors of plastic bags.

Firstly, the biggest advantage of biodegradable plastic bags over traditional plastic bags is their ability to degrade under certain conditions, thereby reducing long-term pollution to the environment. This type of plastic bag can naturally decompose in a relatively short period of time, reducing the amount of garbage emissions and thus alleviating the pressure on the environment. In addition, using biodegradable plastic bags can save resources because traditional plastic bag production requires a large amount of petroleum resources, while biodegradable plastic bags can be made from renewable resources such as plant starch, reducing dependence on petroleum resources.

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However, the environmental friendliness of biodegradable plastic bags is not unconditionally established. If specific environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity are not met, biodegradable plastic bags may not be effectively degraded, resulting in microplastic pollution of the environment. For example, PLA (polylactic acid) plastic bags cannot degrade under temperature conditions, which may cause similar pollution to ordinary plastics to the environment. In addition, some so-called "biodegradable" plastics are actually accelerated by adding photosensitizers or oxidation catalysts to achieve decomposition. In reality, these plastics may only decompose large plastic blocks into smaller plastic fragments and cannot truly achieve environmental friendliness.

Degradation environment of biodegradable plastic bags

The degradation environment of biodegradable plastic bags mainly depends on their type and specific usage conditions.

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The degradation environment of biodegradable plastic bags mainly depends on their manufacturing materials and the degradation promoters added. For example, biodegradable plastic bags can be completely decomposed into low molecular weight compounds under the action of microorganisms. The degradation of such plastic bags mainly occurs in environments where microorganisms are present, such as soil or water. Biodegradable plastic bags are easy to store and transport, with a wide range of applications. They can be used not only for agricultural films and packaging bags, but also in the pharmaceutical field. In addition, there are some plastic bags that combine the characteristics of photodegradation and biodegradation, and these plastic bags degrade under the combined action of sunlight and microorganisms. ‌

However, the degradation process of biodegradable plastic bags is not always smooth sailing. Some studies have shown that even under ideal degradation conditions, such as burial in soil or placement in seawater, the degradation rate of biodegradable plastic bags is much slower than expected. For example, a study found that after burying a certain compostable plastic in soil for 27 months, it still remained in its original state, but its load-bearing capacity decreased. In another experiment, bags made of polylactic acid (PLA) were placed in seawater and did not begin to degrade after 428 days.

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In addition, there are some falsely labeled or exaggerated biodegradable plastic bags in the market that do not actually have true biodegradable properties, which further increases the difficulty of identifying truly biodegradable plastic bags. Therefore, when consumers choose biodegradable plastic bags, they should carefully examine the ingredients and production standards of the product to ensure that they are purchasing genuine biodegradable plastic bags.

When purchasing biodegradable bags, it is important to identify the biodegradable label in order to achieve true degradation.

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In summary, biodegradable plastic bags have a positive impact on environmental protection under specific conditions, reducing the generation of plastic waste and resource consumption, protecting the ecological balance of nature and people's health. But without meeting specific environmental conditions, its environmental protection effect will be greatly reduced, and it may even cause more serious pollution problems. Therefore, it is crucial to purchase, use, and dispose of biodegradable plastic bags correctly. ‌