How Long Can Biodegradable Plastic Bags Degrade?

With the introduction of plastic ban regulations in various countries around the world, biodegradable plastic bags are gradually replacing disposable ordinary plastic bags as the mainstream. Compared to cheap paper takeaway utensils, many businesses choose to purchase biodegradable plastic bags for use. Compared to plastic bags, although they are more prone to damage, they are also more environmentally friendly and convenient. So, compared to hard to degrade plastic bags, how long can biodegradable plastic bags degrade.

Biodegradable plastics refer to a type of plastic that is degraded by natural microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. An ideal biodegradable plastic is a polymer material with excellent performance, which can be completely decomposed by environmental microorganisms after being discarded, and ultimately become an integral part of the carbon cycle in nature by being inorganic.

1. The way of degradation (soil or sea)

There are many ways in which biodegradable plastic bags can be degraded, and a common one is to bury them in soil for degradation. Due to the presence of microorganisms and other factors in the soil, it can help plastic bags degrade better. Therefore, the typical natural degradation period is around 180 days. Of course, this time is only relative to fully biodegradable plastic bags.

2. Composition of degradable plastic bags

The composition of biodegradable plastic bags is also an important factor affecting the degradation time of biodegradable plastic bags. There are many brands of biodegradable plastic bags on the market now, and different brands have different prices. When choosing, merchants will also have different choices. From an environmental perspective, biodegradable plastic bags made entirely of organisms are more environmentally friendly, but their prices are inevitably more expensive.

There are two types of biodegradable plastic bags for all living organisms: bio based biodegradable plastic bags and petrochemical based biodegradable plastic bags. The HW series developed and produced by Huawei Company is a type of green and environmentally friendly thermoplastic resin, which is a completely biodegradable material produced by melting layer plasticization extrusion process using PBAT as the substrate, modified with starch and calcium carbonate. The material does not contain polyolefin plastics, It can be ultimately degraded into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide and water under specific conditions in nature or soil composting. However, regardless of the type of biodegradable plastic bag, a moderate degradation environment must be created during the degradation process to reduce the degradation time.