Reduction in Litter Accumulation
Littering of any material is a social problem that cannot be avoided by development of novel plastics technologies. It seems that, in spite of laws, fines and social pressures, a small percent of the population continues to litter owing to ignorance and/or indifference. It has been demonstrated mathematically (ref. 11) that the best if not the only way to prevent the accumulation of litter outdoors is to reduce the lifetime of the littered material. Furthermore, it has been observed over a number of years that the requirement in much of the United States that the polyolefin six-pack ring holders for beverage cans be photodegradable has resulted in a major reduction in the litter and wildlife problems caused when these devices are discarded outdoors. This is the first major application of oxo-biodegradable plastics. It should be remembered that the products of oxidative degradation of polyolefins are biodegradable so there has been no build-up of plastic fragments over the years. The continued use of oxo-biodegradable plastics is not encouragement of littering but simply an effective way to cope with an existing, seemingly perpetual problem.
References
- J. E. Guillet, “Plastics and the environment,” in Degradable Polymers: Principles and Applications, G. Scott and D. Gilead (eds.), London, Chapman & Hall, pp. 216-246, 1995.