Biodegradable plastic is plastic that decomposes naturally in the

environment. This is achieved when microorganisms in the

environment metabolize and break down the structure of
biodegradable plastic. The end result is one which is less harmful to
the environment than traditional plastics.
Biodegradable plastics can be composed of bio-plastics, which are
plastics made from renewable raw materials. There are normally two
forms of biodegradable plastic, injection molded and solid. The solid
forms normally are used for items such as food containers, leaf
collection bags, and water bottles.
Biodegradable plastics are made from all-natural plant materials.
These can include corn oil, orange peels, starch, and plants.
Traditional plastic is made with chemical fillers that can be harmful
to the environment when released when the plastic is melted down.
With biodegradable plastic, you get a substance made from natural
sources that does not contain these chemical fillers, and does not
pose the same risk to the environment.

BIODEGRADABLE POLYESTERS
Polyesters play a predominant role as biodegradable plastics due to their
potentially hydrolysable ester bonds
The polyester family is made of two major groups –
aliphatic (linear) polyesters and aromatic (aromatic rings) polyesters.
Biodegradable polyesters which have been developed commercially and are in
commercial development are as follows:

PHA – polyhydroxyalkanoates PHB – polyhydroxybutyrate

PHH – polyhydroxyhexanoate PHV - polyhydroxyvalerate
PLA – polylactic acid PCL – polycaprolactone
PBS – polybutylene succinate PBSA - polybutylene succinate adipate
AAC – Aliphatic-Aromatic copolyesters PET – polyethylene terephthalate
PBAT – polybutylene adipate/terephthalate PTMAT- polymethylene
adipate/terephthalate
While aromatic polyesters such as PET exhibit excellent material properties,
they prove to be almost totally resistant to microbial attack. Aliphatic
polyesters on the other hand are readily biodegradable, but lack good
mechanical properties that are critical for most applications. All polyesters
degrade eventually, with hydrolysis (degradation induced by water) being the
dominant mechanism. Synthetic aliphatic polyesters are synthesised from diols
and dicarboxylic acids via condensation polymerisation, and are known to be
completely biodegradable in soil and water. These aliphatic polyesters are,
however, much more expensive and lack mechanical strength compared with
conventional plastics such as polyethylene.

PHA (Naturally Produced) Polyesters : Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are

aliphatic polyesters naturally produced via a microbial process on sugar-based
medium, where they act as carbon and energy storage material in bacteria.
They were the first biodegradable polyesters to be utilised in plastics. The two
main members of the PHA family are polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and
polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV). Aliphatic polyesters such as PHAs, and more
specifically homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyric acid and
hydroxyvaleric acid, have been proven to be readily biodegradable. Such
polymers are actually synthesised by microbes, with the polymer accumulating
in the microbes’ cells during growth.

ADVANTAGES:
1. Biodegradable plastics take less time to break down
Biodegradable packaging and biodegradable bags take much less time to
break down after being discarded, if they haven’t been recycled, of course.
What this means is that it gets absorbed in the earth, and there will no
longer be tons of plastic dominating our landfills.

2. Biodegradable plastics are renewable

Biodegradable plastics are made from biomass, which is a completely
renewable resource. It is an organic compound, which breaks down. There
is plenty of it around the globe. Biomass includes trees, plants, grass, and
all organic materials that decompose. This may even include animal fats,
meats, and other tissues.

3. Biodegradable plastics are good for the environment

Biodegradable plastics are much better for the environment, because there
is no harm done to the earth when recovering fossil fuels. Also, in this
process there are very few greenhouse gas and harmful carbon emissions.
Regular plastics need oil for their manufacturing, which pollutes the
environment.

4. Biodegradable plastics require less energy to produce

Biodegradable plastics need less than half the energy to produce than their
non-biodegradable counterparts. This means that it is possible to make
twice the amount of biodegradable packaging and biodegradable bags
using the same amount of energy.

5. Biodegradable plastics are easier to recycle

Biodegradable plastics are created from materials that are fully
biodegradable. This means that they can break down much faster and
recycling them takes less energy. Biodegradable plastics can be reused
more efficiently, which gives them a clear advantage.

6. Biodegradable plastics are not toxic

Traditional plastics are full of harmful by-products and chemicals, which are
released during their breakdown process. Biodegradable plastics are
completely safe and do not have any chemicals or toxins. This plastic
harmlessly breaks down and gets absorbed into the earth. Such advantages
of bioplastics are of extreme importance, as the toxic plastic load on the
earth is growing and at this rate will cause a whole range of problems for
future generations.

7. Biodegradable plastics reduce dependence on foreign oil

The use of biodegradable plastics will decrease the country’s dependence
on other countries for fossil fuels. The majority of the oil that is needed to
make regular plastic comes from the Middle East, which has not always
been friendly toward the U.S. Biodegradable plastics are created from
domestic biomass materials, so it reduces the dependence on foreign oil,
providing a domestic solution instead.