Toxic Legacies / Filtering the Truth

Degradable
All plastics, even the conventional petroleum-based ones, are
technically degradable. Given the right amount of time and environmental
conditions, the material eventually will be broken
down into tiny fragments. This does not mean, however, that
the material will return to its “natural” organic state, and as we
know, this can take up to thousands of years, 31 thus still remaining
a source of pollution. There are additives to traditional
plastics that are able to make them degrade more quickly. 32 The
term photodegradable merely means the plastic will more readily
break down in sunlight, oxo-degradable plastics more readily
degrade when exposed to heat and light.
Biodegradable
A plastic termed biodegradable is completely able to break
down into its natural components. This can be done by water,
carbon dioxide, or – under the right conditions – in compost by
microorganisms. The term implies that the decomposition process
completely happens within a few weeks to months. There
is technically no limitation of time how long this process should
take. 33 In the case that it does take much longer than the implied
timeframe, the material is labelled “durable” and some
even fall back into the category of non-biodegradables.
Compostable
Compostable plastics have to be able to be broken down into
non-toxic components by natural processes / with the help of
microorganisms. However, under German TÜV standards this
implies that, under the conditions of 58 degrees in 84 days, 90
percent of the matter in the plastic must be smaller than two
millimetres. 34 Standards that are not natural in a home environment
and for which there are not yet facilities set in place to
actually do so. As a result, bioplastics often end up in landfills
along with the rest. Only plastics labelled home compostable
are to meet the requirements of breaking down at a minimum of
90 percent at 20 to 30 degrees in a matter of 365 days. 35
“One of the major problems connected to the development, use,
and disposal of degradable materials is that none are degraded
in all natural environments; a specific environment is needed,
and the conditions required depend on the type of plastic.”
(Science Magazine, 2017) Therefore claims of degradability and
environmental degradability should always be connected with a
specific environment. Variables in natural environments highly
differ, and plastics that rapidly degrade in compost might actually
contribute to plastic debris in marine environments, as conditions
in seawater are not ideal for its rapid breakdown. 36
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