Got another great product to review:
"150 8 gallon biodegradable garbage bags" Found here on amazon https://twitter.com/Jess17337040/status/1229178521395892225
These
seem for fairly decent quality, but you probably will not want to
forget about them in the trash bin for too long. They also came with an
offer for reusable food storage bags which I do enjoy. General price is
not too high and the bags themselves are good for the environment so
nothing I can complain about with them.
How does it work? Here's an explanation:
"Plastic pollution is a major environmental concern that affects the
entire earth, including most of countries and our vast oceans. It is
estimated that 12 million barrels of fuel are used each year in the
production of plastics bags to meet the annual demand in the US. When
plastic bags are tossed away, they can sit in the environment for many
years before they begin to break down, unless they are made from special
types of biodegradable plastic.
One of the advances in environmental science in the past decade has
been the advances made in biodegradable plastics. Plastic bags can be
made from biodegradable plastics that break down much faster than
traditional plastic bags.
If you care about the environment and want to learn how biodegradable
plastic decomposes, the outline below should provide you with the
essential information. Remember, typical plastic bags can take hundreds
or thousands of years to decompose.
Below is the process for decomposition of more environmentally,
biodegradable plastic bags. Even better are reusable, cloth shopping
bags that can last you for years and never end up in a landfill.
See also How a Landfill Works + Facts and Statistics
Phase 1: Aerobic Phase
The enzymes and chemicals in decomposition are a catalyst to the
biofilms that coat the plastic in the bag. During this period, aerobic
microbes are established and moisture increases in the plastic bags.
Standard absorption for regular plastic bags is small but over many
years, molecular spaces are created for microbial growth. This begins a
slow degradation process where oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide.
Anaerobic, Non-Methanogenic Phase – When oxygen concentrations have
dropped enough, the anaerobic process commences. During this stage, also
known as hydrolysis, the microbes slowly eat the particulates. Through
various enzymatic processes, the large polymers are reduced into
monomers. As time goes by, acidogenesis happens where monomers are
converted to fatty acids. Production of carbon dioxide happens faster in
this stage.
Phase 2: Anaerobic, Methanogenic Unsteady Phase
Microbe colonies in the plastic continue to grow and eat away at
polymer chains to create bigger molecular spaces. During this period,
acetogenesis happens, which converts fatty acids to acetic acid, carbon
dioxide and hydrogen. Carbon dioxide rates drop and production of
hydrogen ceases eventually.
Phase 3: Anaerobic, Methanogenic Steady Phase
Final decomposition involves the process of methanogenesis. As
microbe colonies eat away at the remaining polymer surface, acetates are
then converted to methane and carbon dioxide, Hydrogen is consumed.
This process continues until all that that remains is humus. This is
highly nutritional soil that improves the environment for microbes and
boosts the final decomposition stage.
How To Recycle Plastic Bags
It is great there are options available to use biodegradable plastic
bags that are gentler on the environment. But what about all of the tons
of existing conventional plastic bags in the US? There are ways they
can be recycled so they do not end up clogging landfills for centuries.
Here’s how plastic bag recycling basically works:
- Used plastic bags piled up by the tone are put on a conveyor belt where workers remove any contaminants that cannot be recycled.
- Bags are thoroughly washed in flood tanks, where all non metallic
contaminants are removed. Magnets may be used to remove any metal from
the bags.
- Plastic bags are melted to separate any contaminants from the resin. Impurities that are still solid are removed.
- Melted plastic compound is dried and cut into tiny pellets.
- Pellets are washed in flood tanks and scanned with magnets to remove any metallic and nonmetallic impurities.
- Pellets are cut into finer pieces in a consistent size. Oversized ones are removed.
See also All About Recycling + Facts and Statistics
The final recycled pellets are sent to plastic bag manufacturers to
be reused in new bags. Even the waste products from the recycling plant,
such as cut off plastic pieces, are used for recycling. Experts note
the recycling process is easier with bags made from gray or brown
colors.
Tips for Recycling
Below are some simple tips to make your home recycling more productive and easier:
- Try to reduce waste in the first place. Recycling is great, but it
is easier to reduce the amount of trash we produce from the start. When
you buy anything, look at the packaging and decide if you really need
it. If you can, choose products that have recycled packaging or
packaging with minimal plastic.
- Make trash into treasure. Many household items that you need no
longer can be used for various craft projects. You can convert empty
cans, milk bottles, cardboard food boxes and other similar things into
gifts or decorations. They also are very useful for kids’ projects.
- Remember e-waste. Most people recycle cardboard, newspapers and
paper, but what about your electronic garbage and waste? Most e-waste
also ends up in a landfill or incinerator or is sent to Asia. You may be
able to dump old computers and cell phones at sites in your area.
- Don’t put your recyclables in plastic bags. You spent a lot of time
sorting your recyclable products, so don’t waste all that effort by
putting them in plastic bags.
Recap
We hope you gained some knowledge from this article about how bags can decompose, as well as how they can be recycled.
References
This is sourced from: https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/learning-how-plastic-bags-decompose/
