tell on in a sustainable manner can be a confusing task , even for those who consider themselves educated , eco - friendlyconsumers . We ’re told to use canvas tote bags at the market store , but those come with anenvironmental catch . Even material that seem like they ’d be sluttish to recycle — likeyogurt containersandplastic feeding bottle caps — can be a minefield of “ do ’s ” and “ don’ts . ”
Further rarify matters , a new study has discover that “ biodegradable ” plastic travelling bag did n’t actually degrade after three years in the natural environment , according toThe Guardian . investigator from the University of Plymouth in the UK tested four types of plastic bags marked as biodegradable and one established formative suitcase as a control . Some of the biodegradable base samples were buried in stain , some were give in open zephyr , and others were deluge in saltwater to represent shape after the bags are thrown away by consumer . After nine months , the four biodegradable bags leave in open gentle wind had disintegrate into plastic sherd ; in brine , only the base type labeled compostable disintegrated totally . At the end of the written report , all but the compostable bag were still capable to bear 5 Pound of groceries after being submerse in dirt or seawater . The determination werepublishedin the journalEnvironmental Science and Technology .
Imogen Napper , the report ’s lead author , said she was shocked by the finding . “ After three years , I was really amazed that any of the bags could still view as a load of shopping . For a biodegradable old bag to be able to do that was the most surprising , ” Napper said in astatement . “ When you see something labeled in that way , I think you automatically assume it will degrade more quick than ceremonious bags . But , after three years at least , our research shows that might not be the case . ”
If you ’re expect for a better alternative , compostable bags might be the way to go . Still , researchers reason out that none of the bags , including compostable one , had devolve sufficiently enough to offset the negative burden of littering .
Co - author Richard Thompson , who do as head of the university ’s International Marine Litter Research Unit , visit for more consistent guideline regarding what can be labeled as biodegradable . “ Our study emphasizes the demand for standard come to to degradable stuff , clearly outlining the appropriate disposal pathway and pace of degradation that can be expected , ” Thompson enounce .
[ h / tThe Guardian ]
