Compostable plastic is made from organic materials such as cornstarch and can be composted with no harmful impact to the soil or wider environment.[verification needed]
By breaking down, it:
- reduces the buildup of litter in rivers and drains, thus reducing flood risk.
- reduces marine pollution
- reduces air pollution
- potentially reduces waste management dilemmas, if other packaging material also changes to compostable forms - see Compostable packaging.
Biodegradable versus compostable[edit | edit source]
Some plastics may biodegrade to small fragments of petrochemical-based plastic, reducing but not eliminating their negative impact on the environment.[verification needed]
True compostable materials break down completely into the kinds of materials typically found in compost.
Standards[edit | edit source]
ASTM International,W an international standards organization, defines testing methods for biodegradable plastic, in anaerobic and aerobic conditions and marine environments..[1] There are three ASTM standard specifications addressing biodegradable plastics in composting environments:
- ASTM D6400-04 Standard Specification for Compostable Plastics,[2]
- ASTM D6868 - 03 Standard Specification for Biodegradable Plastics Used as Coatings on Paper and Other Compostable Substrates,[3]
- ASTM D7081 - 05 Standard Specification for Non-Floating Biodegradable Plastics in the Marine Environment.[4]
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
- Wikipedia:Biodegradable plastic
- Wikipedia:Oxo Biodegradable - polyolefin plastic with small (catalytic) amounts of metal salts to enhance breakdown (biodegrable but not compostable).
