Advantages and Disadvantages of Environmentally friendly plastics

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  • Created by: zelahl32
  • Created on: 14-11-16 21:33

Advantages and Disadvantages of Environmentally friendly plastics

Advantages

  • Fully degradable in suitable conditions e.g. sun moisture and oxygen.
  • Reduction of time in landfill and the associated harmful effects.
  • Starch-based plastics are formed from carbon that is already in the ecosystem so does not contribute to global warming

Disadvantages

  • Degradation of some plastics still leads to global warming through the release of carbon dioxide as a main end product.
  • Damages recycled plastics when mixed and reduce its value.
  • Fully biodegradable polymers are more expensive as they are not widely produced to achieve large economies of scale.
  • May not be as energy efficient to produce as synthetic polymers.
  • Semi-biodegradable polymers remain in the environment for years.

Evaluation

When considering when to use environmentally friendly plastics, think about how using it will impact different aspects of the plastic's life. 

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