Pollution from packaging bags is a serious problem we face every day. Over the past 50 years or so, using cheap plastic bags to package products has become commonplace. This plastic is cost-effective, but over the years it has caused many environmental problems that governments and enterprises are working to address.

Through these efforts, an alternative product - biodegradable plastic - has emerged. This plastic can be broken down by organisms (usually bacteria) as a biodegradable additive; adding it to plastic can accelerate the degradation process of the polymer. This additive actually attracts organisms to break down the plastic.

So, what is the difference between more traditional plastic and this new biodegradable plastic alternative? What are the drawbacks of this new plastic?

Traditional recycling

As part of green living, many households and enterprises work to recycle plastic products every day. This includes collecting waste plastic and making new useful products, ultimately completing the recycling process.

This recycling process includes sorting plastics by type and color to prevent any contamination throughout the process. Machines can detect the resin content in plastic to sort it in the most efficient way. After that, the plastic is crushed, simplifying the sorting between heavy and light plastics. Then the plastic is washed and melted into tiny components called pellets.

It is these pellets that are sold and transported to companies around the world to make new packaging bags of various shapes and specifications.

Since 1990, the rate of plastic recycling has increased each year, which may reflect people's growing awareness of plastic recycling around them, as well as the environmental impact of plastic products. Government incentives have also helped increase plastic recycling among households and enterprises nationwide.

Biodegradable plastic instead of plastic recycling

Recently, biodegradable plastic has become a first-class alternative to traditional plastic and may eliminate the need for plastic recycling. Using plastic that can degrade over time will make the waste disposal process simpler, which for many enterprises is naturally the best choice. This type of plastic includes polyanhydrides, polyvinyl alcohol, and cellulose esters. On the surface, they seem to be the perfect solution to the plastic recycling problem.

However, biodegradable plastics and the current recycling process still carry risks. As a combination of biodegradable material and traditional plastic, the final product, having changed the composition of the plastic, may cause significant damage when entering the current recycling system. If the reconstitution process is not done correctly, it is difficult to put into use.

This is a major problem that, in the long run, may lead to plastic recycling issues.

Overall, the trend of plastic recycling seems to be increasing year by year. Finding alternatives to traditional plastic is also a new development trend, as people are determined to try to avoid the potential harm from landfills. Whether biodegradable plastic is an environmentally friendly alternative, or plastic recycling remains the best solution, remains to be seen.

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