Page 59 - Plastics News February 2025
P. 59

IN THE NEWS




          tamination which leads to reduced quality in the      ♦   Certain industries must use narrowing choic-
          end recycled materials. The proper sorting and            es to biodegradable and compostable alter-
          disposal systems must exist to avoid this prob-           natives through mandatory requirements.
          lem.
                                                                ♦   Public and private entities should receive
          4.   Microplastics and Residues                           financial incentives for sustainable material
                                                                    adoption by providing tax benefits together
          Because of degradation mechanisms some bio-               with direct subsidies are feasible.
          degradable plastics transform into microplastics
          while producing residues that potentially endan-      4.   Raise Public Awareness
          ger both ecological systems and human well-
          ness. The resolution of this problem demands          Successful long-term outcomes in plastic waste
          additional research followings accompanied by         reduction depend on meaningful consumer edu-
          developmental work.                                   cation efforts about proper biodegradable plas-
                                                                tic  disposal  alongside  universal  plastic  usage
          How to Maximize the Potential of Biodegradable        minimization.
          Plastics                                              ♦   Differentiating between biodegradable and

                                                                    compostable plastics represents one of the
          To ensure biodegradable plastics contribute
          meaningfully to sustainability, a multifaceted ap-        goals.
          proach is necessary:                                  ♦   The initiative emphasizes both plastic de-

                                                                    crease across consumption levels.
          1. Encourage Innovation
                                                                ♦   Ban single-use plastics where feasible.
          Public and governmental organizations need
          to support funding  projects  aiming  to develop      Conclusion
          lightweight cost-effective environmentally criti-
          cal biodegradable materials.                          Biodegradable plastics offer hope because they
                                                                show promise to diminish the environmental haz-
          2. Strengthen Waste Management Systems                ards created by plastic waste. Their successful
                                                                deployment requires resolving major obstacles
          Building and upgrading industrial composting          related to cost and infrastructure limitations and
          facilities is essential to process biodegradable      public misperceptions of biodegradable plas-
          plastics effectively. Additionally, integrating bio-  tics. In order to take advantage of biodegrad-
          degradable plastics into circular economy mod-        able plastics' environmental benefits we need to
          els can improve their lifecycle sustainability.       educate the public properly and eliminate false
                                                                beliefs about the technology so it can play a role
          3. Promote Policy Changes
                                                                in ending plastic waste problems. The meaning-
                                                                ful contribution of biodegradable plastics to sus-
          Policymakers must enact laws to:
                                                                tainability requires continued government part-
          ♦   Banning  single-use  plastics  remains  a  pos-   nerships with consumer participation along with
             sibility whenever implementation proves ef-        industrial support.
             fective.
                                                                                         Source – Plastics Technology



              February 2025                                                                  PLASTICS NEWS  59
   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64