The dark side of bioplastics
U.S. researchers find renewable sourced plastic releases harmful gases
Are bioplastics really better?
NORTH CAROLINA―Bioplastic is enjoying a better reputation than its petroleum-based counterpart these days, but a new study in the U.S. could change that.
Researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) have found renewable-sourced plastic releases GHGs when it decomposes in landfills.
NCSU News reports that only 35 per cent of municipal solid waste goes to landfills that capture those gases for energy use, according to EPA estimates. Another 34 per cent of landfills capture methane and burn it on-site, while 31 percent allow the methane to escape.
The problem gets worse if the materials degrade faster, since federal regulations in the U.S. don’t require landfills that collect methane to install gas collection systems for at least two years after waste is buried. If materials break down and release methane quickly, most of the gasses are emitted before the collection technology is installed.
The researchers recommend that methane collection at landfills be expanded and that manufacturers design bioplastic products that degrade slower.
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The dark side of bioplastics
