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Biodegradable Utensils/Products - Coggle Diagram
Biodegradable Utensils/Products
Benefits/Pros
Manufacturing: less energy required, fewer fossil fuels, made from renewable resources
Manufacturing: made from renewable resources
Fewer chemicals released when breaking down
Doesn't need to be burned (when exposed to proper environment)
Industrial Composting Centers: able to trap and contain more chemicals released upon breakdown
Convenient: Don't need to be cleaned, portable, easily obtained, easy disposal
Solutions
Cost to produce biodegradable utensils is higher than single-use plastic utensils.
Wooden utensils: energy saving, completely break down, breakdown conditions are not strict, expensive
Stainless steel utensils: recyclable, used multiple times, cheap
education
industrial compost center programs
PLA: will break down completely under specific conditions, cheaper than wood, more energy saving than stainless steel
although not the best, tossing products in the trash is better than recycling or composting them
Money: Reusable utensils are more cost-effective
Miscellany
39 billion single-use plastic utensils in landfills, in US, per year
Important because we automatically assume that something that is biodegradable is eco-friendly. We assume our part is done once we purchase the product when this isn’t the case. We still need to dispose of it properly for it to be better for the planet than single-use or even recyclable plastics.
Convenience is more important than health or the "right" thing. (Jstor)
100,000 marine mammals die each year due to plastic pollution.
Harmful Effects/Improper Disposal/Cons
More people likely to litter, assuming products will break down
Release methane when breaking down
Many products only break down partially (microplastics) that harm the soil
Only considered "better" when disposed of through industrial composting center
Often takes hundreds of years to break down in landfills (conditions must be specific for proper breakdown)
many "biodegradable" products contain a blend of aliphatic and aromatic plastics
Recyclables sent to landfill (when biodegradables are found in batch)
Biodegradable products do not break down in ocean (conditions not met)
Industrial Composting Centers: inconvenient for people to save utensils and bring them to center
landfills: inconsistent, incorrect conditions for products to break down
Tossing a biodegradable product in the recycling, compost, or on the side of the road, for example, is similar to using a single-use plastic utensil or littering.
They cannot be locally composted (home garden, community center land, etc.). They will cause acidification of the soil and/or partially break into microplastics that will, then, harm the soil and plants.
May contain small pieces of metal (lead and cobalt) which doesn't break down.
Require correct climate conditions to break down (warm, humid, sunny)