oxo-biodegradable plastic bags and other items

[TimDunn]

There is a huge battle going on between the proponents of oxo-biodegradable plastic and hyro-biodegradable plastic. Oxo-biodegradable plastic is conventional plastic that biodegrades; Hydro-biodegradable plastic is made out of food. The argument for 'hydro' is that it is sustainable and compostable. The argument against is that there is so much plastic being made that if we made 54,000,000 tons of plastic bags and wrappers a year out of food instead of oil, that millions would starve. 54,000,000 tons is abut 7% of the world's wheat + corn yield per year. Already, over 850,000,000 people are hungry. Plastic is mostly made of oil by-products, so we'd just have to throw the by-product away if it wasn't made into plastic-creating still more pollution. If we make it into biodegradable plastic, it becomes soil, and the environment wins without starving the poor in the 3rd. world. Soil is a precondition for converting carbon into cellulose, thus sequestering carbon and reducing global warming and its countless attending ills.

[mountainhiker]

There is a huge battle going on between the proponents of oxo-biodegradable plastic and hyro-biodegradable plastic. Oxo-biodegradable plastic is conventional plastic that biodegrades; Hydro-biodegradable plastic is made out of food. The argument for 'hydro' is that it is sustainable and compostable. The argument against is that there is so much plastic being made that if we made 54,000,000 tons of plastic bags and wrappers a year out of food instead of oil, that millions would starve. 54,000,000 tons is abut 7% of the world's wheat + corn yield per year. Already, over 850,000,000 people are hungry. Plastic is mostly made of oil by-products, so we'd just have to throw the by-product away if it wasn't made into plastic-creating still more pollution. If we make it into biodegradable plastic, it becomes soil, and the environment wins without starving the poor in the 3rd. world. Soil is a precondition for converting carbon into cellulose, thus sequestering carbon and reducing global warming and its countless attending ills.

I guess the question is what is the definition of "food" that these bags are made of. The comment about "starving the poor in the 3rd" sounds like a smoke screen.

[Simon]

Why use plastic bags at all? Ban them!

[natureguy]

Banning plastics is not easy. Why don't we ban Coal fired power plants, nuclear plants, stop using those huge oil ships and loads of similar stuff. Answer is simple. Guess what?

We don't the the alternative that's as much viable.

Answer is jute bags. If you go for cotton bags again cotton prices are soaring and they would continue to do so if you start buying them. Jute is cheap and long lasting too. go for jute bags.

[Layla]

Exactly what do these 'biodegradable' bags biodegrade into? (especially with possible other chemicals or even heavy metals added for color etc)

And would they be able to biodegrade at your usual waste disposal centre? (some landfills cover trash with soil, or composte without exposure to sun, or stuff gets burnt in incinerators..) usually enough air & sun is needed for stuff to biodegrade

Jute looks interesting.. how does it fare re: pesticides etc? Hemp seems another alternative for bags etc too, no?

/I wrote a lengthy reply but it got erased - I pressed 'close fast reply' - still getting used to this site../

[Simon]

/I wrote a lengthy reply but it got erased - I pressed 'close fast reply' - still getting used to this site../

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[Layla]

Ooh, thanks!

I hit refresh & went to another site too soon! - Will know better now!

:)