Plastics labelled “biodegradable” are not quite so innocuous[i'nók-yoo-us(harmless,अहानिकर)] after all, and can add considerably to the physical and chemical pollution of marine ecosystems, a newly-released UN report says.
Some ‘biodegradable’ plastics need industrial composters and exposure to temperatures over 50°C to completely disintegrate- says the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report titled “Biodegradable Plastics and Marine Litter: Misconceptions, Concerns and Impacts on Marine Environments”.
Every year, around 280 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally, of which 20 million tonnes enter oceans, choking coral reefs, entangling[en'tang-gu(entrap,mire,उलझना)] marine wildlife, and when breaking down into microplastic (plastic particles of 5mm or less) then ingested by sea birds, fish and other marine organisms.
In marine environments, oxo-degradable plastic can take up to five years to degrade, during which time it continues to pollute the ocean. “The fate of these fragments (microplastics) is ambiguous[am'big-yoo-us(unclear,अस्पष्ठ)].
Another report released last year by UNEP estimated that plastic waste cost marine ecosystems $13 billion in damages every year.
The new UNEP report says that there is, ironically[I'ró-ni-k(u-)lee(satirical,विडम्बना)], some evidence to suggest that “labelling a product as ‘biodegradable’ will result in a greater inclination[in-klu'ney-shun(tendency,इरादा)] to litter on the part of the
Poor waste management and even deliberate release has led to “the ubiquitous[yoo'bi-kwi-tus(present everywhere,सर्वव्यापी)] presence” of plastic in oceans, spelling significant physical or chemical pollution of marine ecosystems. Another study published in December 2014 in the journal PLOS One estimated that “at least 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing 268,940 tonnes are currently floating at sea”.
However, biodegradable polymers, although considerably costlier, do have their uses, says the UNEP report.
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