Photodegradable plastic

amandstu

I bought a few lengths of horticultural fleece from the garden centre.

Unlike previous batches they have very swiftly degraded into small pieces .

I assume this is from exposure to sunlight (and the wind).

Can I just allow this to go into the soil or should I attempt to gather up the pieces and put them in my waste bin?

Will they be harmful to soil life ?(or sea life if they get into the water)

Markcheese

I assume you don't still have the label? Or have access to the shop with the same brand to check the label,
If it didn't specifically say compostable then err on the side of caution and collect it and bin it.. Its just plastic... I wouldn't get hung up on tiny pieces, just get what you can...

amandstu

I could just ask the garden centre.

If as I assume it is just the same as the previous type but without the anti uv rays additive ,would it be better to try and resource the old kind which is longer lasting or is there any benefit to this product which seems to break down within a few weeks?

two wheels good

Even if it was sold as biodegradeable that's no guarantee it won't leave a plastics residue after degrading - and possibily a significant volume.
There are no standards or certification in place to define what can be labelled "biodegradeable". Some require special treatment/conditions to ensure successful degradation.

I take the view that only the label "compostable" will reassure me - a little. And even then there's a distinction between home compostable and "special treatment" compostable.

feargale

Talking of plastic, I cannot recycle soft plastic. Sweet wrappers, bread wrappers etc - are they plastic or paper? Thanks.

bobbyy gee

A lot of biodegrable plastic is. Not

feargale

bobbyy gee wrote: »

A lot of biodegrable plastic is. Not

? Sorry. I don't understand your answer.

magicbastarder

i assume he means that a lot of plastic touted as biodegradable is not.

Capt'n Midnight

Some plastics "break down" so that there's now lots of little pieces that aren't as visibly obvious as larger ones.

amandstu

Slightly off topic but hopefully relevant

"Plastic-Eating Super Enzyme Could Help Solve the Plastic Waste Crisis"

https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-eating-enzyme-2647854723.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4

Markcheese

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Some plastics "break down" so that there's now lots of little pieces that aren't as visibly obvious as larger ones.

Quickly become the micro plastics that we're freaking out over ...

Del.Monte

amandstu wrote: »

Slightly off topic but hopefully relevant

"Plastic-Eating Super Enzyme Could Help Solve the Plastic Waste Crisis"

https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-eating-enzyme-2647854723.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4

Thread here: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058068577

feargale

magicbastarder wrote: »

i assume he means that a lot of plastic touted as biodegradable is not.

Yes but what do I do with sweet wrappers, bread wrappers etc? Recycling bin or wet bin?

Del.Monte

feargale wrote: »

Yes but what do I do with sweet wrappers, bread wrappers etc? Recycling bin or wet bin?

Waste bin.

two wheels good

feargale wrote: »

Talking of plastic, I cannot recycle soft plastic. Sweet wrappers, bread wrappers etc - are they plastic or paper? Thanks.

Some amenity tips take "soft plastic" wrappers e.g. Cork, Kinsale Rd. Even though they don't advertise the fact.
It's worth checking locally - in person or by phone maybe.


Lots more plastic with bread wrappers these days.

Funsterdelux

two wheels good wrote: »

Some amenity tips take "soft plastic" wrappers e.g. Cork, Kinsale Rd. Even though they don't advertise the fact.
It's worth checking locally - in person or by phone maybe.


Lots more plastic with bread wrappers these days.

Theyve stopped taking "foil plastic" i think thats what the called it in Cork(mallow) I think in the other centres too. The only plastics they are recycling is hdpe, pet and "hard plastic"

The soft plastics go into the general waste skips

feargale

It just seems a shame to consign so much good stuff to landfill, those wrappers, tinfoil etc. Back in the day the nuns used to collect tinfoil among other recyclables. I don't know what they did with the stuff. I'm talking about immediate post-war when people barely dreamed of environmental issues.

feargale

feargale wrote: »

It just seems a shame to consign so much good stuff to landfill, those wrappers, tinfoil etc. Back in the day the nuns used to collect tinfoil among other recyclables. I don't know what they did with the stuff. I'm talking about immediate post-war when people barely dreamed of environmental issues.

If there's any value in them, they may still be re-used from landfill some day.

Rather than mine aluminum from the ground, when technology catches up, it may become more cost effective to mine through landfill to extract the tinfoil.

Del.Monte

salonfire wrote: »

If there's any value in them, they may still be re-used from landfill some day.

Rather than mine aluminum from the ground, when technology catches up, it may become more cost effective to mine through landfill to extract the tinfoil.

That thought has often occurred to me although in places like Shankill and Greystones they have built housing developments on top of old landfills.

feargale

Del.Monte wrote: »

That thought has often occurred to me although in places like Shankill and Greystones they have built housing developments on top of old landfills.

Wouldn't it be alot easier and more productive to just recycle the stuff? I would gladly have four bins instead of two.