UAE | Environment
Additive can make plastic completely biodegradable
An additive to make plastic bottles biodegrade completely is now on the market for UAE water companies to consider in their packaging which could also reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:33 December 15, 2008
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
- Garbage produced by households in the UAE is among the highest in the world. Plastic bottles and cans are the main items which go to the landfills in the UAE.
Dubai: An additive to make plastic bottles biodegrade completely is now on the market for UAE water companies to consider in their packaging which could also reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills.
The oxo-biodegradable additive is similar to what is currently being used in plastic bags to make them degrade quickly and completely once in landfills, or if discarded in nature.
The additive can increase the rate at which polyethylene terephthalate commonly abbreviated to PET, the plastic used for drinking water bottles, breaks down.
UAE residents have the highest per capita consumption of bottled water with 265 litres per year, according to industry experts, creating a lot of plastic waste of which only a minimal amount is recycled.
John James, export manager for Wells Plastics who have created oxo-biodegradable additives under the brand name Reverte, said the plastic bottles would break down completely in 10 years.
"Usually drinking water bottles have a shelf life of between one to two years so essentially the additives used will have a slower reaction. It depends on the breakdown environment but initial research suggests that 10 years is the time it will take to break down," said James.
"The additive is completely food contact safe and there are no concerns. Food packaging which have these additives are touching food all the time," he added.
James added that bottles manufactured with oxo-biodegradable ingredients will able to be recycled just as ordinary bottles.
"The first priority with plastic bottles is recycling but for some countries where the infrastructure is not there, these additives will offer a solution to manage the waste," he said. The additives are available now from the UK.
Banning plastic bags is too extreme, said James as they are still needed. Supermarkets who introduce a fee for the previously free carrier bags experienced a surge in sales of garbage bags. "Therefore plastic is still being used, but at least with carrier bags they were used twice, garbage bags are just used once," he said.
Additives can help make plastic more user and environmentally friendly, revolutionising the use of plastics essentially by changing it in one way or another.
According to James, oxo-biodegadable additives are being used in garbage bags, food wrappings, as well as vegetable bags freely available in supermarkets.
Did you know?: What is oxo-biodegradable
Oxo-biodegradable Plastics (OBP's) are plastic materials, generally traditional polyolefins, that undergo a two-step degradation, initially by an oxidative process that is promoted by the inclusion of catalytic additives and subsequently by biodegradation. Products made from these materials degrade under conditions of sunlight (UV) heat, or mechanical stress to complete the cycle of resource utilisation and return otherwise intractable plastics to their natural origins.
More from UAE Environment
More from UAE
Latest news
- Youngsters dance and raise cash for charity
- Dubai departments upgrade services
- Get yourself a free test for diabetes
- Ensuring a safety net for intellectual property
- Reader's issue addressed
- 5,552 illegals held in Dubai this year
- Man cleared because he took drugs in France
- Man charged with trafficking women
- Auditors to probe Mizin graft case
- Breaking down cultural barriers with photographs
- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visits Islamic centre
- Police's secret source scheme reaps rewards
- Transfusion centre launches new toll free number
- Mirror, mirror show me the way
- Smart e-Gate system launched
Community Reports
-
Mirror, mirror show me the way
Driver on Salam Street had so many boxes and fruits piled into car, he would not be able to view rear or right side mirrors
-
Parents should be more vigilant
Reader's picture highlights risk of negligence by caretakers
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
