UAE | Environment
Are 'green' bags truly green?
So-called biodegradable plastic bags may be misleading the public and could have an even worse effect on the environment than ordinary bags because they are not really fully biodegradable, says an international expert.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:05 July 19, 2008
- Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
- Plastic bags dumped at an apartment building and near the Zayed Cricket stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai: So-called biodegradable plastic bags may be misleading the public and could have an even worse effect on the environment than ordinary bags because they are not really fully biodegradable, says an international expert.
But companies preparing to bring a solution for the plastic bag problem to the UAE, such as compostable or "oxo-degradable" bags, say these bags are ecologically sound.
It all comes down to whether or not plastic bags triggered to disintegrate by a chemical compound inserted at the time of production are fully consumed by micro organisms, or whether plastic particles linger in the ground picking up more toxicity once landfilled.
Earlier this year, UAE-based company Eco-polymers signed a contract to distribute plastic additives from British company Symphony Environmental for oxo-biodegradable bags here.
But Ramani Narayan, distinguished professor at the department of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University, claims that oxo-products are not completely consumed by micro-organisms and cannot be called biodegradable.
"Little or no data is provided that the fragments or broken down particles are completely consumed in one year or less. The key phrase is 'complete'. If they are not completely consumed, then these degraded fragments, which may be invisible to the naked eye, pose serious environmental consequences," he wrote to Gulf News.
Excel International, based in Ras Al Khaimah, has announced that it has been authorised to distribute additives for oxo-degradable plastic from Wells Plastics in the UK to all GCC countries except Saudi Arabia.
The additives, branded Reverte, are claimed to impart biodegradable properties to the plastic films or bags produced.
Ronnie Khojotia, chief executive of Avesthagen, based in Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park, told Gulf News the small chemical compound in oxo-degradable plastics reduces the weight of the plastic and allows it to just fragment easily "into butterfly pieces."
According to European bioplastics standards, bio-degradable plastic should completely decompose in three to six months. "At least 90 per cent of the product should be consumed by micro-organisms in 90 days," said Khojotia.
According to Wells Plastics, plastic treated with Reverte will biodegrade but will take longer.
"Reverte oxo-biodegradable technology is not the ultimate or only solution to problems related to plastic waste in the environment but it is a step in the right direction," said a spokes-person for Wells Plastic.
The American Society for Testing and Materials has recognised oxo-biodegradation. It should take 180 days.
"Plastics with Reverte additives degrade and ultimately biodegrade slower than the rate specified in these standards. This does not mean they will not biodegrade. They convert the carbon to carbon dioxide in a slightly longer time frame," they added.
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