PLASTICS FROM PLANTS, NOT PETROLEUM

摘要

This concluding report examines such issues as recyclability, life cycle analyses, retailer acceptance and industry outlook. DETERMINING the "greenness" or sustainability of bioplastics is based on a variety of factors including raw material sources,nonrenewable energy utilization, manufacturing techniques and end of life disposal options. One end of life "disposal" option is composting. A sidebar in Part I of this article, (May 2006) discussed specifications for biodegradability in a composting environment. Specifications were developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials; ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868 require materials to disintegrate and biodegrade under commercial composting conditions and the resulting composij to be able to supportplant life.