Biodegradable Plastic Emits Less CO2

TRANSCRIPT:

Christina Thompson (Anchor, EarthxNews): A new study says replacing plastics with biodegradable alternatives would lead to significant carbon emissions reductions.

As we know plastic pollution and its impact on the environment have become a critical global issue in recent years. Research teams analyzed 1,000 traditional plastic products like plastic bags, lunchboxes and cups, and compared them to biodegradable plastic products.

Researchers found that the biodegradable plastic emitted 62% less carbon than its traditional alternative. The study also found that the optimal waste disposal methods for biodegradable plastic products were composting anaerobic digestion since they’re better for the environment.

However, the high cost of biodegradable plastic products poses a challenge for their widespread use. Experts say more research is needed to make a production technologies and waste disposable method that’s less expensive to encourage adoption of biodegradable plastic.