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Volume 8, Issue 6 (Suppl) J Bioremediat Biodegrad, an open access journal
ISSN:2155-6199 Biopolymers & Bioplastics 2017
October 19-20, 2017
October 19-20, 2017 San Francisco, USA
7th International Conference and Exhibition on
Biopolymers and Bioplastics
AReview of biodegradation of biodegradable plastics under industrial compost, marine, soil, and anaerobic
digestion
Joseph Greene
California State University, USA
Biodegradation was measured for biodegradable, compostable, and oxodegradable plastics while exposed to aerobic composting,
soil, marine, and anaerobic digestion environments. Biodegradable plastics included, corn-starch based biobag, PHA bag, Ecoflex
bag, and PLA lids. Positive and negative controls included, Kraft paper and polyethylene. Other plastics included, and oxodegradable
plastic bags. For industrial composting environment, compostable plastic products, along with oxodegradable, cellulose paper, Kraft
paper, and polyethylene plastic wrap, were placed in an environment consistent with ASTM5338 conditions. For marine environment,
the plastic samples were placed in a test environment consistent with ASTM 6691. For anaerobic digestion, plastic samples were
placed in an environment consistent with ASTM 5511. For soil burial environment, plastic samples were placed in an environment
consistent with EN 13432.The degradation was evaluated by measuring CO2 gas, which evolves from the degrading plastic samples.
For industrial compost conditions, the compostable plastics, namely, PLA, sugar cane, PHA, Ecoflex, and starched-based biobag,
degraded at least 90% and met the degradation time requirement in the ASTM D-6400 standard. Theoxodegradable, UV-degradable
plastics, and LDPE plastic bag had negligible degradation. After 180 days placed in a commercial food-waste composting operation,
PLA, PHA, Ecoflex, and corn starch plastics completely degraded. Small fragments of sugar cane lids and Kraft paper were visible.
The oxo-biodegradable plastic bags, LDPE plastic bags and UV-degradable plastic bag did not fragment nor degrade. The samples
were also exposed to a simulated marine environment. Under marine conditions, PHA experienced significant biodegradation.
Alternatively, corn-starch based trash bag, PLA cup, Ecoflex bag, sugar cane lids, UV-degradable plastic ring, and Kraft paper did
not exhibit biodegradation under marine conditions. Under anaerobic conditions PHA experienced biodegradation, but PLA, paper,
and polyethylene did not. Under soil burial conditions, PHA and starch based plastics exhibited some biodegradation, but PLA and
polyethylene did not.
Biography
Dr. Joe Greene is a professor and department chair in the Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and Sustainable Manufacturing Department at California State
University, Chico. He received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1993 from the University of Michigan. Joe began teaching at California State University, Chico in
1998 after a 14-year career with General Motors Corporation in Detroit, Michigan. His research interests include biobased and biodegradable polymers, recycled
plastics, composting technology, and anaerobic digestion.
Joseph Greene, J Bioremediat Biodegrad 2017, 8:6 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2155-6199-C1-011