Polymers, Environmentally Degradable

Abstract

Environmentally degradable polymers are a new technology being developed in response to polymer waste‐management, effects of which are threatening to consume valuable landfill sites and are detracting from the aesthetics of land‐ and seascapes. These polymers are one of a range of technologies that are addressing the problem; others include recycle, incineration, and continued landfill. Environmentally degradable polymers include water‐soluble polymers and plastics and degrade by oxidation, hydrolysis, irradiation (photodegradation), and biological pathways. The principal opportunities for this technology are in the niche markets for plastic used in food packaging, agriculture, hygienic products, and other applications with difficult‐to‐recover options; and for water‐soluble polymers in general, which are not sufficiently readily recoverable for one of the alternative disposal technologies to be of value.