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Home > Reports and Documents > Biodegradable plastics and marine litter: misconceptions, concerns and impacts on marine environments > Biodegradable plastics and marine litter: misconceptions, concerns and impacts on marine environments

Biodegradable plastics and marine litter: misconceptions, concerns and impacts on marine environments [1]

Widespread adoption of products labelled 'biodegradable' will not significantly decrease the volume of plastic entering the ocean or the physical and chemical risks that plastics pose to marine environment, concluded a UN report released. The report, "Biodegradable Plastics and Marine Litter. Misconceptions, Concerns and Impacts on Marine Environments", finds that complete biodegradation of plastics occurs in conditions that are rarely, if ever, met in marine environments, with some polymers requiring industrial composters and prolonged temperatures of above 50°C to disintegrate. There is also limited evidence suggesting that labelling products as 'biodegradable' increases the public's inclination to litter.

Publication Date: 
17/11/2015
UNEP [2]
Tags:
Marine Ecosystems [3], Plastics [4], Biodegradable Waste [5], Waste Management [6], Oceans and Seas [7], Environment [8]
Centre for Science and Environment
National Knowledge Commission Government of India

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Source URL: http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/biodegradable-plastics-and-marine-litter-misconceptions-concerns-and-impacts

Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/biodegradable-plastics-and-marine-litter-misconceptions-concerns-and-impacts
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/publisher/unep
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/marine-ecosystems
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/plastics
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/biodegradable-waste
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/waste-management
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/oceans-and-seas
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/environment