How long does it take for a plastic bag to decompose. Waste products and garbage: how long does it take to decompose
Every day in the process of life of one person, about a kilogram of garbage is generated. Every day, cities accumulate tons of household waste. How much garbage decomposes depends on what it was originally, more precisely - from natural or industrial material items were made or produced.
Garbage is of organic and inorganic origin, and the period of its decomposition can vary from a couple of weeks to decades.
How long does it take for organic waste to completely decompose?
- Organic products of natural origin decompose quite quickly: animal droppings turn into valuable fertilizer in just 10 days.
- Small plant residues - fallen leaves, fruits, seeds, dried grass - gradually rot, and completely turn into humus within a month, at least the next year. Therefore, it is better to use all this organic “wealth” in the fall, and use it for the benefit of your garden or even flower beds. For the decomposition of large branches, much more time is required - up to 10 years.
- Before throwing the peel from the eaten banana on the ground, you should think carefully: after all, its decomposition period can reach six months.
- Leftover food will be processed by rotting bacteria in a couple of weeks (and even faster).
- It will take about three years for clothing made from cotton, viscose, and linen to completely decompose.
- Products made of natural wool are destroyed by microorganisms in a shorter period - about a year.
- Paper waste decomposes into different dates: a regular bus ticket disappears in a month, newspapers and books in 2 years, and waxed paper in at least 5 years.
Do not burn together paper and food waste: as a result of such combustion, harmful substances are formed - dioxides.
How long do different types of garbage decompose?
Wood products, like large wood residues, decompose in up to 10 years, but much depends on what kind of treatment the wood has been subjected to. While conventional planed boards take about 4 years to decompose, lacquered or oil-painted boards take longer, over 13 years.
Convenient and widespread packaging for many food products is a bank. It takes about 10 years for an iron can to decompose completely, a tin container takes longer to decompose - up to 90 years, and an aluminum container to completely disappear from the face of the earth will take up to 500 years.
Polyethylene bags, in which most of the goods are packaged, decompose in a period of 100 to 200 years.
A cigarette butt thrown on the ground, or rather, a cigarette filter, will decay up to 3 years.
Every housewife uses sponges for washing dishes, the decomposition period of which is about two centuries.
The invention of disposable diapers has made life easier for many new mothers: there is no need for tedious washing of diapers and baby clothes. But few people know that the period of decomposition of a used diaper is about 500 years. The same, incidentally, applies to women's sanitary pads. It would be more logical to use for kids and.
Regular chewing gum in warm climatic conditions disappears in 30 years, and in the cold it can persist for hundreds of years.
As you can see waste decomposition time has a wide range, and you need to know about it, and in some cases you can give things used for their intended purpose a “second life”, for example, to make or for flowers.
And in conclusion, we can recall the statement of the American comedian George Carlin. At one of his speeches, talking about the harm caused to nature by people, he said: “The planet is not going anywhere. We'll be gone."
Thinking about environmental issues, it should be understood that we are not saving the earth, but, first of all, ourselves.
On the Internet you can find a lot of information about the timing of decomposition different types waste, however, is generally not specified official source information and some figures are questionable. The Epoch Times analyzed several specialized sources on English language to clarify the time during which the garbage decomposes. The publication presents infographics for a more visual perception.
According to environmental policy expert Tatyana Tevkun, official landfills alone occupy about 7% of Ukraine's territory. At the same time, the accumulation of waste increases by 5-7% annually.
Although individual residents of the city may take waste to specialized collection points marked on “ Epoch Times”, however, the issue has not been resolved at the state level, and most of population continues to throw all the waste in one box.
Let's see how many years the waste that ends up in the landfill will decompose.
From the website of the US Department of Protective Services environment The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has published a list that gives an idea of the approximate time frame for the decomposition of some things that end up in the trash.
At the same time, the period of decomposition of plastic bags given in this table is questionable. In many Ukrainian sources, the period of their decomposition is 100-200 years. Some sources give a figure of 500 or even 1000 years. However, it is impossible to establish an exact figure for the reason that plastic bags have been used for a little over 50 years, and scientists determine the decomposition period only experimentally.
At the same time, environmentalists say that even biodegradable bags may never fully decompose. This is due to the fact that when they decompose to the smallest particles, microorganisms do not want to process them. Thus, microparticles of plastic will continue to exist in an unprocessed form, although they are not visible to the naked eye. The influence of these particles on nature has yet to be studied by scientists.
We also invite you to get acquainted with the data from another Western source dedicated to recycling waste - .
The site publishes the average value of the decomposition time various waste on the garbage dumps taken from Western sources of information.
It takes more than a million years for glass and ceramics to turn into smaller things under the influence of water, but in the earth they can last indefinitely.
The decomposition period of paper is not very long, but lead dyes with effluents enter water bodies, making water unsuitable for drinking, poisoning the soil and everything that grows on it.
Of course, not everything that we throw away is harmful to the environment, organic waste is even useful, as it fertilizes the earth. The decomposition time of organic waste is minimal, but, accumulating in urban landfills, they emit an unpleasant odor and attract insects and rodents that spread various infectious diseases. At the same time, the methane gas emitted by landfill organic waste is believed to contribute to global warming.
One of the most hazardous waste are batteries and energy-saving lamps containing mercury. One battery is considered to pollute 20 square meters or 400 liters of water.
Much of what we throw in the landfill can get a second life. Sorting garbage that has already ended up in a landfill is a rather complicated and costly task, the only way out is to separate human waste at the level of each family.
Every day we see abandoned bottles, leftover food, plastic bags, paper and plastic cups and other garbage on the roads, sidewalks, yards and parks that were simply left on the street.
Sometimes it seems to us that in another day it will be removed, and in the landfill it will begin to decompose. But, firstly, not everywhere the garbage is removed in a timely manner, and secondly, some garbage can decompose for thousands of years.
How long does garbage take to decompose?
Scientists have already proven that plastic bottles and bags can lie for hundreds, thousands and even millions of years and not decompose.
Here is a list of the things we throw away and how long it takes for that garbage to decompose.
Paper and food waste
2 weeks
Apple cores and other fruit leftovers.
Although this is a fairly short time to decompose, leftover food on the ground can attract unwanted "friends" such as rats.
About 1 month
Paper napkins, paper bags, newspapers, paper towels.
The time it takes these things to decompose can vary greatly, as it depends on how you got rid of that type of trash.
6 weeks
Cereal boxes, paper bags, banana peels.
Banana peel can decompose in more than long term if the weather is cooler. Since the peel is designed to keep the fruit fresh, it is high in cellulose, the same material that plastic bags are made from.
Some conservationists warn that the skins of some fruits, including banana peels, can take months to decompose. Even if the product is natural, this does not mean that it decomposes quickly.
2 to 3 months
Cardboard packaging for milk and juices and other types of cardboard.
The decomposition time of the cardboard primarily depends on its thickness. It is worth noting that some cartons may contain chemicals that significantly slow down the decomposition process.
6 months
Cotton clothes and paper books.
Of all types of fabrics, cotton decomposes the fastest because it is natural. If the cotton fabric thrown into the landfill is rather thin, then in warm weather it can decompose in just a week.
1 year
Woolen clothes (sweaters, socks).
Wool is a natural product and can decompose relatively quickly. What's more, as wool decomposes, it releases soil-friendly elements such as keratins. This product cannot be called completely garbage, as it does not cause long-term harm to the environment.
2 years
Orange peel, plywood, cigarette butts (although some studies indicate that cigarette butts can take over 10 years to decompose).
Up to 5 years
Heavy clothing made of wool, such as a coat or overcoat.
plastic trash
Up to 20 years old
Plastic bags. But studies show that in some cases, plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
Many new plastic bags are designed to degrade quickly when exposed to direct sunlight.
However, most plastic bags are made from high-density polyethylene. Microorganisms in the ground do not perceive the chemicals that make up the bag as food, and therefore they do not participate in its decomposition.
30-40 years old
Products containing nylon: bodysuits, windbreakers, carpets, diapers. Some scientists believe that such goods can take up to 500 years to decompose, depending on environmental conditions.
While diapers are quite comfortable, they are also quite toxic, even if you haven't used them yet. They are processed with a variety of chemicals such as toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and dipentene, as well as a chemical called dioxin, which is a highly toxic carcinogen.
Metal debris, rubber, leather
50 years
Cans, car tires, foam cups, leather.
Leather can be chemically treated (as in the case of fashion items) and take much longer to decompose.
The thick leather used to make shoes can take up to 80 years to decompose.
Decomposition of polyethylene
70 to 80 years old
rustling plastic bags(from chips and packaging, for example).
Despite the fact that a person eats the contents of a bag of chips very quickly, the bags themselves decompose for a long time. For example, a US resident found an empty bag of crisps on a Devon beach, dated 1967, but the bag itself looked like it had been thrown away last week.
About 100 years
Polyethylene products.
Of course, the decomposition time depends on the density and structure of the product. For example, ordinary plastic shopping bags can take up to 100 years to decompose.
Also in the category of things that can decompose for more than a century includes plastic bottles and various plastic containers and bowls.
It is worth noting that small details made of polyethylene can pose a danger to animals that can choke on them.
Aluminum decomposition
About 200 years
Aluminum cans (from beer or soda, for example).
In this case, everything also depends on the density of the material and its structure. AT best case such objects decompose for 200 years, but this process can drag on for half a millennium.
It is worth noting that, like plastic products, such items are dangerous for small animals that can climb into an empty jar and get stuck in it.
Such cans can be recycled many times and this process requires much less energy than creating a new can. Using the same amount of energy, you can make 20 recycled cans or 1 new aluminum can.
Recycling aluminum cans
Plastic decomposition
If you at least sometimes pay attention to environmental problems, then you probably know what damage plastic does to our planet. This collection contains 20 facts about plastic that will make you think even more about whether it is worth massing it.
1. It takes about 450 years for plastic to start decomposing. After that, it will take another 50-80 years until it completely decomposes. At the current rate of production of this material, our planet will be completely covered in plastic before it begins to decompose. 
2. Taking into account the period of decomposition, it can be said that not a single piece of plastic produced in the next 4 centuries will even begin to decompose 
3. The average American consumed 1.6 gallons of bottled water in 1976. Already in 2006 this figure rose to 28.3 gallons and continues to grow rapidly. 
4. 40% common plastic waste make up plastic bottles 
5. One more interesting fact is that 90% of the price you pay for water is the cost of plastic, while the water itself costs about 10% 
6. One resident of any of the highly developed countries buys an average of 150 bottles of water per year, while not paying attention to the alternative 
7. 24 million gallons of oil are needed to make a billion plastic bottles
8. Only 25 recycled bottles are enough to make a jacket for an adult. 
9. Europeans are also not interested in plastic recycling. Currently, only 2.5 percent of the total mass is recycled in Europe. 
10. One of the main polluters of the ocean is the fishing industry. throwing out a huge amount of plastic waste. Approximately 150 tons enter the water every year, including packaging, fishing nets, and other debris. 
11. This garbage causes the death of many marine life who mistake garbage for food. The number of animals dying is in the millions. The ejection of debris also leads to the formation of the Great Pacific Garbage Island, where currents bring all of the ejected plastic.
12. Over 13 billion plastic bottles are produced in the world every year. 
13. good sign is that over the past few years, plastic recycling in the United States has at least tripled, with more than 1,600 enterprises already involved in recycling 
14. However, the percentage of recycled plastic in the US is only 27%, which is still the highest in the world. 
15. Recycling just one plastic bottle can generate enough energy to power a 60V light bulb for 6 hours. 
16. Recycling plastic can save up to 2/3 of the energy needed to make plastic from raw materials. 
17. 4 out of 5 bottles in the US are made of plastic. In other countries of the world, this figure is much higher. 
18. Studies show that about 90% of consumers reuse plastic bags, as trash bags or for some other purpose. 
19. Storing and shipping water in plastic bottles is the least energy efficient method, but still the most popular. 
20. Some countries completely ban the use of plastic bottles. Among them are Australia, China, Austria, Bangladesh, Ireland and several other countries. 
If you accidentally drop a water bottle under your feet, you will breathe a sigh of relief, thinking “it's good that scientists have invented such a practical material as plastic.” After all, if not for him, the floor would be filled with liquid, and you risked stepping on sharp fragments.
Imagine that you went on a hike and, of course, took with you mineral water in a plastic bottle. After a few hours, all the water is used up and unnecessary plastic can be thrown away. But here is the problem - there is not a single urn around, and the thought creeps into my head: “why not throw this bottle somewhere here - sooner or later the plastic will decompose.” But a responsible and sane person would never do that. Organic materials such as wood, when buried in the soil, quickly decompose and turn into compost by bacteria. But when it comes to plastic, bacteria won't help break it down.
It may seem that a discarded plastic bottle will take forever to decompose, but of course it is not. Where bacteria won't help sunlight. Ultraviolet rays destroy the molecular structure of plastic, gradually transforming plastic bottle into a pile of small plastic pieces. This process is especially noticeable in those parts of the ocean where currents plastic trash going to huge islands from plastic bottles and plastic bags. Environmentalists have noticed that if the "island" does not join new trash, over time it begins to decrease. It has been established that under the influence of direct sunlight, an ordinary plastic bottle collapses in about a year.
You can breathe a sigh of relief - the problem of plastic decomposition has been solved? Not at all. Harmful substances contained in plastic do not go anywhere. Plastic packaging that decomposes on the surface of the ocean emits toxic substances(for example, bisphenol A, which causes cancer), which, sinking to the bottom, poison marine life, settling in their gills.
Without plastic bottles and bags, modern civilization can no longer imagine its life, but the problem of environmental pollution with plastic must be solved in as soon as possible. Most promising idea sees the use of natural products for the production plastic containers. Advantages this method are obvious: a plastic bag made, for example, from corn starch, will decompose in just half a month.
In the meantime, new technologies are on the way, each of us can contribute to the conservation surrounding nature. To do this, it is enough just to throw a plastic bottle or bag into the place intended for this, and not throw it anywhere.
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