The timing of the decomposition of various wastes. How long does it take for plastic to decompose? What is biodegradation
There are billions of tons of household waste on the ground. And every year in less civilized countries their number is constantly increasing. People do not hesitate to litter everywhere: on the streets, in porches, parks, forests. I wonder if such people think about how much time it takes for all this waste to decompose? Most likely no. But in some cases, the decomposition of garbage takes thousands of years. We offer you to get acquainted with a small but informative selection of how long it takes to decompose certain wastes that we so irresponsibly leave anywhere. We really hope that many of you after reading this material will draw the appropriate conclusions.
The decomposition of food waste takes about a month.
Waste products (animal droppings)
Despite the fact that the decomposition time is relatively short - about 10-15 days, animal droppings on the streets are a very tangible problem, especially in large cities.
Newspapers
The term of decomposition of newsprint can be from 1 month to a whole season.
Cardboard
We often throw away cardboard boxes that were recently packed with new items we purchased. True, some people throw such waste in the right place, while others throw it wherever they want. So, the period of decomposition of cardboard boxes can be 3-4 months.
You will be surprised, but nature itself very often litters
Fallen leaves, seeds, dry twigs, and other remnants of the life cycle of plants and trees can cause serious pollution in urban areas. In some cases, the period of decomposition of these wastes can be up to 3-4 months.
Paper
The most seemingly ordinary office paper decomposes for 2 years.
building materials
In case of improper storage, the decomposition period of the same building boards can be 10 years.
iron fittings
The term of decomposition of the iron fittings applied in construction makes 11-13 years.
Cans
Every time you throw a tin can on the ground, remember that it takes 10 years to decompose.
old shoes
The decomposition period of the old shoes that we throw away is 10 years.
Brick and concrete
The decomposition period of waste, consisting of bricks and concrete, is 100 years.
car batteries
Their decay time is about 100 years.
Foil
When throwing away foil packaging, remember that it takes more than 100 years to decompose.
Batteries
The period of their decomposition is 110 years.
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 mineral water with you 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 will. Ultraviolet rays destroy the molecular structure of plastic, gradually turning a plastic bottle into a pile of small plastic fragments. This process is especially noticeable in those parts of the ocean, where currents collect plastic debris into huge islands of plastic bottles and plastic bags. Ecologists have noticed that if new garbage does not join the "island", 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 decomposed on the surface of the ocean releases 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 as soon as possible. The most promising idea is the use of natural products for the production of plastic containers. The advantages of 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 preservation of the environment. 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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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 may take longer to decompose 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 quite 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
Tin cans, car tires, Styrofoam 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 goods. 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 parts made of polyethylene can be dangerous for 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. In the 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
Do you know how much garbage decomposes? Do not know? Well, in vain - they would be in the know, they would not litter around themselves so much. It is especially striking how many years plastic decomposes - the most popular material for all occasions. We will tell you the most useful facts and tips so that you share them with your friends and benefit our planet Earth.
How many different types of garbage decompose: read and be surprised
How long plastic decomposes: ordinary plastic bags decompose in 100 years, but heavy plastic or chemical containers lie for 500 years. Those are some amazing numbers! Therefore, it is worth using decomposing bags made of environmental materials.
Dear moms, do you know how long a diaper decomposes? - A whole 500 years, so at least throw it in the trash can, and not past it.
How long does glass decompose: 1 million years! Amazed? We, too. Now put all glass bottles in special containers that will be recycled.
Do you know how long a tree decomposes? About 10 years, but oak, beech - longer.
Kurtsy, if you do not know how much a cigarette butt decomposes, we will answer: 5 years. That's how much a cigarette decomposes due to the cellulose acetate it contains. Are you still throwing bulls everywhere?
How long does polyethylene decompose: 100 years. Therefore, now scientists around the world are thinking about the question of how to replace it. We suggest using paper bags.
Fans of chewing, not talking, may be wondering how much gum decomposes in the ground. In hot climates, this will take 30 years, and in cold climates, several hundred years.
How long the metal decomposes: 100 years or more, depending of course which metal.
But a plastic bottle decomposes for more than 100 years. Considering how much a bag decomposes and how much plastic decomposes, let's not be pigs.
And remember yourself, and share this information with others to think about it. Here is a visual video on Youtube that will tell you what our bad upbringing costs for nature.
We are waiting for your likes and comments. J Was the article helpful to you? Read it to your teenage children. They often do not think about how badly such thoughtlessness and laziness affects nature. Bringing garbage to the bin is much easier than dealing with the consequences that soil pollution brings. Waste recycling technologies are improving, the main thing is that the garbage gets where it should be - to the landfill. Respect the work of janitors. We also advise you to watch a video from Youtube about how each of us can not only not litter, but clean up a certain area of \u200b\u200bthe forest or our yard to make it clean.
Where paper can be used, use it, not plastic. This can improve the ecology and conservation of species in your area. Many materials are toxic, they are very harmful to both plants and animals, pollute water bodies. Think about it. And so too many factors, especially in big cities, affect the environment.
Details Published: 01/29/2016 09:08The decomposition of plastic has become one of the most urgent problems of our time, as a very real danger looms over the planet to completely “drown” in the mountains of plastic bottles and plastic bags.
In the Pacific Ocean, not far from Indonesia, a whole continent of plastic bottles and other waste has already formed, exceeding the size of the largest island - Greenland. And the production of plastic products and plastic containers is growing and growing - only over the past 10 years in Russia, the volume of its production has increased 10 times.
Classification of additives that accelerate the decomposition of plastic
- Oxo-additives speed up the crushing of bags into small pieces, which no longer harm animals so much. All toxic properties are preserved, and the complete decomposition of these small pieces is not accelerated.
- Additives that accelerate the breakdown of polymer molecular chains under the influence of sunlight, certain air temperature, moisture and other activating factors. The term of decomposition of polyethylene with such additives is accelerated up to 5 years.
- Additives that cause the release of carbon and hydrogen molecules from plastic, which are already freely absorbed by bacteria and fungi.
- Finally, a biopolymer is a plastic made from plant waste, such as corn stalks. It is the most harmless and rapidly degradable polymer option available today.
How long do different types of plastic decompose without additives?
The decomposition of plastic proceeds at different rates depending on its composition. Plastic bags decompose the fastest - about 100 years in the soil. Products made of polypropylene and other types of food and non-food plastics decompose much longer. The period of their complete decomposition in the soil is at least 500 years. For comparison - the period of decomposition of aluminum canisters is 500 years, cans - 100 years, bones - from 10 years. The decomposition time of plastic in water increases many times over and is not even known exactly. Plastic bags floating in the water cause mass death of fish and birds. But that is not all. During the decomposition of plastic, toxic substances are released into the environment that poison the soil and water (styrene, formaldehyde, phenol, chlorprene, urethane, etc.).
What other options are offered to solve the problem?
- Cessation of the production of food plastic containers and plastic bags following the example of China and India.
- Further development of so-called biopolymers, i.e. plastics that decompose quickly in natural conditions without releasing toxic substances.
- Changing the composition of household polymers to reversible ones (those that can be remelted many times).
- Breeding a special type of bacteria that will process and neutralize plastic residues in special storage facilities. It is supposed to remove such bacteria by the method of genetic modification.