Issues Related To Biodegradable Plastics

However, although there have been many studies and reports on degradable plastics, many specific problems cannot be solved, making promotion extremely difficult and the prospects not optimistic. The reason is: firstly, biodegradable plastic bags have low load-bearing capacity and cannot meet the requirements of customers for overcharging and repeated use; Secondly, biodegradable plastic bags have a dull yellow color and low transparency, giving people a feeling of not being clean enough and unsightly, making them uneasy to use; The third reason is that the price is on the high side, and the cost is difficult to accept due to the free gift provided by the merchant.
For example, in order to solve the environmental pollution problem caused by EPS fast food lunch boxes. Try using paper lunch boxes or biodegradable plastic lunch boxes instead. However, due to the following reasons, it is extremely difficult to promote: firstly, EPS has high strength, light weight, and good insulation; Secondly, the price of paper lunch boxes is 1.5-2.5 times that of EPS; Thirdly, even if degradable PP lunch boxes are used, their performance cannot compare to EPS. Chinese authorities require the use of plant fiber to make disposable tableware instead of EPS. However, due to the use of polymer thermosols in the molding process of this plant fiber tableware, there are still treatment issues and pesticide content control issues remaining in the plant fiber tableware.
Therefore, there is still a long way to go in the development and research of degradable plastics. The development of biodegradable plastics industry is facing five major challenges. The first is that the technology is not mature enough, and the performance of degradable plastic products cannot fully meet various consumer needs. Although there are many varieties of biodegradable plastics available in the market, the mechanical and processing performance of each material itself is only outstanding in one aspect, and there are still shortcomings in its comprehensive performance. At present, the research on the processing of degradable plastic products in China is still weak. Most enterprises focus on material synthesis and neglect product processing and development. Some catering utensils made of biodegradable plastics differ significantly from traditional plastic products in terms of heat resistance, water resistance, and mechanical strength.
The second issue is cost. The price of biodegradable plastic products is still difficult to compete with petroleum based products, which requires continuous reduction of production costs and product prices through technological progress.
The third is the lack of strong policy or legal and regulatory support. In foreign countries, the government supports the development of the biodegradable plastic industry through policies such as setting up special development funds and tax incentives. Currently, China's support in this area is gradually strengthening, and macro policy support is also increasing. However, the lack of detailed rules is not conducive to the development of production-oriented enterprises.