In response to the nationwide plastic ban, biodegradable plastic bags have become a notable product in the market. These bags have several benefits compared to regular plastic bags. So, what are these advantages exactly?
Plastic bags have become an integral part of our daily lives due to their convenience and ease of use. However, in the process, people have forgotten the original purpose of their invention, which wasn't meant to create disposable items. Unfortunately, plastic bags are often discarded after just one use, leading to more and more plastic waste accumulating over time. It's important to note that the predominant raw material for producing plastic bags is polyethylene, which is highly resistant to degradation. As a result, it's common to find large areas of land being occupied by buried plastic bags, leading to what's known as "white pollution." The good news is that by switching to biodegradable plastic bags, this problem can be addressed. These types of bags can fully degrade in just a few months, a significant improvement compared to traditional polyethylene plastic bags. This helps to alleviate the strain on land resources, making it a win-win solution for everyone.
As our society becomes more environmentally conscious, plastic bags in supermarkets have undergone a transformation from low-cost PE bags to biodegradable PBAT bags that cost around a dollar. Similarly, straws are now made from PLA materials instead of PP. However, while biodegradable materials are a more sustainable option than traditional plastics, they have a major drawback—they tend to be brittle and lack impact resistance. To solve this issue, there are methods for toughening and modifying degradable plastics. One way is to add toughening agents during modification. These agents thermoplastically fuse with the material. By fully integrating their molecular chains with the plastic material, they improve adhesion and result in better colour retention and oxidation resistance, as well as higher toughness, tensile strength, elasticity, and tensile strength. Additionally, these agents reduce cracking and deformation after molding, significantly enhancing impact resistance.