Bio-Macromolecules – Programmed Life Plastics from Polyolefins – Paper by Gerald Scott and David M Wiles

Programmed-Life Plastics from Polyolefins: A New Look at Sustainability† Gerald Scott*and David M. Wiles

In their paper – Programmed-Life Plastics from Polyolefins: A New Look at Sustainability† Gerald Scott*and David M. Wiles  – concluded that nature uses a combination of abiotic and biotic processes to return its own waste to the natural carbon cycle. Abiotic peroxidation and hydrolysis of man-made polymers normally precede the bio-assimilation of low molar mass products in the environment. Consequently, International Standards must reflect this fact and incorporate the relevant abiotic processes into test methods and protocols. The polyolefins have been shown to satisfy the same oxo-biodegradability criteria that characterize biopolymers such as natural rubber and lignin, and as they are more eco-efficient during manufacture and effective during use than bio-based polymers, it seems certain that they will remain the materials of choice for packaging and agricultural applications.

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