Uses of Biodegradable Plastics

Every day we encounter plastics. We use plastics in form of containers or

for packaging. There are two forms of plastics in use; synthetic plastics
and biodegradable plastics.
Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can decompose under normal
environmental conditions.
Synthetic plastics will not decompose under normal environmental
conditions.
The difference between the two forms in on how the plastics will behave
under normal environmental conditions. Because the biodegradable
plastic can decompose, there are most preferred by advocates of a
greener environment. There are various uses of the biodegradable plastics
and areas in which that form of plastics is most preferred as compared to
the normal synthetic plastic.
1. Packaging bags
One of the uses of biodegradable plastic is in the
supermarket for packaging bags. In the past, synthetic bags were
used for packaging of products. This was due to the cost of the
synthetic plastic and other forms of packaging. When the customers
are done with the plastic bags, they dispose of the plastics to the
landfills. Most governments had a concern over the issue with most
countries banning the use of plastic bags.
Some of the countries that have banned the use of the synthetic plastic
bags in the supermarket include Australia, Italy, Sweden, South
Africa, Kenya and Rwanda.
The biodegradable plastic bags are preferred because when the
customers are done with the plastic bags, they can dispose them
using any means without raising any environmental concerns.
2. Plant pots
Biodegradable plastics are used in making plant pots. We love the
beauty of plants, flowers and trees, in our homes. We acquire the
plants by purchasing them in pots. The plants are then kept and let
to grow within the soil that they germinate in. This soil is kept to
prevent us from interfering with the roots as we move the plant. The
flower pots are created using ceramics or plastics. Ceramics are
expensive making plastics a cheaper source of making flower
pots. Biodegradable plastic is used in preference to synthetic
plastic. This is because, as the plant grows, a biodegradable plastic
pot gets decomposed with time. The biodegradable plastic pot will
create pores. The pores are beneficial to the soil in the sense that it
will allow moisture and air to flow freely into and out of the soil.
3. Disposable utensils
Parties are fun. Parties are associated with food and drinks. As
the parties goes on any glass utensils have a higher probability of
breaking and in some cases end up in someones home. Disposable
utensils are created to be used in parties, especially when you want

many utensils and dont need to borrow but get cheaper

alternatives. Biodegradable plastics are now used to make the
disposable utensils so that when you are done using the utensils,
you can confidently throw the utensils along with any other
waste in your home. The utensils can later be decomposed and get
used as manure.
4. Packaging composting organic waste
Biodegradable plastics have found use in packaging composting
organic waste. Organic waste is decomposed. When the organic
waste is completely decomposed, it is then taken back to the farm
and used as manure. One way of storing the organic waste is by
storing the materials in compost tanks or in synthetic storages
which can then be reused or recycled for other uses. We can now use
degradable materials for this function. As the organic waste
decomposes, the packaging decomposes with the organic waste
and used along with the organic waste as manure. These makes
our work easier so that when we decompose the organic waste, we
dont have to create complicated stores for out materials or have fear
of using some synthetic packages which may break down and become
part of the compost manure posing an environmental problem or end
up in our water bodies.
5. Medical Implants
Biodegradable medical implants is one of the fastest growing areas in
the global orthopedics market expected to grow robustly in the next
few years.
In orthopedics, biomaterials are used in a range of surgical applications,
including joint replacements, fracture fixation plates, bone defect
fillers, artificial tendons and ligaments and bone cements.
Other medical applications include cardiovascular, ophthalmic,
sutures, burn and wound dressings, drug delivery systems,
cochlear implants, dental implants and more.
Implantable medical devices have long been used in orthopedic surgery to
hold fractured bones in place. For many years titanium and other metals
were widely used for fixing fractures.
Advantages

Disadvantages

high strength

growth restriction

low weight

2nd operation needed for

implant removal

excellent

temperature sensitivity and

visibility

corrosion
resistance
necessary to
adequately
support the
healing process

implant palpability
imaging/radiotherapy
interference
potential danger of crosscontamination

They now have attained the performance properties to gain an inroad in

the implant market to give competition to titanium as the preferred choice
of implant. Since synthetic biodegradable polymer based medical implants
:
1. Eliminate the need for a second surgical intervention to
remove the device
2. Reduces the total treatment time of the patient
3. Halves the number of operations required during the care
process
4. It also prevents re-fracture occurring upon removal of a
metal based implant
From the sudden transfer of load, previously borne by the implant, back to
the bone. Engineering the biodegradable implant to achieve predictable
degradation provides progressive bone loading, leading to better bone
healing and a reduction in the risk of re-fracture.
Biodegradable devices can be used as a foundation for drug delivery, so
that the degradation rate allows for the optimal release of the drug or
agent to further assist the healing process. As the benefits of
biodegradable medical implants become more widely known and
acceptable to the orthopedic surgeon, demand is expected to grow rapidly
relative to the growth rate of the orthopedics market.
Inion, a rapidly growing company focused on the development of novel
biodegradable medical implants, has received FDA 510(k) clearance of
its Trinion Meniscus Screw for use in knee cartilage repair. Trinion
screws are used for the fixation of longitudinal vertical meniscus
lesions, where the knee cartilage has torn.
Drug Delivery System
There is growing interest in the use of biodegradable polymers for site
specific drug delivery--whether as coatings on medical devices or as
devices, both fully biodegradable. SurModics, Inc. a leading provider of
surface modification and drug delivery solutions to the medical device
industry, has an exclusive license from OctoPlus to two novel classes of
biodegradable polymers (PolyActive and OctoDEX) for use in the site

specific delivery of drugs from medical devices.

PolyActive is a biodegradable polymeric drug delivery system. Its
biodegradability and linear release properties make it an excellent
technology for the controlled release of proteins and lipophilic small
molecules for both local and systemic administration, and have
applications in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.
Hernia Repair Device
TyRx Pharma, Inc, markets a biodegradable tyrosine-derived
polyarylate component of a new hernia repair device. The company uses
a combinatorially designed library of tyrosine-derived polyarylates
developed by a team at Rutgers .
When we think about the uses of biodegradable plastics, think of all the
places where plastics have been used before. That ranges from
packaging, storage to small devices within bigger machineries.
Biodegradable plastics have been not created to perform any new task
that had not been performed before but were created to substitute
synthetic plastics. The creation of biodegradable plastic was as a result of
an outcry from the environmental experts that the actions were becoming
detrimental.
These actions are inevitable so a solution had to be found to save planer
earth. Experts came up with several solutions which included use of clothe
bags or khaki bags. When you compare the cost of these options, the cost
of using a biodegradable plastic is much cheaper than all other options
which are less harmful to the environment.
More research is being conducted on production of biodegradable plastics.
As research progresses, cheaper ways are being discovered which can be
used to produce cheaper biodegradable plastic. Other factors such as oil
price are determining factors on how widely accepted the plastic bags will
be.
Oil is the major raw material of synthetic plastic. As oil price goes up, the
cost of plastic will increase. These increase will result in biodegradable
plastic being cheaper. In the future, we are likely to see more uses of
biodegradable plastics.

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