Biodegradable Polymers

All type of cleanliness is necessary for our good health whether it is surrounding cleanliness, environment cleanliness, workplace cleanliness, etc. Everyone should understand that cleanliness is as necessary as food and water. We should encourage people to recycle and reuse the waste. This can be done by telling people about the benefits. Here I will discuss about biodegradable polymers. Polymers are everywhere and there lies the problem. Most of the polymers we use on an everyday basis are petroleum-based products and although they are durable in use, they are also durable in waste.

According to UNICEF,
waste Biodegradable waste, that is completely decomposed by a biological process either in the presence or in absence of air is called biodegradable. e.g. Biodegradable polymers often refer to plastics that break down and decompose over time. Non-biodegradable waste, which cannot be decomposed by biological processes is called non-biodegradable waste. There are a few ways to help biodegradable waste management. In the present study, we have to discuss the impact of biodegradable waste on the environment and focus on its safe disposal for a sustainable environment.

solid waste can be classified into biodegradable and nonbiodegradable

Introduction:

Many different materials are used for packaging including metals, glass, wood, paper or pulp, plastics or combinations of more than one material as composites. In recent years, the recycling of packaging materials has increased but the recycling rates for most plastic packaging materials that are capable of undergoing decomposition into carbon dioxide, methane, water, inorganic compounds or biomass in which the predominant mechanism is the enzymatic action of micro-organisms, that can be measured by standardized tests, in a specified period of time, reflecting available disposal condition. The concept of synthetic biodegradable polymers was first introduced in 1980. In 1992, an international meeting was called where leaders in biodegradable polymers net to discuss a definition, standard, and testing protocol for biodegradable polymers. Eg. Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB), Nylon-2-nylon-6, etc.

Structure:

Biodegradable polymers tend to consist of ester, amide, or ether bonds. In general biodegradable polymers can be grouped into two large groups based on their structure and synthesis. One of these groups is agro-polymers or those derided from biomass. The Other consists of bio-polyesters, which are those derived from micro-organisms or synthetically made from either natural or synthetic monomers.

Agro-polymers include polysaccharides, like starches found in potatoes or wood, and proteins, such as animal-based whey or plant-derived gluten. Examples of polyesters include polyhdroxybutyrat and polylactic acid.

Applications and uses:

India is a developing country with 16 percent of the world population and two percent of the total land surface. The exponential increase in industrialization is not only consuming large areas of agricultural land but simultaneously causing serious environmental degradation. There are many uses of degradable polymers. Biodegradable polymers have an innumerable use in the biomedical field, particularly in the fields of tissue engineering and drug delivery. Conventional polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene are durable in nature can persist for many years after disposal. They are appropriate when used for products that require a long lifespan [Ex. plastic tables, chair]. In contrast, biodegradable polymers can be disposed of off in prepared bioactive environments to undergo degradation by the enzymatic actions of microorganisms. Biodegradable polymers are often derived from plant processing of atmospheric CO2. Biodegradation converts them to CO2, CH4, water, biomass, and other natural substances. Biodegradable polymers are thus naturally recycled by biological processes.

                                                                                                                      by Dhruv Valand