Questions
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Regular plastic
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Compostable
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Biodegradable
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Degradable
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What is it made of?
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Regular plastic is made of petrochemicals and oil.
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Compostable plastic is made of Corn starch.
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Biodegradable plastic is made of natural items such as corn starch or vegetable oil.
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Degradable plastic is made of natural materials such as corn starch.
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Can they compost?
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No
Environmentally damaging to produce but they are also non-biodegradable.
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Yes- only in a special composting facility.
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No biodegradable means they cannot break down easily after disposal .
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No
Degradable plastic are a new generation of plastics which are biodegradable through composting.
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How long to break down?
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10-1000 years.
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90-180 days.
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3-6 months.
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90-180 days.
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Can they be recycled?
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Yes - some
All plastic can be recycled even plastic fruit punnets and takeaway containers.
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No
They can not be recycled.
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No
they cannot be recycled because the starch or oil according to the US Energy Information Administration
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No they cannot be recycled because the starch or oil according to the US Energy Information Administration
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The difference between Degradable and Biodegradable is that they both have different time lengths to breaking down.
The difference between Regular plastic and Compostable is that Regular plastic is made of petrochemicals and oil and compostable is made of corn starch.
I think the best plastic to use is no plastic, we should use reusable cloth bags but if I had to choose it would biodegradable because it is made of corn starch and it takes the shortest time to breakdown.
Renee
