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  DEGRADABLE PLASTICS Whom to Contact: Melissa Hockstad What's New | Background | Applications | Research | Standards* | Additional Information* | What's New Read SPI's December 11, 2006 comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Proposed Designation of Biobased Items for Federal Procurement. Read SPI's October 16, 2006 comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Proposed Designation of Biobased Items for Federal Procurement. Degradable Plastics Educational Session Presentations from NPE 2006 – The NPE 2006 Free Conference provided educational sessions on innovative topics including degradables. Copies of the degradables session presentations are provided below:
International Degradable Plastics Symposium: Status of Biobased and Synthetic Polymer Technology Presentations "Biobased and Biodegradable Plastics" – Dr. Ramani Narayan, Michigan State Univervisty "Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guidelines for Degradable Plastics Claims" – C. Steven Baker, FTC "The Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program: Standards and Status" – Marvin Duncan, USDA, Office of the Chief Economist "Environmental Programs at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center using Biodegradable and Biobased Materials" – Christopher Thellen, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center "Compostability & Biodegradability: The Regulatory Framework, Standards, Norms, Certification in the U.S. and Globally" – Bruno DeWilde, Organic Waste Systems "Designing for Disposal with Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics" – Steve Mojo, Bio Products Institute "Degradable Plastics – A Canadian Perspective" – Fred Edgecombe, Canadian Plastics Industry Association "Degradables in the Plastics Recycling Stream: The End of the World or a New Opportunity?" – David Cornell, Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers "Synthetic Polymers in the Marine Environment. What We Know, What We Need to Know" – Charles Moore, Algalita Marie Research Foundation "Environmental Concerns of Durable and Degradable Plastics Related to Marine Debris and its Impact on Oceans and Waterways" – Kathleen Register, for The Ocean Conservancy "Reduction of Plastic Debris in the Marine and Coastal Environment: NOAA's Role, Challenges, and Potential Solutions" – Holly A. Bamford, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program "Novel Organic Peroxides for Modification of PLA" – Paul Iacobucci, Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals "Functionalized NatureWorks PLA Resins for Flexible Films and Extrusion Coating" – Daniel Carraway, Danimer Scientific "Processing and Properties of Biaxially Oriented PLA/Thermoplastic Starch Blends" – Nathalie Chapleau, NRCC "FT-IR Spectroscopic Determination of L-Lactide Polymerization Conversion: A New in-situ Approach" – Birgit Braun, Colorado School of Mines "The Effect of Chemical Treatments of Corncobs on the Properties of Corncob Reinforced PLA Composites" – Masud Huda, Michigan State University "Interfacial Modification of PLA/Thermoplastic Starch Blends" – Michel Huneault, NRCC "Biobased Polymers and Composites from Soybeans" – Richard Wool, University of Delaware "Ethoxylated Soybean Polyols for Polyurethanes" – Michail Ionescu, Pittsburg State University "Challenges in Biomass-Thermoplastic Composites" – Roger Rowell, USDA Forest Products Laboratory "Biobased Contents of Polycaprolactone Composites with Cellulose Filler Measured by Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy Based on ASTM D6866" – Masao Kunioka, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology "Tensile Properties of Composites of Cellulose Fiber and Biodegradable Thermoplastics Made Using Bentonite Clay to Disperse the Fiber" – Charles Ludvik, USDA-ARS "PHA Natural Plastics: A Distruptive Technology for a Sustainable Future" – Daniel J. Gilliland, Metabolix, Inc. "Biodegradable and Renewable Materials – A Natural Combination" – Keith Edwards, BASF "Polyester Polymerized from Lactones and Poly(lactic acid) Particles Directly Produced in a Mixture of Solvents by Aluminium Triflate" – Masao Kunioka, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology "Industrialization of PHBV in China" – X. Chen, Ningbo Tianan Biologic Materials Company "ITW Hi-Cone Photodegradable 6-Pack Rings: The Importance of in-situ Testing for Correlation to Simulated Lab Data" – Peter Samaras, ITW "Design of Polymers that Degrade in the Environment by a Combination of Abiotic Oxidation and Biological Processes" – Graham Swift, GS Polymer Consultants "The Status of Biodegradable and Biobased Materials and Standards at Present and Future in China" – Yunxuan Weng, China Degradable Committee "Determination of the Ultimate Aerobic Biodegradability of Plastic Materials Under Controlled Composition Conditions – Gravimetric Measurement of Evolved CO2 Round Robin Test for Confirmation of ISO/DIS 14855-2" – S. Uematsu, University of Shizuoka "Making Methods of Biodegradable Reference Materials and its Biodegradabilities Based on International Standard Evaluation Method ISO/DIS 14855-2" – Masahiro Funabashi, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology "Biobased Products: Performance and Biodegradability" – Syed Imam, USDA-ARS "Designed with the Environment in Mind: The EarthShell Model for Putting Biopolymers to Work" – John Nevling, EarthShell Corporation "Water Diffusion and Degradation of Starch-Based Plastics" – Melissa Russo, University of Queensland "Food Service Items from Wheat Flour and Fiber from Waste Streams" – Eugene Lee, Econeer "Twin Screw Extrusion System Design to Process Emerging Biobased Resin Formulations" – Charlie Martin, Leistritz "Biodegradable Thermoplastic Poly(vinyl alcohol), Startch, and Poly(lactide) Based Polymer Blends" – Terence Cooper, Stanelco "Driving AgroResin Sustainable Packaging Through the Value Chain: Challenge to an Agrocomposite Innovation" – Xu Yan, Grenidea Technologies "Biodegradable Nanocomposites for Advanced Packaging Applications" – Andrew Myers, TDA "Levan – An Extrudable Polysaccadide" – Joan Combie, Montana Polysaccharides "Perspectives on Composting in North America" – Nora Goldstein, BioCycle "Biodegradation of Compostable Plastics in Green Yard Waste Compost Environment" – Joseph Greene, California State University, Chico "The USDA Biobased Cafeteriaware Composting Pilot" – Pat Millner, USDA-ARS Background One type of plastic that has gained exposure over the past several years is degradable plastics. Degradable plastic is designed to undergo a significant change in its chemical structure under specific environmental conditions resulting in a loss of some properties that may vary as measured by standard test methods appropriate to the plastic and the application in a period of time that determines its classification (ASTM D 883). In order to understand degradable materials, one must note the differences in classes of degradable plastics such as:
Applications Degradable plastics have been developed for a range of applications. Biodegradable plastics have been used in commercial applications including bottles, food packaging, bags and utensils. They are used in applications such as non-woven fabrics, film, fiber, adhesives and coatings. Certified compostable plastic bags are being used in the collection of food and yard waste destined for municipal composting operations. Photodegradable plastic has been used to make six-pack ring for beverage cans or bottles that quickly loses its strength under the action of ultraviolet light therefore reducing the likelihood of trapping wildlife. Research Research on degradable plastics ranges from the development of new degradable plastics to new uses for existing materials. Focus also includes cultivation of renewable raw materials, degradable plastics processing, disposal and recovery. Research is ongoing by the United States government, individual companies, academia and other organizations around the globe.
More About the Industry: History of Plastics . Other Sources of Plastics Information . Benefits of Plastics . Definitions of Plastic Resins . NAICS/SIC Codes . Processing Methods . Plastics and Health |
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 © Copyright 2006 The Society of the Plastics Industry.
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