Why does plastic take so long to decompose?

Day 354 / 365

You have 3 choices to get your soft drink in, a glass bottle, an aluminum can, or a plastic bottle. Which one is the more green option?

Of course, everyone knows that plastic bottles are the worst for the environment. They just take to long to decompose. To give you an idea about the scale, an aluminum can would take up to 100 years to decompose in a landfill. On the other hand, a similar plastic bottle would take over a million years for the same!

Decomposition is basically oxidation. Aluminum, being a metal, is easier to oxidize, which is why it is easier for the earth to decompose it. Plastic, on the other hand, is made up of polymers which are much more complex molecules. The bonds between these molecules are much stronger and oxygen or water can’t break it.

This is actually by design. Plastics were made to be resistant to corrosion by oxygen or water. This makes them great for storage or transport, but a nightmare when it comes to saving the environment.

The only quick way to decompose plastic is through a process called photodegradation. Instead of bacteria or fungi, this process involves using the UV rays in sunlight to break down the bonds in plastic. Unfortunately, the plastic that goes in landfills doesn’t get any sunlight at all, so this is of no use in that case.

This post is part of my 365 Day Project for 2019. Read about it here

Yesterday’s blog — Why Say No