I went shopping and they were cointained in plastic marked "biodegradable"...
By karagala
@karagala (447)
Philippines
August 23, 2011 10:14pm CST
I am quite amused at new innovations that one mall in our country is using. I went shopping for my groceries one day and to my surprise the plastic bag they were using was marked "biodegradable". How can that be? I mean, we were taught in school that plastics were harmful for the environment and here's one plastic from the grocery store that seems to be environment's friend. Anyone around here knows these kinds of plastics are made? I only see this plastics from one mall in the Philippines - SM. Apart from that, they also have the organic "green" shopping bags if shoppers prefer those.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@surfer222 (1714)
• Indonesia
24 Aug 11
I read on some science blog that biodegradable plastic were actually made from plants like corn, so it's not really a plastic. That's why they were biodegradable.
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
Yes, you are right, plastics can be made also from corn starch.
Rayon, a fiber that feels like nylon and resembles it in some respects, is made from rice halls. I will not be surprised if this goes into biodegradable plastic as an ingredient.
It's a good thing that business and industry leaders are responding to the new environmental consciousness. It was not so long ago when the organizers of the first organic market in Asia in Greenbelt - Makati, Metro Manila in 1994/95 would sometimes be ribbed as food faddists. Now, organics, while not having conquered the world yet, is certainly in the hearts and minds of many, if not all, people from all walks of life in all countries.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
23 Sep 12
hi karagala
Yes there is one type of the so called plastic, that is known as 'biodegradable; if you throw them they decay soon, but the ordinary plastic will not, it will remain as such for years, they clog the drains, cattle like cows eat them, can't digest, they die of suffocation!!
here in my city in india, plastic is banned too, but what i see is it is not implemented strictly; we are habituated to it, none goes to market with a bag these days..
milk pouches, edible oil, most grocery items come in this biodegradable stuff
thanks for this timely discussion..
@stary1 (6612)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I think some plastic bags are biodegradable, but certainly not all. Our grocery stores are starting to charge for plastic bags and encouraging the reusable 'green' bags..I am not all that crazy about the idea because I like to use the plastic as trash liners. If they were all biodegradable that would make me very happy. I want to save 'Mother Earth'
