Plastic makers in the Philippines have now found a solution to convert their products from non-biodegradable to biodegradable.
The move is a reply by plastic bag manufacturers to the ordinance passed by local government unit (LGU) prohibiting the use of plastic bags because they are non biodegradable.
Plastic producers have come up with an additive to be added in their plastic production into a biodegradable one, transforming them to decay within a month’s time.
This is a welcome development to environmental advocates who had been critical in the use of plastic bags by commercial establishments.
The plastic that is biodegradable is known as oxo-biodegradable and has received a certification from the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) that leaves no harmful residues to human and the environment.
It degrades on land or water, in light or dark, in heat or cold leaving methane and no harmful residues. “This process is being supported by the oxo-biodegradable Plastic Association of London, which consists of the world’s most distinguished polymer scientists” according to Philippine Plastic Industry Association president Crispin Lao.
