Recycling & Renewables Rap : Degradable Plastics 101

Recycling & Renewables Rap

This is the place for those who want to walk the talk on green living. Interested in the latest news on curbside recycling? Have a suggestion or idea about how to make Anchorage a greener community? Look no further than this recycling blog. Anchorage is moving fast to become a leader in protecting our environment, reducing climate change impacts, and hopefully saving money in the process.

Contributors

BLOGGER

Jeanne Carlson

I am the recycling coordinator at the Municipality of Anchorage's Solid Waste Services. I also am program director at Green Star. My masters degree is in natural resources and behavior from the University of Michigan and I have worked in recycling around the country for 18 years.

BLOGGER

Mary Fisher

As executive director of ALPAR (Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling, I work on litter and recycle issues statewide. ALPAR is supported primarily through the business community. I have a marketing degree from Missouri State University.

Local recyclers

Cooking oil recycling

Got used cooking oil? If you are a restaurant or large generator of used cooking oil, Alaska Mill and Feed will pick up your cooking oil and recycle it. For more information call 279-4519, press "option 3".

AHFC Research Information Center

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation provides a public and web accessible library on sustainability, sustainable development, energy efficiency, and green building.

Total Reclaim

Provides recycling and management services for computers, electronics, refrigeration equipment, lighting and appliances.

Alaska Conservation Solutions

Founded in 2005 to give voice to the pervasive consequences of global warming in Alaska while pursuing solutions.

Muni Solid Waste Services

Where in the city to recycle electronics, dispose of waste oil or automobile batteries.

ALPAR

ALPAR is a privately funded, non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating litter and increasing economically-viable recycling in Alaska. ALPAR programs and services are made possible by the generous support of our member companies and other dedicated businesses and organizations throughout Alaska.

Alaska Metal Recycling

This is the largest metal recycling facility in the state, paying for ferrous and non-ferrous metal

Green Star

Green Star is a non-profit organization that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention.

Ask an expert

GET ANSWERS

Where do I recycle my ____?

Wondering how and where to recycle your refrigerator, cell phone, computer, batteries? Ask here.

Degradable Plastics 101

Posted by recycle

Posted: February 26, 2010 - 9:05 am

There are several different types of degradable plastics, making them just as confusing as regular plastics when it comes to recycling and managing them.

1) PLA (Polylactic Acid) is its very own unique plastic resin type. Often you'll see "PLA" on the bottom with the recycling arrows.

2) Plastic additives also can be added to other types of plastics to make them degrade. These include oxo-degradable additives and bio-degradable additives. Oxo-degradables are triggered by light and heat whereas bio-degradables are triggered by microbes. Oxo-degradables need oxygen so they don't degrade much in landfills unless the process has already begun before it hits the landfill. Bio-degradables don't need oxygen, just microbes, but the break-down process is slow and can take up to a decade.

The problem with these is that if they end up mixed in with recyclable plastics, they can adversely affect the integrity of the recycled product. Many plastics are recycled into durable products like carpet or plastic pipe. These are not items we want to start degrading when exposed to light or when buried in the ground.

So the jury is still out on whether degradable plastics are an environmental answer and if so, which type is best.

P.S. The CokePlant bottles, discussed an in earlier blog, are a totally different concept than what I talked about above. See the blog post from a few weeks ago for details.