Mercury Drug Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic Bags

We are talking about biodegradable packaging when my sister mentioned about the oxo-biodegradable packaging of Mercury Drug. The term sound new to me so I asked hubby to look for a Mercury Drug plastic bag. The oxo-biodegradable sounds really interesting.

Hubby was able to found one. The word, “OXO-BIODEGRADABLE is written near bottom”. SAVING PLANET EARTH is also written. One of the countries largest drug chain is also taking its move to save the environment. Plastics and lots of plastics are really pestering our surroundings, polluting rivers, sea, lakes and other water bodies. They clog canals and waterways causing flash floods. Having a biodegradable plastics is great help in solving these problems.

Oxo-biodegradable plastics are just like ordinary plastics but they contain additive, the TDPA™ – totally degradable plastic additive. I never know what are the components of TDPA™, maybe its metal salts according to a prominent web source. Addition of this additive makes the weathering resistant plastic to biodegradable polymer.

Degradation process takes place when exposed to heat, ultraviolet light and mechanical stress. It breaks to fragments and attracts moisture. Carbon dioxide, water and biomass are results of process. It may take as short as few weeks up two years depending on weather condition and resin. Two years is still long but it is short enough as compared to ordinary plastic which can last up to thousands and thousands of years.

I would like to know how long Mercury Drug oxo-biodegradable plastic will last. I will setup a simple experiment tomorrow.

I will update this blog for progress.

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Finally, I was able to tie the plastic to pole of our tv antenna. The date was April 23, 2011.

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update:  Jump to read observations after nine months.