COM 1332.033 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Review of Plastic vs. Paper Bag LCA Studies IV. FINDINGS Page 3 A. Biodgredation/Compostability While paper and certain plastics may be biodegradable or compostable in specially designed industrial facilities, evidence indicates that this feature maV be of little value in the effort to reduce waste: Current research shows that in modern landfills, paper does not degrade or break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic does. Due to the lack of water, light, oxygen, and other important elements necessary for the degradation process to occur, nothing completely degrades in modern landfills. As evidence of this, here is a photo of a newspaper buried in an Arizona landfill and dug up after more than three decades. As can be clearly seen, paper does not degrade rapidly in landfills. (Photo credit: Dr. William Ra[hje, Founder of The.Garbage Project at The University of Arizona.) compostable plastics, which are produced from plant-based feedstocks, do not degrade in landfills, either. According to Natureworks®, a producer of a corn- based plastic known as PLA, containers made from its material will last as long in landfills as containers made from traditional plastics.' 2. In order to breakdown as intended, compostable plastics must be sent to an industrial or food composting facility, rather than to backyard piles or municipal composting centers. Since there are apparently fewer than 100 of these facilities functioning in the entire United States, the economic and environmental costs of wide-scale plastics composting are prohibitive, significantly reducing the value of such an alternative. 3. By definition, composting and biodegradation release carbon dioxide (COZ), a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, increasing the potential for climate change. For example, composted paper produces approximately twice the COz emissions produced by non-composted paper. (See Paragraph 6.1. just below for specific details.) B. Waste, Energy Consumption;-Greenhouse Gas-Emissions _ many people, relevant facts include the following: 1. Plastic bags generate 39% less greenhouse gas emissions than uncomposted paper bags, and 68% less greenhouse gas emissions than composted paper bags. The plastic bags generate 4,645 tons of COZ equivalents per 150 million bags; while uncomposted paper bags generate 7,621 tons, and composted paper bags generate 14,558 tons, per 100 million bags produced.; 28 March 2008