Every year some 13,000,000 tons of plastics are dumped into the world’s oceans, according to a report by the UN Environment (UNEP). A large part of this amount is composed of plastic bags, just like the ones we see in supermarkets, the corner store, or any commercial entity.
Now a Dominican company that has been making plastic bags for some 6 years is implementing a process to make the bags biodegradable. Multigestiones Ayaz announced they are adding an ingredient that reduces the time it takes for plastic to break down in the environment.
According to the general manager of the factory that employs 192 persons, “a normal piece of plastic takes a very, very long time to break down, but with the additive we use, under the proper conditions, the bags break down in about two years”. The bags incorporate an oxy-bio-degradable agent (Reverte) that was developed by a British company, Wells Plastics Ltd. It is said to make less damaging packing materials as such as these that break down sooner.
Manuel Lorenzo Viyella, the manager, said that two major supermarket chains are using these bags at a rate of about 4,000,000 per month. Other clients include bakeries and coffee marketers.
Environmentalists criticize that while the bags degrade faster, this is not fast enough to be a major component of litter and marine litter. In the process, microplastics are produced, potentially a bigger environmental and health issue.
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Diario Libre
8 April 2019