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The differences between thermosetting, thermosoftening and partially biodegradable plastics, and how they can be recycled.Key facts
- We throw away a lot of plastic and most is non-biodegradable.
- It can be recycled using mechanical and chemical methods.
- Scientists are now making biodegradable plastic.
- They add non-oils to monomer chains like sugar, silk, even bamboo.
Transcript
Modern plastics, or polymers, are extremely unreactive, and extremely durable.
We throw away 100 million tonnes of this finite product every year.
However, these sturdy, durable plastics are not normally biodegradable – they are not broken down naturally by microorganisms and may remain in the environment for hundreds, or even thousands, ...
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