The Plastic Bag That Dissolves In Water

[n2doc]

Mon, Dec 28, 2009



Vanishing without a trace might not be appreciated in friends and lovers but is an excellent relationship to have with one’s used packaging material. What becomes a pile of plastic garbage is that it should just disappear into thin air, right? Well, a newly developed plastic bag does just that – it completely dissolves in water. Companies use it when sending their products, magazines for example, to users, who can simply dissolve it at home – no trace of the bag left, less plastic on the environment. Our only question is: Why hasn’t anyone come up with this concept before?

Cyberpac, a UK-based packaging company, has developed a range of products – called Harmless – that use a hydro-degradable plastic that is up to three times stronger than polythene, lighter and leaves no damaging residue after dissolving in water. A bit skeptical of this promise, we’ve taken a look at the dissolving bag’s actual disappearing act.




http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/plastic-bag-dissolves-water/18393

[Jkid]

1. More companies should do this.

K and R

[hlthe2b]

2. I could see the value of one that SLOWLY dissolves in water...

But, not immediate.... Otherwise, can you imagine the very unpleasant realization of a doggy owner using one? LOL

[valerief]

3. Vitter Doggie Diapers. I see a whole new market for the Senator. nt

[Graybeard]

4. Or walking home from the grocery in the rain?

Not for supermarket bags please.

[cognoscere]

21. Ha Ha

Good one.

[livvy]

5. For the dog owners out there...may I suggest Flush Doggy Poop Bags

Biodegradable, flushable poop bags. They dissolve in water and pretty quickly, too. I use them and I have 2 large dogs. No problems with the plumbing and no more poop in a landfill. If one prefers to toss them instead, they will break down when exposed to the elements. They are reasonably priced and shipping is quick and inexpensive.



http://www.flushdoggy.com/

[TxRider]

20. Yup the tech is not new, dissolving dog poop bags have been around.

[kestrel91316]

6. Ok. So, how toxic is the solubilized residue? And does it just result in TEENY bits

of plastic in the water, or is it BIODEGRADABLE???

[Warpy]

9. You'd have to watch out for heavy metals in inks.

That's the main problem I can see.

Dissolving bags in the hospital were gelatin based.

[kestrel91316]

14. Probably have to dispose of in a hazardous waste facility because of

heavy metals. No thanks.

[izquierdista]

11. Everything is biodegradable

Given enough of the right fungus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV58tY

[bfarq]

12. I notice that they didn't drink the final solution

My guess it is basically mobile plastic. Instead of staying put in the landfill, this plastic can go right into the water supply. The fact that these dickweeds didn't even ask that question makes me think they have no idea what they are talking about.

[kestrel91316]

15. Yep. Microscopic bits of plastic are STILL PLASTIC, and still have no business

being released to the environment IMHO. I worry about effect on microbes necessary for life to continue on earth.

[Goldstein1984]

7. There's a biodegradable plastic made from corn

They use bacteria to product lactic acid from corn, then polymerize it to polylactic acid.

The "bioplastic" does not dissolve in water, is used extensively in disposable medical devices and baby products, and can be composted.

It's made by Natureworks, LLC in Blair, Nebraska.

[kestrel91316]

16. Does it actually biodegrade, or just break into smaller bits so we THINK it's gone?

[Goldstein1984]

18. It actually biodegrades

The negative side is that, like ethanol, it is energy intensive. Biodegradability is it's main selling point.

Polylactic acid is very susceptible to microbial metabolism. Chopping it up increases surface area and biodegradation rate.

My Engineering MS was in biodegradation of organic compounds, and my biology MS was in ecology. I was offered a job as environmental engineer and public spokesperson for this company, so I did quite a bit of research into the product.

Took a job in Alaska instead--closer to my grandchildren.

[tabatha]

19. So, it is consumed by the microbes with no nasty by-products?

And are the microbes normal kinds?

[Goldstein1984]

22. Yes

Lactic acid is a normal product of anaerobic metabolism, and is easily metabolized aerobically by fungi and bacteria that occur naturally in the environment. Polylactic acid is a slightly tougher molecular nut to crack, but it still degraded, albeit a bit more slowly, by naturally occurring bacteria. The end products are CO2 and H2O.

The recommended method for disposal of the sturdier products is by shredding and composting.

This is a quick summary. There is more-detailed information at the Natureworks LLC website.

Again, like all products produced from corn, the end products are a bit energy intensive (e.g. the net energy yield for ethanol once all energy going into the product is considered is only 1.2 Btu out per Btu invested, and that is likely even exaggerated a bit), but the advantage is a biodegradable product.

One of the weird things about this plastic is that it can only be used for bottled water if the water isn't going to be stored for very long. The H20 molecules are small enough to diffuse out through the plastic over time, but O2 and N2 molecules are too large to diffuse in through the plastic, so the bottles will slowly shrivel over time. It also doesn't stand up to heat very well.

I was impressed. It was a difficult job to turn down; I liked the product and I really liked the people; but, as I said, our grandchildren are in Alaska.

[Warpy]

8. We've used dissolving bags in hospitals forever

as an inner lining for contaminated linens. It provides a barrier for the laundry workers who tossed the whole thing into the boiling hot water, detergent and bleach. That takes care of the contamination as the bag dissolves very quickly.

The problem we had with them was with wet linens, they didn't work out all that well.

Likewise, getting your magazines in the rain might be problematic because they'd have to dry out a bit before you read them.

[Speck Tater]

10. So if it rains on my mail my magazine will get soaked, right? Then what use is the bag?

They might as well send me the magazine without the plastic bag in the first place.

[timeforpeace]

13. If carbon in the air is bad, carbon in the water is bad.

[formercia]

17. Antidote for mushroom poisoning

An Activated Charcoal Shake. You will have the sweetest smelling stools on the block.