Transcript

Golf balls, toys, bottles, bubble gum - they are all made from different types of plastic.

Plastics

Plastics are a synthetic material.

plastics
synthetic materials
made from petrochemicals

They are made from petrochemicals that come from crude oil.

polymers

Plastic is formed from long chains of molecules called polymers.

These long chains are what make plastics strong and durable.

They are difficult for microorganisms to break down.

That's why plastics are non-biodegradable.

non-biodegradable

Plastics last for a very long time in the environment.

This can cause problems for wildlife both on land and at sea.

One of the biggest culprits is the plastic carrier bag.

It is estimated that we consume a staggering 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags in the world every year.

The plastic bag is so popular because of its extraordinary strength, its lightweight properties and its low cost.

It is hard to imagine life without it, but perhaps science has a solution – bioplastics.

Bioplastics

bioplastics
made from natural materials
such as vegetable oils and potatoes

Scientists have invented new materials called bioplastics.

Bioplastics are made from natural materials, such as vegetable oil and potatoes.

Bioplastics are also strong and lightweight, but crucially, they can be broken down easily by microorganisms, meaning that they are biodegradable.

biodegradable

They can be used for food packaging and carrier bags.

At the moment, bioplastics are not widely available.

Until they are we need to cut down the amount of plastic we consume, recycle what we can, and safely dispose of everything else.

plastics
bioplastics

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