Conclusion

For certain applications, there are decisive differences between plastics that biodegrade very quickly and those that do not. In general, plastics are intended for long-lasting applications (food preservation, transport, construction and public works), and biodegradability should be seen as a functional property to be offered only when necessary. At the end of their life cycle, biodegradable plastic products benefit from an additional option in terms of waste management: composting, biodegradation in soil or methanization (anaerobic digestion). In all cases, the end-of-life of the material results in the release of carbon into the atmosphere, but depending on the fossil or biogenic origin of this carbon, the environmental impact of these emissions is more or less significant. Alongside these gas emissions, most end-of-life treatments lead to the recovery of energy or materials from waste....