Glossary

Biodegradable plastic
There are two main types of biodegradable plastics: hydro-biodegradable (HBP) and oxo-biodegradable plastic (OBP). Both will undergo chemical disintegration by hydrolysis and oxidation respectively.
This results in their physical disintegration and drastic reduction in their molecular weight. These lower molecular fragments are then amenable to biodegradation.

Biodegradation
Chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria or other biological means. This term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management, natural environment and is now commonly associated with environmental friendly products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements.

Bio-based plastic
It is derived from vegetable matter, such as corn-starch.

Degradable plastic
Normally used to describe a plastic which will degrade in a shorter timescale than conventional plastic.

Oxo-biodegradable plastic
It will degrade in the presence of oxygen in a timescale which can be approximately determined by a chemical formulation, which is added to normal plastic at the extrusion stage.

Oxo-biodegradation
Polyolefin plastic to which has been added amounts of metal salts. These catalyze the natural degradation process, to speed it up, so that the oxo plastic will degrade resulting in microfragments of plastic and metals, remaining in the environment, but it will not be seen a a visual contaminant.
The degradation process is shortened from hundreds of years to few months and thereafter biodegradation depends on the microorganism in the environment.

Oxo-degradation
Resulting from oxidative cleavage of macromolecules.

Polyethylene
The most widely used plastic, with annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons. It is a thermo-plastic polymer consisting of long chains produced by combining the ingredient monomer ethylene.

Polymer
Large molecule composed of repeating structural units. The term “polymer” is sometimes taken to refer to plastics, it actually encompasses a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a wide variety of properties.

Polyolefin
Polymer produced from a simple olefin (also called alkenes) as a monomer.

Polypropylene
Thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including, packaging, textiles, stationary, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types. An addition polymer made from the monomer propylene. It is rugged and usually resistant to many chemical solvents, bases and acids.

Polystyrene
Aromatic polymer made from the aromatic monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. It is solid state at room temperature, but flows if heated above its gloss transition temperature and becomes solid again when coated.