The "green" choice of biodegradable plastics

China is a big country in the production of plastic products. The plastics processing industry has experienced rapid development in recent decades. In particular, in the past 20 years since the reform and opening up, the average annual growth rate has reached over 10%. In 2001, the total output of plastic products reached more than 20 million tons. The output has ranked second in the world.

At present, the annual output of plastic packaging materials in China exceeds 3.5 million tons, which accounts for more than 18% of the total plastic output. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the plastics processing industry. Especially in the past 10 years, through the large-scale introduction of raw materials and film production equipment, printing equipment, and composite equipment, the production, development, and use of flexible packaging materials, including food packaging materials, has become more and more frequent. New products and new materials have emerged one after another. Due to its price and performance advantages, plastic packaging products have become an indispensable commodity in people's daily lives. However, while plastic packaging products play a significant role in the economic development of China, the “white pollution” caused by it has become increasingly serious. Therefore, there is a broad market for degradable plastics. Businesses have invested in research and production, and various kinds of products have appeared on the market. Degradable plastic products.

Product Categories

Plastic packaging film can be divided into two categories according to the use of civilian packaging film and industrial packaging film, civil packaging film can be divided into food packaging film and non-food packaging film. According to the hierarchical structure of plastic film can be divided into single-layer film and multi-layer composite film, single-layer film can be divided into polyethylene film, polypropylene film, polyvinyl chloride film, polystyrene film, etc. according to the main components; composite film refers to Films made by laminating PE (polyethylene), OPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene), CPP (cast polypropylene), PET (polyester), Al (aluminum), and other functional materials.

The single-layer food packaging film is mainly used for fresh-keeping and cleaning of foods without special functional requirements, and packaging for foods that require transparency. Composite food packaging films are mainly used for liquid packaging, vacuum packaging of perishable spoilage foods, and resistance to foods. Packaging for foods with special functional requirements, such as cooking and packaging, requires barrier properties, moisture impermeability, etc. Degradable films can be classified into photodegradation, biodegradation, environmental degradation, and other degradations depending on the degradation pathway.

Market dissonance

1. Cannot distinguish between "food use" and "non-food use"

At present, only a few food packaging bags on the market are marked on the outer packaging and marked with the product name, product standard, hygiene standard, factory name, site, telephone number, production date, product certification, and the words “food”. For most products, the labels are incomplete, there is no name, address, and production date. Consumers can't distinguish between "food use" and "non-food use," especially if cheap non-food bags are sold as food packaging bags. Confusion occurs when consumers use it.

2. Making food packaging bags from recycled plastics China's "Food Sanitation Law" stipulates that plastic bags produced from recycled plastics and other toxic materials are strictly prohibited for use in food packaging, but there are still some waste plastics used in the market, even some packaging. The packaging bags of chemical agents, medical preparations, and fertilizers and pesticides are directly broken, granulated, and manufactured into food packaging bags without being cleaned. If such packages are used to package foods directly, harmful substances will contaminate the loaded foods and enter the body along with the foods, which will endanger the health of consumers.

3. Counterfeit and environment-friendly degradation products Some plastic packaging products claim the name of “environmentally friendly products” under the name of “biodegradable products”. However, in order to ensure the use performance and reduce the degradation index, the packaging bags cannot be degraded by the environment in a short period of time. As a result, the "white pollution" control work cannot achieve the desired effect, causing the problem of "white pollution" to become increasingly serious.

Consumer tips

Because there are unfavorable phenomena in the market such as the use of recycled plastics to make food packaging bags and counterfeit environmental degradation products, consumers must pay attention to the following issues when purchasing and using food packaging bags:

1. First of all, select the products produced by large-scale manufacturers that are sold in regular shopping malls and supermarkets. Do not buy them in street stalls. Secondly, we must select the product outsourcing with the Chinese logo, the name of the factory, the name of the factory, the name of the product, and the hygienic standards for product implementation, and clearly indicate the words “used in food” and the product with the product inspection certificate.

2. Identification of food packaging bags (film) method ---

Sensory detection method: Qualified food packaging bags (films) are milky white, translucent or colorless and transparent, uniform in color, bright, no peculiar smell, flexible, high strength, delicate in touch, lubricated when touched by hand, and the surface seems to have Wax, powder body without powder attachments.

Water testing method: Put the food packaging bag (film) in water and press it into the bottom of the water. The specific product has a small specific gravity and can float out of the water.

Jitter detection method: grasp the end of the food packaging bag (membrane) by hand and shake it off.

Fire detection method: Qualified food packaging bags (films) are flammable, the flame is blue, the upper end is yellow, and it drips like a candle when burned. There is a stone scent, less smoke, and it can continue to burn after leaving the fire.

3. In order to reduce “white pollution”, it is recommended that consumers use less non-biodegradable plastic bags, use degradable plastic bags in appropriate amounts, advocate the use of vegetable baskets and cloth bags, and consciously recycle used plastic bags, and use good habits to protect our living environment.