question: difference between Oxobiodegradeable plastic bags and normal plastic bags
comment: "Plastic" bags are made from polymers - very long molecules, that consist of repeating parts. The discovery of polymers and ways to produce them from oil led to apperance of many new materials, that were able to replace wood, metal, fabrics in many spheres of human life, because there were durable, lightweight and corrosion resistant. This was achieved by making the structure of this polymers fairly simple and uncommon in nature, so that various bacteria have difficulty trying to eat them. Nowadays, polymers are designed with biodegradability in mind, so their structure is made similar to natural polymers (like cellulose) or contains predesigned weak spots, where it can break under influence of oxygen.
passages: BULLET::::- "Gracz Classic": A family of over 50 tableware items ranging from cups, bowls, plates, and clamshell containers to cutlery. The items, white in color, are made from bagasse exclusively.
  
  BULLET::::- "Gracz Simple": A family of tableware items, cream colored, made from bagasse and bamboo.
  
  BULLET::::- "Non-food containers": BPE manufactures industrial packaging products.
  
  Section::::Operations.
   Section::::Environmental issues.
  
  Oxo-degradable plastic, including plastic carrier bags, may degrade quicker in the open environment than conventional plastic. However, according to a report from the European Commission, there is no evidence that oxo-degradable plastic will subsequently fully biodegrade in a reasonable time in the open environment, on landfills, or in the marine environment. According to the 2018 report:
   BULLET::::- Vegetable-based plastics, which are also loosely known as "bioplastics" or "compostable plastics", are tested in accordance with ASTM D6400 or EN13432 as to their ability to biodegrade under conditions found in industrial composting or biogas facilities.
   The trade association for the oxo-biodegradable plastics industry is the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association, which will certify products tested according to ASTM D6954 or (starting 1 January 2010) UAE 5009:2009
  
  The trade associations for the compostable plastics industry are the Biodegradable Products Institute, "European Bioplastics," and SPIBioplastics Council. Plastics are certified as compostable for industrial composting conditions in the United States if they comply with ASTM D6400, and in Europe with the EN13432.
  
  Section::::Materials.
   Most bags that are manufactured from plastic are made from corn-based materials, like polylactic acid blends. Biodegradable plastic bags are nowadays as strong and reliable as traditional (mostly polyethylene)-bags. Many bags are also made from paper, organic materials, or polycaprolactone.
   One major problem with testing oxo-degradable plastics for safety is that current standards and test methods can't realistically predict the biodegradability of plastic carrier bags within natural ecosystems. Moreover, existing biodegradability standards and test methods for aquatic environments do not involve toxicity testing or account for the potentially adverse ecological impacts of carrier bags, plastic additives, polymer degradation products, or small (microscopic) plastic particles that can arise via fragmentation.
  
  Section::::Controversy.
   In-plant scrap can often be recycled but post-consumer sorting and recycling is difficult. Bio-based polymers will contaminate the recycling of other more common polymers. While oxo-biodegradable plastic manufacturers claim that their bags are recyclable, many plastic film recyclers will not accept them, as there have been no long-term studies on the viability of recycled-content products with these additives. Further, the Biodegradable Plastics Institute (BPI) says that the formulation of additives in oxo films varies greatly, which introduces even more variability in the recycling process. SPI Resin identification code 7 is applicable.
  
  Section::::Marketing qualification and legal issues.
   Microplastics being recovered from the oceans are from "oxo-degradable" plastics, which degrade and fragment but do not biodegrade except over a very long period of time. These are conventional plastics which undoubtedly create persistent microplastics, and this is why they have been banned for a wide range of products in Saudi Arabia and 11 other countries, where oxo-biodegradable technology for making these products is now mandatory. The products have to comply with strict standards, based on ASTM D6954.
  
  Section::::Sources.
   Since many of these plastics require access to sunlight, oxygen, or lengthy periods of time to achieve degradation or biodegradation, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, commonly called the "green guide,"
  
  require proper marking of these products to show their performance limits.
  
  The Federal Trade Commission provides an example:
   A more recent report, of October 2018, is in line with the previous one. It states that micro-plastics need to be restricted, including oxo-degradable plastics.
  
  Section::::Response of the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association to the EU.
   The Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association (OPA) however, claimed the report was inaccurate. It argued many of the 150 organisations aggressively promoted a rival bio-plastic technology, while many of the others whose logos appeared in the document were themselves producers of the plastic items that get into the open environment as litter. The paper's conclusions were rejected by Professor Ignacy Jacubowicz, who said the degradation process was not merely a fragmentation, but a change from a high molecular weight polymer to a material that can be bio-assimilated.
   The statements about biodegradation of oxo-degradable plastics have however been disputed by the EU. In a 2017 report it was stated that the biodegradation of the fragmented pieces is only partially supported 
  
  Section::::Standards applicability.
  
  Oxo-biodegradable plastic degrades in the presence of oxygen. Heat and UV light will accelerate the process, but neither they nor moisture are necessary. Such plastic is not designed to be compostable in open industrial composting facilities, according to ASTM D6400 or EN13432; but it can be satisfactorily composted in an in-vessel process.
   BULLET::::- Phthalates are found in plastic wrap, plastic bottles, and plastic food storage containers, all of which make up a considerable part of household plastic waste.
  
  BULLET::::- VOCs (volatile organic compounds) – such as formaldehyde; can be found in drinking water and sewage systems.
  
  BULLET::::- Dioxins are a class of chemical compounds that are formed as a result of combustion processes such as waste incineration and from burning fuels like wood, coal, and oil.
  
  BULLET::::- Asbestos is found in the insulation of flows, ceilings, water pipes, and heating ducts.
   Since there are no pass-fail tests for "biodegradable" plastic bags, manufacturers must print on the product the environmental requirements for biodegradation to take place, time frame and end results in order to be within US Trade Requirements.
  
  In 2007, the State of California essentially made the term "biodegradable bags" illegal, unless such terms are "substantiated by competent and reliable evidence to prevent deceiving or misleading consumers about environmental impact of degradable, compostable, and biodegradable plastic bags, food service ware, and packaging."
   Duro Bag Mfg is a company that is committed to sustainability and was the first paper bag manufacturer in North America that produced a paper bag made from 100% Post-consumer Recycled fiber paper.
   Ecovative Design
  
  Ecovative Design LLC is a biomaterials company headquartered in Green Island, New York that provides sustainable alternatives to plastics and polystyrene foams for packaging, building materials and other applications by using mushroom technology.
  
  Section::::History.
  
  Ecovative is developed from a university project of founders Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre. In their Inventor's Studio course at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute taught by Burt Swersey, Eben and Gavin developed and then patented a method of growing a mushroom-based insulation, initially called Greensulate before founding Ecovative Design in 2007. In 2007 they were awarded $16,000 from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance.
   BULLET::::- They are certified non-toxic, and safe for food-contact
  
  BULLET::::- Some bags degrade at about the same rate as a leaf. In fact, when used as bin liners, bags can start degrading after three or four days of being in the bin.
  
  Section::::Additive based.:Enhancing hydrophilicity of the polymer.:Pros & cons of additive based film/bag.:Cons.
  
  BULLET::::- Degradation depends on access to air
  
  BULLET::::- Not designed to degrade in landfill, but can be safely landfilled. Will degrade if oxygen is present, but will NOT emit methane in landfill
   In relation to littering, the report found that, although it appeared the oxo-degradable plastics industry could create products with minimal toxic impact on flora and fauna, it had not been conclusively proven that there were no negative effects. Marketing oxo-degradables as a solution for plastic waste in the environment may make it more likely that items are discarded inappropriately and in marine environments; the fragmentation process made oxo-degradable plastic less likely to be recovered during clean-up exercises.
   In spring 2012, Ecovative Design opened a new production facility and announced a partnership with Sealed Air to expand production of the packaging materials. In 2014 their material was used in a brick form in 'Hy-Fi', a tower displayed in New York by the Museum of Modern Art and they started selling 'grow-it-yourself' kits.
  
  Section::::Mushroom materials.
   Section::::European strategy for plastics in a circular economy.
  
  On 16 January 2018, the European Commission published its report on the use of oxo-degradable plastic. The document forms part of the European strategy for plastics in a circular economy, which was released the same day.
  
  The Commission focused on three key issues relating to oxo-degradables: the biodegradability of oxo-degradable plastics in various environments; the environmental impacts in relation to littering; and recycling.
   Paper dunnage bags are made out of two components, an inner component that consists of a polyethylene inner bag, the outer component is a paper bag. The outer bag is made of the highest quality, light weight kraft paper of high tensile strength. Paper dunnage bags come in different strengths and varieties and can be made in any special size. The inner component provides optimum pressure and the outer component provides optimum strength. For use in the chemical industry paper dunnage bags can be polycoated. A polycoat will make the dunnage bag resistant to specific chemicals.
  
  Section::::Types.:Woven polypropylene bags.
   In 2009, a US-based expert microbiology testing firm performed third party testing on Evert Fresh Green Bags in their controlled lab environment, at the same time they were also sold under license by Debbie Meyer/Housewares America, Inc. The results from their findings had concluded that produce stored in Green Bags had less deterioration and thus more value than produce stored in regular commercial packaging, or that of a competitor which was also tested.
   The resins used to create OSB have raised questions regarding the potential for OSB to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde. Urea-formaldehyde is more toxic and should be avoided in home use. Phenol-formaldehyde products are considered to be relatively hazard-free. Some newer types of OSB, so-called "New-generation" OSB panels, use isocyanate resins that do not contain formaldehyde and are considered non-volatile when cured. Industry trade groups assert that formaldehyde emissions from North American OSB are "negligible or nonexistent".
   Three categories of biodegradable CP composites have been established in relation their chemistry makeup. The first category includes partially biodegradable CP blends of conductive and biodegradable polymeric materials. The second category includes conducting oligomers of biodegradable CPs. The third category is that of modified and degradable monimer units along with use of degradable conjugated links for use in biodegradable CPs polymers [35].
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Biodegradable bags
  
  BULLET::::- Biodegradable waste
  
  BULLET::::- Biodegradable additives
  
  BULLET::::- Bioplastic
  
  BULLET::::- BioSphere Plastic
  
  BULLET::::- Economics of plastics processing
  
  BULLET::::- Microplastics
  
  BULLET::::- Photodegradation
  
  BULLET::::- Plastic bag
  
  BULLET::::- Plastics 2020 Challenge
  
  Section::::Further reading.
   Biodegradable plastics are plastics that are decomposed by the action of living organisms, usually bacteria. Two basic classes of biodegradable plastics exist: Bioplastics, whose components are derived from renewable raw materials, and plastics made from petrochemicals containing biodegradable additives which enhance biodegradation.
  
  Section::::Environmental concerns.
  