Uses of Biodegradable PlasticsEvery day we encounter plastics. We use plastics in form of containers or for packaging. There are two forms of plastics in use; synthetic plastics and biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can decompose under normal environmental conditions. Synthetic plastics will not decompose under normal environmental conditions. The difference between the two forms in on how the plastics will behave under normal environmental conditions. Because the biodegradable plastic can decompose, there are most preferred by advocates of a greener environment. There are various uses of the biodegradable plastics and areas in which that form of plastics is most preferred as compared to the normal synthetic plastic.1. Packaging bags One of the uses of biodegradable plastic is in the supermarket for packaging bags. In the past, synthetic bags were used for packaging of products. This was due to the cost of the synthetic plastic and other forms of packaging. When the customers are done with the plastic bags, they dispose of the plastics to the landfills. Most governments had a concern over the issue with most countries banning the use of plastic bags.Some of the countries that have banned the use of the synthetic plastic bags in the supermarket include Australia, Italy, Sweden, South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda.The biodegradable plastic bags are preferred because when the customers are done with the plastic bags, they can dispose them using any means without raising any environmental concerns.2. Plant potsBiodegradable plastics are used in making plant pots. We love the beauty of plants, flowers and trees, in our homes. We acquire the plants by purchasing them in pots. The plants are then kept and let to grow within the soil that they germinate in. This soil is kept to prevent us from interfering with the roots as we move the plant. The flower pots are created using ceramics or plastics. Ceramics are expensive making plastics a cheaper source of making flower pots. Biodegradable plastic is used in preference to synthetic plastic. This is because, as the plant grows, a biodegradable plastic pot gets decomposed with time. The biodegradable plastic pot will create pores. The pores are beneficial to the soil in the sense that it will allow moisture and air to flow freely into and out of the soil.3. Disposable utensilsParties are fun. Parties are associated with food and drinks. As the parties goes on any glass utensils have a higher probability of breaking and in some cases end up in someones home. Disposable utensils are created to be used in parties, especially when you want many utensils and dont need to borrow but get cheaper alternatives. Biodegradable plastics are now used to make the disposable utensils so that when you are done using the utensils, you can confidently throw the utensils along with any other waste in your home. The utensils can later be decomposed and get used as manure.4. Packaging composting organic wasteBiodegradable plastics have found use in packaging composting organic waste. Organic waste is decomposed. When the organic waste is completely decomposed, it is then taken back to the farm and used as manure. One way of storing the organic waste is by storing the materials in compost tanks or in synthetic storages which can then be reused or recycled for other uses. We can now use degradable materials for this function. As the organic waste decomposes, the packaging decomposes with the organic waste and used along with the organic waste as manure. These makes our work easier so that when we decompose the organic waste, we dont have to create complicated stores for out materials or have fear of using some synthetic packages which may break down and become part of the compost manure posing an environmental problem or end up in our water bodies.5. Medical ImplantsBiodegradable medical implants is one of the fastest growing areas in the global orthopedics market expected to grow robustly in the next few years.In orthopedics, biomaterials are used in a range of surgical applications, including joint replacements, fracture fixation plates, bone defect fillers, artificial tendons and ligaments and bone cements. Other medical applications include cardiovascular, ophthalmic, sutures, burn and wound dressings, drug delivery systems, cochlear implants, dental implants and more. Implantable medical devices have long been used in orthopedic surgery to hold fractured bones in place. For many years titanium and other metals were widely used for fixing fractures. AdvantagesDisadvantages

high strength growth restriction

low weight 2nd operation needed for implant removal

excellent corrosion resistance necessary to adequately support the healing process temperature sensitivity and visibility

implant palpability

imaging/radiotherapy interference

potential danger of cross-contamination

They now have attained the performance properties to gain an inroad in the implant market to give competition to titanium as the preferred choice of implant. Since synthetic biodegradable polymer based medical implants :1. Eliminate the need for a second surgical intervention to remove the device2. Reduces the total treatment time of the patient3. Halves the number of operations required during the care process4. It also prevents re-fracture occurring upon removal of a metal based implantFrom the sudden transfer of load, previously borne by the implant, back to the bone. Engineering the biodegradable implant to achieve predictable degradation provides progressive bone loading, leading to better bone healing and a reduction in the risk of re-fracture. Biodegradable devices can be used as a foundation for drug delivery, so that the degradation rate allows for the optimal release of the drug or agent to further assist the healing process. As the benefits of biodegradable medical implants become more widely known and acceptable to the orthopedic surgeon, demand is expected to grow rapidly relative to the growth rate of the orthopedics market.Inion, a rapidly growing company focused on the development of novel biodegradable medical implants, has received FDA 510(k) clearance of its Trinion Meniscus Screw for use in knee cartilage repair. Trinion screws are used for the fixation of longitudinal vertical meniscus lesions, where the knee cartilage has torn. Drug Delivery SystemThere is growing interest in the use of biodegradable polymers for site specific drug delivery--whether as coatings on medical devices or as devices, both fully biodegradable. SurModics, Inc. a leading provider of surface modification and drug delivery solutions to the medical device industry, has an exclusive license from OctoPlus to two novel classes of biodegradable polymers (PolyActive and OctoDEX) for use in the site specific delivery of drugs from medical devices. PolyActive is a biodegradable polymeric drug delivery system. Its biodegradability and linear release properties make it an excellent technology for the controlled release of proteins and lipophilic small molecules for both local and systemic administration, and have applications in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.Hernia Repair DeviceTyRx Pharma, Inc, markets a biodegradable tyrosine-derived polyarylate component of a new hernia repair device. The company uses a combinatorially designed library of tyrosine-derived polyarylates developed by a team at Rutgers . When we think about the uses of biodegradable plastics, think of all the places where plastics have been used before. That ranges from packaging, storage to small devices within bigger machineries. Biodegradable plastics have been not created to perform any new task that had not been performed before but were created to substitute synthetic plastics. The creation of biodegradable plastic was as a result of an outcry from the environmental experts that the actions were becoming detrimental. These actions are inevitable so a solution had to be found to save planer earth. Experts came up with several solutions which included use of clothe bags or khaki bags. When you compare the cost of these options, the cost of using a biodegradable plastic is much cheaper than all other options which are less harmful to the environment.More research is being conducted on production of biodegradable plastics. As research progresses, cheaper ways are being discovered which can be used to produce cheaper biodegradable plastic. Other factors such as oil price are determining factors on how widely accepted the plastic bags will be. Oil is the major raw material of synthetic plastic. As oil price goes up, the cost of plastic will increase. These increase will result in biodegradable plastic being cheaper. In the future, we are likely to see more uses of biodegradable plastics.

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