Biodegradable Plastics in Home Composting: Analysis of Compost Quality and Degradation Efficiency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v13i6.1453-1463.7527Keywords:
Biodegradable plastics, household composting, waste management, plastic degradation, PLAAbstract
This study investigated the effects of biodegradable plastics on compost quality during the standard retention time under mesophilic conditions. The quality parameters of the compost, including temperature, pH and moisture, were determined, while the degree of degradation of the biodegradable plastics was assessed by weight loss analysis, ATR-FTIR for chemical structural changes and SEM for surface morphology. The results show that when compost containing biodegradable plastics was compared with conventional compost, no significant acceleration or improvement in compost quality was observed during the maturation process. However, it was found that the biodegradable plastics had no significant negative impact on the process. The results of the study also show that these plastics are not completely degraded and a certain amount of residue remains in the compost. At the end of the 90-day period, it was found that 22.5% weight loss occurred for biodegradable plastics. The ATR-FTIR results, the changes in symmetric C-H and O-H bonds and the SEM analysis, the increase in surface roughness and cracks prove the degradation. Therefore, it indicates that the bioplastic included in the environment should be an important criterion when determining the composting period. It is therefore necessary to conduct longer-term studies to determine how long and under what conditions biodegradable plastics can be completely broken down in composting processes.
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