COMPARISON BETWEEN THE RATES OF BIODEGRADABILITY AND MALLEABILTY OF BIOPLASTICS MADE FROM POTATO STARCH, CORN STARCH, AND MILK
An Investigatory Project
proposed to
Ma'am Maria Sheila Estrada
Kong Hua School
as partial fulfillment
of the requirements for Chemistry
by
Holly Anne C. Co
Dawn Dominique M. Dy
Pamela Mae M. Quing
Camille Z. Sheng
Jasmine Naomi Sweet C. Tamala
III – Prudence
February 2014
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Plastics play an important role in almost every aspect of our lives. Plastics are used to manufacture everyday products such as beverage containers, toys, and furniture. The widespread use of plastics demands proper disposal after its use. Plastics make up almost 13 percent of the municipal solid waste stream according to http://dumbplastic.org/post/56253699500/plastics-make-up-almost-13-percent-of-the. The largest category of plastics is found in containers and packaging life soft drink bottles, lids, shampoo bottles; but they are also found in durable (e.g., appliances, furniture) and nondurable goods (e.g., diapers, trash bags, cups and utensils, medical devices). The number of plastic bottles that are thrown away each year by American people is 35 billion. Of the plastics produced in the United States, only about 25 percent is being recycled. In the Philippines, At least 20 cities in the country have passed different kinds of bans or restrictions on plastic bags, ranging from fees on bags to outright bans, which is confusing consumers and causing plastic bags to lose market share to paper bags according to http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20120904/NEWS/309049974/as-bag-bans-grow-in-philippines-industry-begins-ad-campaign. This brings us to the issue of biodegradable plastic products. In that plastics should be made of biodegradable raw materials to prevent the 75 percent that is not being recycled from being incinerated and producing carbon emissions, or dumped in a landfill and turning it into a...