Warning about environmental pollution from colorful plastic

Research shows that brightly colored plastics such as red, blue and green have the ability to decompose into microplastics faster than light or colorless plastics, causing danger to users and consumers. environment.

Many retailers are being urged to stop producing brightly colored plastic water bottles, outdoor furniture and toys, after researchers discovered that they break down into microplastics faster than plastic. light color.

According to results from a research project conducted by the University of Leicester, within three years, plastic in red, blue and green colors will gradually disintegrate into small pieces, while plastic specimens that are black, White and silver are less prone to this condition.

Brightly colored plastic decomposes faster than other colored plastics. (Photo: The Guardian).

With the current serious scale of environmental pollution caused by plastic waste, microplastics, or microscopic plastic particles, can appear everywhere. Recently, research discovered that microplastics are also present in human testicles and according to scientists, this can lead to a decrease in sperm count in men.

Scientists in the United Kingdom and the University of Cape Town in South Africa conducted additional studies to demonstrate that plastic products with the same composition decompose at different rates depending on color.

Researchers in the UK placed plastic box lids of different colors on the roof of a university building for three years to expose them to sunlight. Meanwhile, research in South Africa used plastic items collected from a remote beach.

Dr. Sarah Key, head of the project, said: 'It was surprising that plastic samples placed on the roof of Leicester University and samples collected on a windswept beach at the southern tip of the African continent both yielded positive results. Similar results. These two experiments found that under well-ventilated environmental conditions for 3 years, plastics of different colors will show differences in decomposition rates.

This study was published in the journal Environmental Pollution and is the first demonstration of the phenomenon of plastic decomposing faster due to its bright colors.

Therefore, retailers as well as plastic manufacturers need to pay more attention to the color of plastic items during the product creation process.

Adam Herriott, senior plastics expert at anti-waste charity Warp, said that although colored plastics were often used to make products stand out in stores, manufacturers should avoid using them. to create favorable conditions for the plastic recycling process.

'If plastics of different colors are mixed during the recycling process, the resulting plastic product will be an unattractive gray or green color' - Mr. Adam explained.

He added: " It would be much better if we could avoid using brightly colored plastic in food packaging, especially in products that are easily thrown away like snack bags or bottle caps ."

Research results show that white, black and silver colorants help protect plastic from the effects of ultraviolet radiation, while other colors do not. UV damage changes the internal polymer structure of plastic, making it more brittle and fragile.

'Manufacturers should consider both recyclability and the potential for plastic to be disposed of in inappropriate places when designing plastic products and packaging,' said Dr. Sarah Key.

He added: 'For items that are left outdoors or exposed to a lot of sunlight, such as plastic tables and chairs, you need to avoid using red, blue and green plastic to preserve them as long as possible.' .