Development of a new plastic bag that is easily decomposed in the sea 13:11 on July 26th
In order to reduce the amount of marine plastic waste that has become a problem around the world, major chemical manufacturers and others have developed new plastic bags that use materials that are easily decomposed in the sea. It is obligatory to pay for plastic shopping bags at retail stores, and as consumers become more aware of the environment, it will be noticed whether they will spread in the future.
This shopping bag was developed by a major chemical manufacturer, Mitsubishi Chemical, in collaboration with a packaging material manufacturer in Nagoya.
Made using plant-derived materials such as sugar cane and applying the mechanism by which microorganisms decompose garbage in the soil.
It means that a new material that is less likely to be decomposed in the sea, which has less microorganisms than soil, is used, and that it is completely decomposed in about one year in the sea.
However, it requires sophisticated technology to manufacture, and the price is expected to be more than 6 times that of ordinary shopping bags.
Mr. Ichiro Kashiwaya, Mitsubishi Chemical Sustainable Polymers Division, said, "We would like to help solve the problem of marine plastic waste by the spread of new plastic bags."
Fukusuke Kogyo Co., Ltd., one of Japan's largest plastic bag manufacturers in Ehime Prefecture, is developing plastic bags that can be disassembled by the sea in collaboration with Gunma University and is preparing for sales. As the number increases, attention will be paid to the extent to which it will spread in the future.