Plastics have long been condemned by environmentalists because they are not bio-degradable, but the discovery of 'biopolymers' has changed all that. Biopolymers replace the low-cost, petroleum-based plastics with materials made from crops such as corn and potatoes or from solid waste generated by the food processing industry. They are fully biodegradable and can be used as compost under various conditions. Biopolymers would eliminate the problems of plastic litter on land and in oceans ( Encology , Vol 11, No 3).
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