Business
US Environmental Protection Agency positive report
US Environmental Protection Agency positive report.
About this update from Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n13 March 2024\n \nSymphony Environmental Technologies plc\n(\"Symphony\" or the \"Company\")\n \nUS Environmental Protection Agency\nPositive report on Biodegradable Plastics (using pro-oxidants)\n \nSymphony Environmental Technologies Plc (AIM: SYM), the global specialist that makes plastic products smarter, safer and more sustainable, wishes to highlight the important 2021 report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (\"EPA\") confirming that pro-oxidant masterbatches \"could significantly reduce the persistence of plastic pollution without creating undesired by-products.\" See https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_Report.cfm?dirEntryId=353810&Lab=CESER (the \"EPA Report\")\n \nUnlike other government reports that can be more akin to literature reviews, such as the EU reports, the EPA reported on their own scientific evaluation by \"Accelerating Polymer Degradation using Pro-oxidants.\" The EPA Report notes: \"Single use plastics that are commonly used for packaging and service-ware, such as bottles, bags, straws, and wrappers result in land and marine pollution as they break down into microplastics. Blending plastics with pro-oxidants could be a promising solution, as they accelerate photo-oxidation to obtain degradable materials whose final ecological and physical footprint are much smaller.\"\n \n\"In this study, two pro-oxidants, iron stearate (FeSt3) and cobalt stearate (CoSt2), were melt-blended with polypropylene at concentrations of 1 and 2 weight percentage. Plates of neat and pro-oxidant filled polypropylene were kept in an accelerated weathering chamber that simulates damaging effects of long-term outdoor exposure. Samples were taken out from the test chamber and their properties were measured at selected time intervals as they undergo photochemical degradation.\"\n \n\"Uv-Vis (ultraviolet visible) and GC (gas chromatography)-mass spectroscopic analysis of wash-water samples indicated water soluble degradation products are potently biodegradable and can be assimilated by microorganisms. The study offers a successful approach where a benign filler could significantly reduce the persistence of plastic pollution without creating undesired by-products.\"\n \nThe EPA Report correlates with nearly 4 decades of scientific studies, which include the four-year Oxomar...