Persistent polythene
Polythene, along with many other plastics, gets much of its performance from being made up of long-chain molecules. Unfortunately, long-chain molecules are extremely difficult to break down, which means that polythene persists in the environment long after it has finished being useful.
No one can know for certain how long it takes polythene to break down since it was only invented in the 1930s. Estimates of life range from 100 years to whenever the next ice age comes.
Old polythene bags and envelopes can be found
- Persisting in landfill sites
- Polluting the landscape
- Blocking drains and sewers
- Choking wildlife
The answer is a degradable polythene envelope.