ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Degradation of Biodegradable/Degradable
Plastics in Municipal Solid-Waste Landfill
Dana Adamcová, Magdalena Vaverková
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Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno,
Zemědělská 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(4):1071-1078
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ABSTRACT
This paper provides information about biodegradability of biodegradable/degradable materials advertised
as 100%-degradable or certified as compostable in a municipal solid-waste landfill. It describes a 12-
month experiment with five samples that took place in a landfill. The results, demonstrated that the polyethylene
sample with the additive (samples 1) and sample labelled as 100% degradable (sample 2) had not
decomposed, and no physical changes had occurred; however, their color had changed slightly. Samples 2 and
3 (certified as compostable) did not decompose. However, sample 3 exhibited minor disruptions. Sample 5
was a control reference sample to confirm that the conditions of decomposition were suitable during the experiment,
which was the case. The cellulose filter paper (sample 5) degraded after 8 months, implying that it was
fully biodegraded (100%) and that the conditions required for biodegradation to occur in a sampling environment
were present.