How Long Does it Take for a Plastic Container to Start Decomposing?
Average Decomposition The average plastic container takes about 500 years to start decomposing in a landfill. It isn’t until then that the chemical bonds between the atoms of the plastic begin to break down. Environmental Impacts Environmental factors can have an impact on decomposition of plastic. For instance, hotter temperatures cause the atoms within the plastic to become excited and to vibrate faster. If the plastic were to get hot enough, the plastic may change phase from a solid to a liquid (melt). This would make it easier to break the bonds between the atoms, since the atoms would move more, faster, and be spaced further apart than in solid form. The plastic thus might biodegrade faster than normal. This actually is not an uncommon occurrence, since heat is a natural byproduct of decomposition; temperatures in piles of trash in a landfill can reach well past 100 degrees F. Other factors such as micro-organism activity also have an impact on the breakdown. Chemical Makeup How l
