Abstract:
Polystyrene is one of the most widely used food packaging materials in the form of disposable
plates and containers. Due to the stable structure of polystyrene, it is not degraded easily and
causes accelerated occupancy of the landfills. Recent regulations stipulated by Government of
Malaysia to use of biodegradable disposable packaging materials (BDPMs) in Kuala Lumpur
will increase the amount of BDPMs dumped at the landfills. This study assessed the chemical
and physical properties of biodegradable disposable plates (BDPs) available in Malaysian market
to determine the potential viability to be decomposed in soil and reutilise the available nutrients.
Three types of BDPs made from wood fibre, oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), and tapioca were
used in the study. The pH of the BDPs ranged from 5.13 to 7.83. The C/N ratio ranged from 158
to 257.The percentage of Ca, Mg and K ranged between 0.85 to 2.15 %, 0.03 to 0.39 % and 0.13
to 0.18% respectively. The concentration of the micronutrients (Pb, Cd , Mn , Zn, Fe, Cu, Al ,
and Ni) were all below the permitted range for compost. All three BDPs showed the ability to be
recycled with substantive amount of nutrients contained for reutilisation upon degradation in
soil. |
