Is olypropylene biodegradable?

Question

I bought canvas bags from my grocery store which are made of polypropylene. They are meant to replace plastic bags and therefore I would assume be less polluting. But is polypropylene biodegradable?

Answer 1

Yes, but it takes tens of thousands of years.  And, because the material is pretty inert, the biodegradation will need to be assisted by erosion.

Answer 2

Yes, it is. But the reason they are trying to replace plastic bags is because the plastic bags end up in landfills. The plastic then leaches chemicals into the groundwater and, also, releases methane (a greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere from the landfill. Plastics are always bad news!

Answer 3

no it is not biodegrable.  it is photodegradable meaning it breaks down into smaller pieces by the suns uv rays but other than that no.  polypropylene is a type of plastic which is bag for the environment but since u bought the one that is reusable i guess its better than using up 100 disposable plastic bags.

on a side note: i wouldnt called the polypropylene bag "canvas bags" because canvas bags would use cotton to make them.  just to let u know.

Answer 4

Polypropylene IS itself a plastic.

No, it does not biodegrade. Yes, it does disintegrate under sun's UV if directly exposed.