Science Journal Entry

Biodegradable Plastic: Is It Really Biodegradable?

By Dave Velasco

This is an experiment I thought of when Kevin and I bought a blank CD from JY. They claim that their plastic is biodegradable- but is it really true? We did this experiment for roughly 2 months (we started before the blog project was announced). The plastic was put inside a box full of loam soil and we placed it outside the house to react to the natural environment.

Here is our observations:

WEEK 1: Almost no changes at all.

WEEK 2: The plastic is a bit thinner than before.

WEEK 3: The plastic became even thinner and there is a bit of discoloration.

WEEK 4: The plastic became very thin.

WEEK 5: The smell of the plastic has change. It is odor-less.

WEEK 6: The plastic became white.

WEEK 7: The plastic is starting to "melt".

WEEK 8: The physical appearance is incredibly different from the first time we got the plastic. The shape, size and smell are completely different.

CONCLUSION: Biodegradable plastic exists!