Plastic has become a major part of a wide
variety of consumer products because of its versatility and relatively low
cost. Because of the continuously increasing global demand for this polymer,
its contribution to environmental pollution becomes imminent.
One of the technologies that were particularly developed to combat the problem of plastic pollution is oxo-biodegradation. This is the process by which plastic is made easier to degrade in the environment through the addition of pro-degradant chemicals during manufacturing that destroys the molecular structure of the plastic once it is exposed to certain stimuli, such as heat and sunlight. Oxo-biodegradable plastic, therefore, degrades quickest when it becomes litter.
The GCC region, with its generally hot temperature and abundance of sunlight, is an ideal environment for oxo-biodegradation. This is particularly the reason why the UAE and KSA have adopted laws that mandate disposable polyolefin plastics to be oxo-biodegradable.
