Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that answer the question.
Query: Does plastic decompose at all?
Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can be decomposed by the action of living organisms, usually bacteria.[1]
Plastics can be readily formed by molding into a variety of shapes useful for kitchen utensils. Transparent plastic measuring cups allow ingredient levels to be easily visible, and are lighter and less fragile than glass measuring cups. Plastic handles added to utensils improve comfort and grip. While many plastics deform or decompose if heated, a few silicone products can be used in boiling water or in an oven for food preparation. Non-stick plastic coatings can be applied to frying pans; newer coatings avoid the issues with decomposition of plastics under strong heating.
One innovation of green nanotechnology that is currently under development are nanomachines modeled after a bacteria bioengineered to consume plastics, "Ideonella sakaiensis". These nano-machines are able to decompose plastics dozens of times faster than the bioengineered bacteria not only because of their increased surface area but also because of the fact that the energy released from decomposing the plastic is used to fuel the nano-machines.
The concept of multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into elastic and plastic parts was first proposed independently by B. A. Bilby, E. Kröner, in the context of crystal plasticity and extended to continuum plasticity by Erasmus Lee. The decomposition assumes that the total deformation gradient (F) can be decomposed as:
where F is the elastic (recoverable) part and F is the plastic (unrecoverable) part of the deformation. The spatial velocity gradient is given by 
where a superposed dot indicates a time derivative. We can write the above as
The quantity
is called a plastic velocity gradient and is defined in an intermediate (incompatible) stress-free configuration. The symmetric part (D) of L is called the plastic rate of deformation while the skew-symmetric part (W) is called the plastic spin:
Typically, the plastic spin is ignored in most descriptions of finite plasticity.
Two of the most popular methods of phasing out lightweight plastic bags are charges and bans. The charge strategy is said to have all of the same results in plastic bag reduction as a plastic bag ban, with the additional benefit of creating a new revenue source. The plastic bag charge method also protects consumer choice, which the ban does not.
Plastic shopping bags escape the garbage collection process, and are also disposed of improperly and can end up in streams, which then lead them to end up in the open ocean. To mitigate marine plastic pollution from single-use shopping bags, many jurisdictions around the world have implemented bans or fees on the use of plastic bags. They can also affect urban environments. Waterways and drains can be clogged by plastic bags and have been linked to severe flooding. An estimated 300 million plastic bags end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone, due to escaping the garbage. The way in which the bags float in open water can resemble a jellyfish, posing significant dangers to marine mammals and Leatherback sea turtles, when they are eaten by mistake and enter the animals' digestive tracts. After ingestion, the plastic material can lead to premature death. Once death occurs and the animal body decomposes, the plastic reenters the environment, posing more potential problems. 
The technology uses solvation and oxidation as a chemical process to mimic an enzymatic bacteria-based approach to decompose the polymer chain, which leads to the degradation of any fossil-based plastic with a melting point below 500 °C. The obsolescence time is programmable On plastic-waste regard, pollution is a Global concern given the fact that Oil-based plastic is a substance the earth can't digest, this technology is another effort on solving the issue of the Plastic Pollution introducing an undercover additive derived from the plastic targeted for degradation, hidden in a chemical cloak synthesized via the same plastic targeted for degradation's polymer structure itself, which is partially dissolved to create a cover for a Nano-programmed chemical addition on the inside. When activated this additive first decomposes the current polymer links between monomers and subsequently supplant them for weaker links susceptible to degradation.
It can handle all types of bio-degradable waste like food waste, floral and vegetable waste, garden waste, cow dung and paper waste. The non vegetarian food items can also be used. However they take longer time to decompose which could produce poor smell. The dry waste like glass, thermocol, plastic, rubber or likewise which does not decompose cannot be used in the process.
The PHT 1.6 has a yellowish color. It is resistant to solvents at pH > 3, but decomposes into monomers within a day in acidic solutions at pH < 2. This property is unusual for thermosetting plastics and allows easy recycling. This PHT has a Young's modulus exceeding 10 GPa, which is among the highest for a thermosetting plastic; it can be further increased by ~50% by dispersing carbon nanotubes in the polymer. The PHT is brittle, and cracks when strained to 1%. Upon heating, it softens at a glass transition temperature of ~190 °C and decomposes at ~300 °C.
During July 2018, LyondellBasell announced a partnership with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany to advance chemical recycling of plastic materials and assist the global efforts towards the circular economy and plastic waste recycling needs. The focus of the venture is to develop a new catalyst and process technology to decompose post-consumer plastic waste, such as packaging into monomers for reuse in polymerization processes.
Plastics contribute to approximately 10% of discarded waste. Depending on their chemical composition, plastics and resins have varying properties related to contaminant absorption and adsorption. Polymer degradation takes much longer as a result of saline environments and the cooling effect of the sea. These factors contribute to the persistence of plastic debris in certain environments. Recent studies have shown that plastics in the ocean decompose faster than was once thought, due to exposure to sun, rain, and other environmental conditions, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A. However, due to the increased volume of plastics in the ocean, decomposition has slowed down. The Marine Conservancy has predicted the decomposition rates of several plastic products. It is estimated that a foam plastic cup will take 50 years, a plastic beverage holder will take 400 years, a disposable nappy will take 450 years, and fishing line will take 600 years to degrade.
The governing equations, constitutive models, and yield surfaces discussed above are not sufficient if we are to compute the stresses and displacements in a rock body that is undergoing plastic deformation. An additional kinematic assumption is needed, i.e., that the strain in the body can be decomposed additively (or multiplicatively in some cases) into an elastic part and a plastic part. The elastic part of the strain can be computed from a linear elastic constitutive model. However, determination of the plastic part of the strain requires a flow rule and a hardening model.
With the removal of water, fibre, metals, and much of the plastics, the residual waste stream for disposal may be less than 10% by weight of the original stream, and is essentially devoid of materials that decompose to produce methane. Systems in Europe meet and exceed all of the European waste treatment and recycling requirements.
Plastics themselves contribute to approximately 10% of discarded waste. Many kinds of plastics exist depending on their precursors and the method for their polymerization. Depending on their chemical composition, plastics and resins have varying properties related to contaminant absorption and adsorption. Polymer degradation takes much longer as a result of saline environments and the cooling effect of the sea. These factors contribute to the persistence of plastic debris in certain environments. Recent studies have shown that plastics in the ocean decompose faster than was once thought, due to exposure to sun, rain, and other environmental conditions, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A. However, due to the increased volume of plastics in the ocean, decomposition has slowed down. The Marine Conservancy has predicted the decomposition rates of several plastic products. It is estimated that a foam plastic cup will take 50 years, a plastic beverage holder will take 400 years, a disposable nappy will take 450 years, and fishing line will take 600 years to degrade.
Some modern bags are made of vegetable-based bioplastics, which can decay organically and prevent a build-up of toxic plastic bags in landfills and the natural environment. Bags can also be made from degradable polyethylene film or from polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable polymer derived from lactic acid. However, most degradable bags do not readily decompose in a sealed landfill, and represent a possible contaminant to plastic recycling operations. In general, biodegradable plastic bags need to be kept separate from conventional plastic recycling systems.
Because plastic bags are so durable, this makes them a concern for the environment. They will not break down easily and as a result are very harmful to wildlife. Each year millions of discarded plastic shopping bags end up as plastic waste litter in the environment when improperly disposed of. The same properties that have made plastic bags so commercially successful and ubiquitous—namely their low weight and resistance to degradation—have also contributed to their proliferation in the environment. Due to their durability, plastic bags can take centuries to decompose. According to The Outline, it can take between 500 - 1,000 years for a plastic shopping bag to break down. The use lifespan of a bag is approximately 12 minutes of use.
Oxo-degradable plastics: these are petroleum-based plastics with additives such as transition metals and metals salts that promote the process of fragmentation of the plastic when exposed to a particular environment, such as high temperature or oxygen rich one, for a prolonged period of time. Fragmentation exposes a larger surface area of the plastic to colonies of bacteria that eventually decompose the polymer into its lower energy state components: carbon dioxide and water.
James Cropper's Reclaimed Fibre Facility was opened by HM The Queen in July 2013, and recovers both the plastic and paper from the cups; ensuring nothing is wasted from the recycling process. Although paper cups are made from renewable resources (wood chips 95% by weight), paper products in a landfill might not decompose, or can release methane, if decomposed anaerobically.
In flow plasticity theories it is assumed that the total strain in a body can be decomposed additively (or multiplicatively) into an elastic part and a plastic part. The elastic part of the strain can be computed from a linear elastic or hyperelastic constitutive model. However, determination of the plastic part of the strain requires a flow rule and a hardening model.
Biodegradable plastics are plastics that are decomposed by the action of living organisms, usually bacteria. Two basic classes of biodegradable plastics exist: Bioplastics, whose components are derived from renewable raw materials, and plastics made from petrochemicals containing biodegradable additives which enhance biodegradation.
The production of the PVC used in the production of many artificial leathers requires a plasticizer called a phthalate to make it flexible and soft. PVC requires petroleum and large amounts of energy thus making it reliant on fossil fuels. During the production process carcinogenic byproducts, dioxins, are produced which are toxic to humans and animals. Dioxins remain in the environment long after PVC is manufactured. When PVC ends up in a landfill it does not decompose like genuine leather and can release dangerous chemicals into the water and soil. 
According to a scientific study published in the journal Science in 2015, Malaysia is ranked 8th in mismanaged plastic wastes. Mismanagement of plastic waste will impact the environment, health and economy of the country. There are also plastic that will decompose into micro-plastic that can enter the food chain and affect aquatic life and human health . Therefore, Malaysia Roadmap to Zero Single-Use Plastic launched in October 2018 is a guideline for the nation to implement actions in phases for the next 12 years leading to 2030. The roadmap is a living document which allows the state governments to rollout the initiatives and implementation of policies according to each state level of awareness and readiness within the time frame set by MESTECC.
Polyester is much more resistant to polymer degradation than either nitrate or triacetate. Although triacetate does not decompose in as dangerous a way as nitrate does, it is still subject to a process known as deacetylation, often nicknamed "vinegar syndrome" (due to the acetic acid smell of decomposing film) by archivists, which causes the film to shrink, deform, become brittle and eventually unusable. PET, like cellulose mononitrate, is less prone to stretching than other available plastics. By the late 1990s, polyester had almost entirely superseded triacetate for the production of intermediate elements and release prints.
Non-compostable plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Plastic bags are not capable of biodegradation but rather they photodegrade, a process by which the plastic bags are broken down into smaller toxic parts. In the 2000s, many stores and companies began to use different types of biodegradable bags to comply with perceived environmental benefits.
The foundation has sponsored collection centers for plastic waste in Mumbai, India, and financed the construction of the "Manatee" waste collection vessel owned by “One Earth - One Ocean” for cleansing the oceans. In 2018 the foundation will support the development of the "Manatee" into a recycling system at sea, exploration of a possibly plastic-decomposing insect larva along with collection and recycling of plastic waste in the Ganges delta.