The environmental degradation of thin plastic films

The rate of degradation of starch-filled polythene has been shown not only to depend on the starch content, but also to be very sensitive to the environmental conditions as well as other ingredients in the formulation. The presence of unsaturated oils is implicated as an important factor in the initial stages of degradation. Macro-biotic attack has also been shown to be important in the degradation of some formulations of starch-filled polythene and polyurethane.