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Do Biodegradable Plastics Really Reduce Microplastic Production?

CSEF · 2026 Environmental Engineering (Track 2) (Junior Division)

Luna MacHardy, Charli Saleet

Overview

The purpose of the science project was to inform people about the impact of microplastics on the environment and to see whether biodegradable plastic is any better than regular plastic. We hypothesize that if we put normal plastic and biodegradable in separate tanks filled with 160 ounces of ocean water, Biodegradable plastic will produce less microplastics than normal plastic, because biodegradable plastic was made to be better for the environment, and if it produces the same amount or more then the normal plastic, then that will prove that it's not that much better for the planet. The constants were the location of the tank, the amount of stirring, the frequency of stirring, and the presence of ocean water. The independent variable was the normal plastic and biodegradable plastic, and our dependent variable was the amount of microplastic we see over time. We measured our experiment by taking pictures of the tanks every day and seeing the changes. Over the course of two and a half weeks, we noticed changes in the temperature and the length of each plastic. They both produced around the same amount of microplastics; this proves that biodegradable plastic wasn’t made well enough to be better for the environment. Our experiment showed that it made the same amount of microplastics as normal plastic, but they are made of different materials. When we asked our professional contact about it, he said that biodegradable plastic is better for the environment because when it’s broken down, it turns into CO2 and water. Overall, even though they are not much better than normal plastic, it is still somewhat better, so we hope you start to use them more in your daily life.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Environmental Engineering (Track 2) (Junior Division) · Entry J-12-08

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