Question

Why did Shyam refuse to accept the items in polythene bags?

Answer 1

Hint: Polythene bags are made up of polythene polymer which cannot be degraded by almost any type of microorganisms. All non-biodegradable polymers become solid waste and are harmful to the atmosphere after being used.

Complete step by step solution:
Let’s know some basic information about polythene bags.
-As the name suggests, polythene bags are made up of polythene polymer. Generally, the bags are made up of a very thin layer of polythene material.
-Polythene is made by polymerization of Ethene gas. It can be considered as a homopolymer as only one monomer is there is the structure of this polymer.
-Now, polymers can be divided into two classes based on their degradation properties. If it is able to degrade naturally by the action of some microorganisms, then it is called biodegradable polymers. If this degradation is not possible, then the polymer is said to be a non-biodegradable polymer.
-Polythene cannot be degraded by the action of microorganisms. So, it is classified as a non-biodegradable polymer.
-So, Shyam thinks that if he would accept the polythene bag, then it would not be good for the environment because these non-biodegradable polymers form the solid wastes which are of no importance.
-The waste of these types of polymers causes severe environmental problems and they remain undegraded for a long amount of time.
-Thus, we should use non-biodegradable polymers like polythene as less as possible. Instead of that, we can use other materials or biodegradable polymers. This was the reason why Shyam refused to accept the polythene bag.

Note: Remember that Polythene is characterized as a non-biodegradable polymer. PHBV (Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxy valerate) and Nylon are the alternatives that we can use instead of polythene as they are biodegradable polymers.