How many years does it take for plastic to rot?

Answer 1

A very long time. Exactly how long depends a lot on the specific type of plastic as well as the environment that it is in. Exposure to direct sunlight helps speed up the process. Plastics never actually 'decompose', they merely break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Being an inorganic material, in never will compost.

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Answer 2

Plastic does not rot in the same way as organic materials. It can take hundreds to thousands of years for plastic to degrade completely, depending on factors such as exposure to sunlight, oxygen, and microorganisms.

Answer 3

approximately 700 yrs for landfill :)

Answer

As plastic is a generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials, all are not the same. Some plasics will be harder and more durable than other plasics. The above answer of 700 years will vary from one type of plastic to another. No certain time period can be given.

Answer 4

Plastic will begin to degrade at a varying rate depending on it's quality. From days, to many years.

Now, by degrade we mean it will break apart into smaller pieces of plastic, right down to single molecules. However, if you're meaning break down into different substances which could possibly be of use in nature (such as living things do) then the answer is never. Every molecule of plastic we have made which we haven't manually changed to a different form is still in nature.

This fact is actually a very critical environmental concern currently, as there is a massive amount of these single molecules of plastic in the oceans which are effecting fish populations (and things which eat fish, like us)

Answer 5

Plastics in general are not considered biodegradable due to their molecular stability. Plastics do not easily break down into simpler components.

A plastic bag will break down into smaller pieces of plastic, but that is not the same as biodegrading.

Some estimates are 500 years to degrade, some more conservative are 1000 years. The bags will photodegrade, but that will take a long time, hence the 500-1000 year estimate. The problem is there are no bacteria breaking down the plastic. Eventually some may evolve to do so, but science may need to step in and speed the process along.

Answer 6

If you leave a plastic shopping bag in the garage in relatively dry conditions it will not last more than 3-4 years. By then when you pick it up it will disintegrate. If it is wet in the ocean? Not sure

Answer 7

Plastic never biodegrades, it takes forever. If it seems to start biodegrading, its just getting smaller from weather

Answer 8

it depends on the type of plastic. a bottle stays forever, yet polyesterine the main material biodegrades very quickly in sunlight

Answer 9

strong carbon bonding makes it strong and hard to break

Answer 10

It takes over 1000 years for a plastic bottle to rot