I understand it varries with all plastics, But I haven't been able to get a number at all to this question. I am wondering for instance how long will a mac donald's sign be around. Thank you.
2006-07-30 09:48:26 · 7 answers · asked by rolleiflex1 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Hundreds - if not thousands - of years. That's why we shouldn't be dumping our trash in landfills. It's only a matter of time before they'll overflow and leach all kinds of toxic poisons into our air and watter supplies.
Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone would REturn, REuse, and Recycle all their plastics; cooking grease; cardboards; tin cans; aluminum; asphalt; glass; scrap paper; newsprint; phone books; computers; magazines; steel; TV sets; yard waste; cell phones, wood, and everything else that's not quickly biodegradable. It'd be a wonderful world! But most of us are too damned lazy to do that; it's so much easier to pay to have it hauled away and buried in a landfill. -RKO-
2006-07-30 10:01:10 · answer #1 · answered by -RKO- 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, plastics decay very slowly due to their stabile nature. This promotes a longer half life. Half life is the time it takes for half of a given mass to decompose into another element. This can happen in several ways - Beta Decay, Alpha Decay, and Sigma Decay. they are for the loss of electrons, protons, and neutrons respectively.
2006-07-31 01:48:53 · answer #2 · answered by Phillip R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ah, don't worry.
Mac Donalds signs will all be melted down when the glorious revolution comes! Wait a sec... you didn't hear that bit.
A very, very long time for the rest though, depending on the polymer and conditions.
2006-07-30 18:17:33 · answer #3 · answered by el_jonson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think that depends on what kind of plastics you are using and in what kind of environment it can work for that it can very from several months up to 1000s years as many things can play role in plastic decay or degridation ,, sun light,, air,, bacteria,,also some kind of algea can grow and decay plastic,,there are many reasons can accelarate plastic decay.
2006-07-30 17:03:54 · answer #4 · answered by source_of_love_69 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most plasics take about 1000 years to decay
2006-07-30 16:52:01 · answer #5 · answered by martialmichael126 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The tarps on my roof last about three years before crumbling into little blue specks of dust.
2006-07-30 20:08:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
oh a couple hundred years depending on temp and pressure
2006-07-31 11:12:34 · answer #7 · answered by shiara_blade 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋