Is this video http://youtube.com/watch?v=bSjq6QYam-0 telling the truth that plastic lasts forever?

Question

Almost everything I buy comes wrapped in plastic. Sometimes 2 or 3 layers of plastic.

Answer 1

Depending on the type of plastic and its exposure to the elements, it can degrade quickly.

For example (I know this from experience) certain clear visquine plastic sheetings will degrade in a few months when exposed to heat and sunlight.

However, if a plastic is buried in the ground, and not exposed to chemical degradation, it can last for several years before starting to decompose.

Answer 2

plastic is not forever. it deconposes itself in 50-200 years+.