Disposal of Polymers
- Poly(alkenes) are extremely important in everyday life, such as their use as plastics
- However, the disposal of these polymers is problematic
- Poly(alkenes) are very large alkane molecules which are unreactive and therefore do not undergo any chemical reactions; they are resistant to chemical attack
- Due to their unreactivity, polymers are non-biodegradable and take up to hundreds of years to decompose when dumped in landfill sites
- Throwing away poly(alkenes) therefore causes long-term pollution of the environment
- Burning the polymers results in harmful combustion products which again cause the pollution of the environment
Exam Tip
The disposal of polymers is a challenge due to their unreactivity, their non-biodegradability, and the formation of harmful combustion products when burnt
