Version 1
: Received: 28 March 2024 / Approved: 29 March 2024 / Online: 29 March 2024 (17:08:52 CET)
How to cite:
Gillece, T.W.; Gerardi, H.K.; McMullen, R.L.; Thompson, W.T. Thermophilic Composting as a Means to Evaluate the Biodegradability of Polymers used in Cosmetic Formulations. Preprints2024, 2024031813. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1813.v1
Gillece, T.W.; Gerardi, H.K.; McMullen, R.L.; Thompson, W.T. Thermophilic Composting as a Means to Evaluate the Biodegradability of Polymers used in Cosmetic Formulations. Preprints 2024, 2024031813. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1813.v1
Gillece, T.W.; Gerardi, H.K.; McMullen, R.L.; Thompson, W.T. Thermophilic Composting as a Means to Evaluate the Biodegradability of Polymers used in Cosmetic Formulations. Preprints2024, 2024031813. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1813.v1
APA Style
Gillece, T.W., Gerardi, H.K., McMullen, R.L., & Thompson, W.T. (2024). Thermophilic Composting as a Means to Evaluate the Biodegradability of Polymers used in Cosmetic Formulations. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1813.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Gillece, T.W., Roger L. McMullen and William T. Thompson. 2024 "Thermophilic Composting as a Means to Evaluate the Biodegradability of Polymers used in Cosmetic Formulations" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1813.v1
Abstract
In the past decade, a growing demand for sustainable cosmetic ingredients has yielded numerous biodegradation protocols. While OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) aquatic assays are suitable for water-borne chemicals, it is crucial for the personal care industry to consider the persistence of plastics in soil, compost, and municipal sludge. Adopting this cradle-to-grave holistic approach would strengthen product appeal, while increasing the accuracy and ethical integrity of green-product labeling. Our study employs quantitative CO2 detection and thermophilic composting protocols specified in ASTM D5338, along with pass level criteria outlined in ASTM D6400, to assess the mineralization of plastics commonly formulated into personal care products. The results indicate that many cellulose ethers, cationic guars, starches, and labile polyesters demonstrate satisfactory disintegration, biodegradation, and seed germination rates to secure an ASTM D6400 compostability claim. In contrast, macromolecules designed with carbon-carbon backbones resisted acceptable mineralization in composting experiments, suggesting that unadulterated municipal compost lacks the microbial diversity to enzymatically digest many synthetically derived resins. Additionally, polymers that demonstrated acceptable biodegradability in internal and published OECD aquatic studies—including chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol—exhibited limited fragmentation in local municipal compost; hence, untested correlations between aquatic, soil, and compost testing outcomes should never be assumed.
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Sustainable Science and Technology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
