How Long Does It Take To Decompose?
Posted on November 8, 2007 By Joe Fier
Today I feel like posting some interesting facts about some of the most common products we use on a daily basis. Since this is Green Week (at least according to NBC), I would like to add some good-to-know info into the mix. I know that in these days, all we hear is recycle this or reuse that, but it all comes at us for a reason. We’re finally realizing that we can make a difference for the future of our Earth, so why not act upon it? Many times we can become blinded from the endless amounts of statistics and numbers being introduced, but maybe this list can help us understand how important it is to watch what we do with these essential daily items. Check out how long each of these products take to decompose in the environment…
- Banana Peel: 3-4 weeks
- Paper Bag: 1 month
- Cardboard: 2 months
- Wool Sock : 1 year
- Tinned Steel Can: 50 years
- Aluminum Can: 200-500 years (But if recycled, it can be reused within 6 weeks!)
- Disposable Diapers: 550 years
- Plastic Bags : 20-1000 years
- Plastic Jug: 1 million years
- Glass : 1-2 million years
- Styrofoam: 1+ million years
This list might put some of the Green supporters’ words into perspective for a lot of people. It sure opened my eyes when I did a little research to see what the highest concerns were with today’s products. Just make sure you care as much about the container as you you do about the healthy food within it. Without a productive, prospering Earth, there cannot be a way to keep ourselves in healthy condition.
Sources include: QLPA, No More Trash! & ABC.
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26 Responses to “How Long Does It Take To Decompose?”
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[…] How Long Does It Take To Decompose?: Disposable diapers take 500 years to decompose. That means poopy diapers from my son will be around in the year 2507. Oof. The styrofoam container I ate my salad in yesterday will be somewhere on Earth when the Andromeda Galaxy collides with our galaxy in 3 billion years. I really, really, really need to bring a container to work for when I get salad in the cafeteria. Great article, but sobering. (@ Be Healthy and Relax) […]
You are probably going to hate me for this, but why does the length of decomposition matter as long as the waste is confined to land fills?
In addition, claiming that styrofoam will last an eternity is simply ludicrous. Even continents erode. So will your styrofoam. If nothing else, continental drift will eventually cause your styrofoam to get subducted into the earth’s mantle and get burned… of course, this is all academic and is a largely useless discussion.
As long is waste is confined to specific land fills, there really is no issue.
shadox, I think the point of the decomposition time is that if things don’t decompose in a resonable time, then the number and size of landfills keeps growing…Before you know it, you’ll be living on top of old landfills with styrofoam cups in your front yard.
Great post! I found it from a link on BripBlap’s page. This will make me more aware of what I put in the garbage…and I will make sure that the aluminum and glass containers that I use go into the recycling!
shadox, don’t worry, I don’t hate you for your comment. I see your point because that has been a popular belief, but I believe that way of thinking is very ignorant. As SavingDiva said, landfills only last for so long, and when they are filled, they are only covered with dirt and left until someone wants to build on it. This was a big concern in my hometown, San Diego, at one time. These landfills are in no way airtight, so there’s no question it would spread to the rest of our environment. Any measure we can take to keep the world as clean as possible is a step in the right direction.
Thanks to both of you guys for commenting. It’s really fun to get some discussion going on in here.
[…] at our other site, Be Healthy and Relax, I recommend “How Long Does it Take to Decompose?” This article looks at how long it takes various products to decompose in our […]
Great post Joe. It really makes me want to petition my condo association to get recycle containers/dumpsters. I believe that in San Diego by a certain year the city is required to provide recycling containers? Maybe you can enlighten me….now I feel like a horrible person! But at least I reuse the plastic grocery bags for dog mess.
Hey Alana, that is pretty nuts that your condos don’t offer any kind of recycling. I haven’t heard of a law coming around that would require it, but it sure doesn’t look like it would be unrealistic!
Maybe if you go around getting people to sign petitions you’ll be able to sneek an autograph from Cooper! =D
According to the National Parks Association it only takes 10-20 years for a diaper to decompose.
How did you find all this out? But pretty kewl and nice for my science project
Oh, wow that really makes you think bout what u could do so that earth dosnt turn into one big trash can! i think ill recycle more now!
Omg you shoud totally Fuck Off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Busterd!
Thanks so much for your intelligent comment. I would love to continue deleting your feebleminded remarks, but I fear you’ll continue adding more and I’ll grow one too many gray hairs in the process of doing so.
I’ll certainly note your considerations.
Pamela, you wrote: “According to the National Parks Association it only takes 10-20 years for a diaper to decompose.”
I wasn’t able to find that statistic anywhere. Can you post the link?
Also, Joe, are you able to source this information? I’m doing a presentation on Thursday and would like to use this but need to know where you got it from.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi Krystle.
It has been a very long time since I’ve written this article, so I cannot remember where I found this statistic. I would check this website out: http://www.thatdanny.com/2008/06/06/how-long-does-it-take-a-plastic-bag-or-a-glass-bottle-to-decompose/
It has some interesting facts with sources on there, as well.
wat happens(hazards to environment and humans) wen plastic bags are burnt?
Im currently doing my first year of a fine arts degree and next week we are doing an instalation workshop, so i decided to do somthing that involved waste, thats how i came across this page, im disgusted at how long a plastic bag will take to decompose. So for my instalation piece im creating a work of art which adresses this issue, inside a glass box im going to have a layer of plastic bags, then dirt and repeat this for disposable nappies, tinned cans, cotton rags, paper bags and a banana peel and out of the top im going to plant a tree and let it grow on waste like society does.
That’s a really interesting project, Jessie. It sounds like a great idea, and, I’m sure, also visually disturbing. Be sure to tell me how it goes!
How long would you estimate it takes rubber to biodegrade (natural or synthetic)? What about polyester? When you know, please don’t hesistate to e-mail me with the info.
Thanks.
From H.M.F.
:10/21/2008:
I am helping a friend do research for a presentation and have three questions for you:
1. You state plastic bags take 1,000,000 years to degrade, and I don’t doubt that may be true, Wikipedia states it only takes 10 to 20 years for them to degrade, presumably in a landfill. Is your basis for saying it takes that long because you are referring to decomposing in the environment, as opposed to in a landfill, and do you think they’ll decompose in a landfill that quickly?
2. Can you tell me how long any other things take to decompose, especially in the environment, or a landfill?
3. Can you provide me with any research or links to it that may be helpful to my friend?
Thanks for any help you can offer.. and for the good work you are doing to help make the world a better place for us all, especially for the generations to come!!!!!
ed austin,
I would just like you to note that Wikipedia is not a very accurate source and that you and your friend should try using peer- reviewed journals with references preferably through university libraries. In fact, anything that is on Wikipedia can be changed by anyone and should never be used in any sort of academic paper.
Mr. Fier,
I am doing a paper on the life cycle of wool products (mine being a Pendleton Wool blanket) would the one-year decomposition apply for a blanket as well? Do you have any other information on the specifics of decomposition? Anything at a more specific level would help me. Thanks!
thanks so much for this!
it really helped with my science fair project!
btw, do you have any sources where you got this info? if you do, i could really use them
it sucks haha
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sorrybut what you said is a load of crap it doesnt take a million years for a plastic bag to decompose this is a lie you are giving the public faulty information and it’s not right you shouldn’t be lying to everyone