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What trash in the ocean changes in water, Greatest to Least:

plastic water bottle
plastic cup
a yogurt container
a plastic bag

7 answers

When considering the degradation of various types of plastic waste in the ocean, the order in which they change in water (from greatest to least in terms of degradation rate) can generally be understood as follows:

  1. Plastic bag - Thin and lightweight, plastic bags can break down more quickly due to their large surface area and susceptibility to environmental factors, though they can still take hundreds of years to decompose.

  2. Plastic cup - Typically made from polystyrene or similar materials, plastic cups can degrade at a faster rate than thicker plastics but still take decades to break down completely.

  3. Yogurt container - Generally made from more durable plastics (like polypropylene), yogurt containers can take longer to degrade than plastic bags and cups, potentially lasting hundreds of years.

  4. Plastic water bottle - Made from PET, plastic water bottles are quite durable and can take hundreds of years to decompose, making them one of the least biodegradable options on this list.

So, the order from greatest to least in terms of degradation would be:

  1. Plastic bag
  2. Plastic cup
  3. Yogurt container
  4. Plastic water bottle
which one changes quickly first?

Among the items listed, the plastic bag is likely to change or degrade more quickly in the ocean environment compared to the others. Plastic bags are thin, lightweight, and have a larger surface area relative to their volume, which makes them more susceptible to environmental factors such as sunlight (UV radiation), wave action, and microbial activity.

While plastic bags can still take many years to break down completely, they typically begin to degrade faster than plastic cups, yogurt containers, and plastic water bottles.

Plastic bag - Thin and lightweight, plastic bags can break down more quickly due to their large surface area and susceptibility to environmental factors, though they can still take hundreds of years to decompose.

Plastic cup - Typically made from polystyrene or similar materials, plastic cups can degrade at a faster rate than thicker plastics but still take decades to break down completely.

Yogurt container - Generally made from more durable plastics (like polypropylene), yogurt containers can take longer to degrade than plastic bags and cups, potentially lasting hundreds of years.

Plastic water bottle - Made from PET, plastic water bottles are quite durable and can take hundreds of years to decompose, making them one of the least biodegradable options on this list.

simpleee

Sure! Here’s a simplified breakdown of the degradation rates of the plastics in your list:

  1. Plastic bag - Changes/decays the quickest (takes years).
  2. Plastic cup - Takes decades to break down.
  3. Yogurt container - Takes longer, possibly hundreds of years.
  4. Plastic water bottle - Decomposes the slowest (hundreds of years).

So, the plastic bag is the one that changes quickest first.

which one changes quicker in weeks

In the context of weeks, none of the items typically decompose significantly in that short time frame; plastic products generally take years to decades to degrade, even in optimal conditions. However, if you are looking for the one that might show some signs of change or degradation first when exposed to elements like sunlight and water, it would still be the plastic bag.

While it might not decompose completely in a matter of weeks, initial signs of deterioration (such as weakening or tearing) could occur reasonably quickly compared to the other items listed.