Final answer:
The statement about microplastics is false. Microplastics are small plastic particles that are a concern because they are not biodegradable, unlike organic waste processed through composting. Plastic recycling processes exist but are currently limited in their effectiveness to manage plastic waste.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that microplastics are plastic items that are less composting uses to break down biodegradable wastes into usable products is false. Microplastics are indeed small plastic particles, typically defined as less than 5mm in size, but they are not designed for composting biodegradable waste. In fact, microplastics are a significant environmental concern because they are not readily biodegradable and can persist in the environment for a long time. Many commonly used polymers, such as those found in microplastics, do not decompose easily, especially under the anaerobic conditions of landfills, and can lead to contamination of soil and water through leachates.
In contrast, composting is a biological process that breaks down organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. The process typically involves the decomposition of biodegradable waste by microorganisms, fungi, worms, and other decomposers in the presence of oxygen, which is fundamentally different from the environmental issues caused by microplastics.
Plastic recycling is a process that involves recovering and reprocessing plastic waste into new products, which can serve as an alternative management strategy to mitigate the impact of plastic waste. However, this process is currently limited by various challenges, and only a small fraction of plastic ever produced has actually been recycled. Efforts, such as recycling programs that focus on certain commodity plastics with a recycling code, have made some aspects of plastic production more efficient. Yet, the overwhelming quantity of plastic waste and the inefficiency of recycling systems, along with the non-biodegradability of many plastics, remain major environmental concerns.