Procedure |
- Purchase a box of Ziploc synthetic plastic bags, a box of BioBag bioplastic bags, and a box of Sumo oxo-biodegradable garbage bags.
- Cut the synthetic plastic bags into thirds, cut the bioplastic bags into halves, and cut the oxo-biodegradable garbage bags into approximately 15 cm by 17 cm rectangular fragments. Compile 30 samples of each type of plastic bag.
- Attach clothespins inscribed with labels created by permanent marker to each plastic sample in order to track individual samples throughout the study.
- Measure the masses of all 90 plastic samples on a gram scale. Record the masses in a log book.
- Assemble all 90 plastic samples on a lawn. Allow samples to remain on the lawn for 37 days. Do not interfere with interactions between the elements and the plastic samples for the duration of this time period.
- Retrieve plastic samples from lawn. Wash all 90 samples thoroughly in tap water to remove excess dirt, grass, and debris from the samples.
- Hang all plastic samples to dry on a clothesline for 6 hours to alleviate the majority of the water that adhered to the plastic during the washing of the samples.
- Place plastic samples in a furnace room for 66 hours to remove all remaining moisture from the samples.
- Measure the mass of each plastic sample and record these post-experiment measurements in the logbook next to their corresponding pre-experiment measurements.
- Perform a statistical analysis of the quantitative results.
Experimental Design
Variables
Independent Variable:
Whether the plastic was classified as bioplastic or as oxo-biodegradable plastic.
Dependant Variable:
The difference in mass of individual samples before and after the period of experimentation.
Controlled Variables: The environment, the length time of environmental exposure, the weather conditions, the temperature.
Experimental Groups
Experimental Groups:
30 halves of bioplastic bags and 30 rectangular segments of oxo-biodegradable garbage bags.
Control Group:
30 thirds of synthetic plastic bags.