Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) products are NOT biodegradable & compostable

By PVA – either polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl alcohol, but the answer for either is no. Because the polymers are made via free radical polymerization through a vinyl group they are actually quite similar to polypropylene in terms of their polymer backbone. Polyvinyl alcohol or acetate just have some different side groups than polypropylene.

polyvinyl-alcohol-Polyvinyl alcohol is water soluble. But has effects on marine life / water based ecological systems. Polyvinyl acetate is actually the precursor to polyvinyl alcohol and is basically Elmers glue. The acetate can undergo hydrolysis to produce acetic acid and polyvinyl alcohol and has been a problem for art conservation the last 10-20 years.

Once again main issue is degradation of the aliphatic polymer backbone. No naturally occurring enzymes or bacteria are currently known to be able to degrade this structure. See below for structures.

Leave a comment