The article "Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment" by Ali Chamas et al. reviews the current understanding of plastic degradation in various environmental conditions. The authors introduce the specific surface degradation rate (SSDR) as a metric to harmonize different measurement types and use it to estimate half-lives of plastics. The SSDR values for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in marine environments range from 0 to 11 μm year\(^{-1}\). Using a mean SSDR, estimated half-lives for HDPE bottles range from 58 years to 1200 years for pipes, depending on the environment. The study highlights the need for better experimental studies under well-defined conditions, standardized reporting, and methods to simulate polymer degradation. The article also discusses the degradation mechanisms of common plastics like PE, PET, and PLA, and methods for assessing degradation, including mass loss, CO₂ evolution, gel permeation chromatography, chemical analysis, and material property changes. The authors emphasize the sensitivity of degradation rates to the shape and size of plastic pieces, and provide estimates of first half-lives for various household plastic items, highlighting the large uncertainties in extrapolations.The article "Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment" by Ali Chamas et al. reviews the current understanding of plastic degradation in various environmental conditions. The authors introduce the specific surface degradation rate (SSDR) as a metric to harmonize different measurement types and use it to estimate half-lives of plastics. The SSDR values for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in marine environments range from 0 to 11 μm year\(^{-1}\). Using a mean SSDR, estimated half-lives for HDPE bottles range from 58 years to 1200 years for pipes, depending on the environment. The study highlights the need for better experimental studies under well-defined conditions, standardized reporting, and methods to simulate polymer degradation. The article also discusses the degradation mechanisms of common plastics like PE, PET, and PLA, and methods for assessing degradation, including mass loss, CO₂ evolution, gel permeation chromatography, chemical analysis, and material property changes. The authors emphasize the sensitivity of degradation rates to the shape and size of plastic pieces, and provide estimates of first half-lives for various household plastic items, highlighting the large uncertainties in extrapolations.