Environmental experts have worked to calculate the time necessary for various objects to decompose. Plastic bottles take 450 years to decompose, while glass bottles do not decompose at all; beer or soft drink cans take 200-250 years, normal tins take 100 years; painted board takes 13 years; canvas products take 1 year; ropes take 3-14 months; cotton fabrics take 1-5 months; and, train tickets take two weeks.

This study demonstrates that environmental pollution, even of small objects, will affect many generations to come. Therefore, the experts appeal to people to consciously build up the environmental protection awareness, because protecting our earth is everyone’s responsibility.

(China.org.cn September 12, 2007)