Plastic to microplastic in the United Arab Emirates – plastic bottle caps in a hot, arid environment

The degradation of plastic bottle tops as a common contributor to plastic waste in the environment was assessed under the hot, arid conditions of the hinterland of the United Arab Emirates. 500 bottles tops were collected from 5 different locations in the Al Ain area and their surface oxidation index was determined through FT-IR measurements. The hardness of pristine bottle tops and bottle tops aged in the environment was compared.