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So called "Bio-degradable" Plastics

Plastic bags and other products, e.g. agricultural mulching films, made with polyethylene (PE) are appearing on the market with the claim of being "degradable", or "bio-, UV- or oxo-degradable", and sometimes even "compostable". The underlying technology is based on special additives, which, if incorporated into standard PE resins, are purported to accelerate the degradation of the film products. This technology and the products are not new, and since their first appearance on the market in the 80s many doubts have been expressed as to whether these products provide what they promise. Such doubts are still valid in the current context.

False Claims have been sentenced

The way of advertising these products has been examined in two lawsuits. In both cases the sentence was that producers/marketers made false claims with respect to degradability or compostability. Background information can be found in the following downloads.

 

 

:: Links
» News release: Research questions the environmental credentials of ‘degradable’ plastics, Mar 2010 (website) » Defra: Assessing the environmental impacts of oxy-degradable plastics across their life cycle - EV0422, Jan 2010 (pdf, 2,5 mB) » SPI Position Paper on Oxo-Biodegradables and other degradable additives, Jan 2010 (pdf, 235 kB) » Position paper: Oxo-biodegradable Plastics, Jul 2009 (pdf, 490 kB) » Australian Sentence, Dec 2004 (pdf, 1,3 mB) » Italian Sentence, Jan 2006 (pdf, 73 kB)