Oxo-Degradable
What is oxo-degradable and how is it different from biodegradables?
While often confused with biodegradable plastics, oxo-degradables are a category unto themselves. They are neither a bioplastic nor a biodegradable plastic, but rather a conventional plastic mixed with an additive in order to imitate biodegradation. Oxo-degradable plastics quickly fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics, but don’t break down at the molecular or polymer level like biodegradable and compostable plastics. The resulting microplastics are left in the environment indefinitely until they eventually fully break down. On the other hand, biodegradables break down on a molecular level and leave behind biomass, methane, carbon dioxide, and water.
Why is it bad?
Oxo-degradable become microplastics can easily get in our food stream through seafood like mussels, or animals that are eaten whole. It can also be found in drinking water with varying concentrations depending on the water type. As of right now, it is still unknown if there are any negative effects of being exposed to microplastics in any concentration, or how exposed we are to microplastics.
Actions taken against oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable:
– The European Union (EU) has in fact decided in March to ban items made of oxo-degradable plastic alongside a ban on single-use plastics. In making the decision, the EU said oxo-degradable plastic “does not properly biodegrade and thus contributes to microplastic pollution in the environment”. The measures took effect in 2021.
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– In 2020, representatives from the likes of Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi, and the Co-op have signed an open letter to Ministers calling for a ban on plastics which are only degradable in industrial conditions with chemical additives. The letter urges the UK to follow suit from the EU and implement a legally binding ban on oxo-degradable plastics.
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– In 2017, Ellen MacArthur Foundation released and “Oxo statement” which calls for the ban of oxo-degradable plastic packaging. The statement was endorsed by 150 organisations worldwide, like European Bioplastics (EUBP), PepsiCo, British Plastics Federation Recycling Group etc.
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Controversy between oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable:
Oxo-degradable additives are added to plastics to make it fragment into microplastics. Oxo-biodegradable is a technology created by Symphony Environmental that allows plastics to biodegrade faster in the environment. However, the 2 terms are often regarded as the same even though they are different. This is because additives are also used for oxo-biodegradable, but instead of microplastics it breaks the plastic into low molecular weight oligomers (bunch of molecules) which can be digested by microbes. In March 2019, the European Parliament approved a law that would ban single-use plastics by 2021, including oxo-degradable plastics. The Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Federation (OBPF) criticised that the Directive did not make a clear distinction between oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable.
*Need to decide whether or not we are only targeting oxo-degradable.
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Are oxo-biodegradable plastics bad for the environment?