In recent years, a few countries have adopted plastics containing additives meant to help them break down into carbon dioxide, water and harmless organic matter. Supporters of these materials-known as oxo-biodegradables-promote them as a remedy for the 80 million tons of plastics that pollute natural environments each year.
Nevertheless, independent scientific evaluations reveal little evidence that these plastics degrade in the open environment within a significant time frame.Consequently, governments are increasingly adopting a skeptical point. In 2021, the European Union announced a ban on oxo-biodegradable compounds, with Switzerland and New Zealand following suit in 2022. Last year, restrictions were implemented in Hong Kong and British Columbia (Canada), while the UK and New York state are contemplating similar measures.
Researchers contend that although oxo-biodegradable additives might accelerate fragmentation, the plastics eventually disintegrate into innumerable microplastic particles. These particles remain in soil, water, and even human bodies.
Traditional plastics, if left alone, can exist for centuries. As they break into smaller pieces, these microplastics have been associated with reproductive harm, weakened immunity and inflammation; firm evidence is strongest in marine and bird life. Ideally, plastics would be reused or recycled, but reuse is difficult to measure and only around 9% of plastics are actually recycled-equal to zero in poorer countries. Recycling often fails because contaminated items cannot be processed, and many nations choose to burning or burying plastic waste.
Biodegradable plastics must also be differed from compostables, which can be decomposed with help of microbes. Compostable plastics require high temperatures found mainly in industrial facilities. Biodegradable plastics, on the other hand, are supposed to decompose even when discarded outdoors. Yet international standards require that biodegradable materials disintegrate by more than 90% within two years without leaving harmful substance.
Oxo-biodegradable products are accessible in roughly 100 countries, sometimes even with eco-labels. Adoption is most widespread in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and lower-income countries like Ghana and the Philippines. Critics say the technology allows plastic manufacturers to appear environmentally responsible without materially changing their practices.
