Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE), a representative body for Europe’s recyclers, has published on its website a recent claim that “biodegradable plastic bags are a myth”. The original claim was made during a public hearing on plastic carrier bags organised by the by The Greens/European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament on 19 February 2014. The claim was made by Professor Richard Thomson, who works for the School of Marine Science and Engineering at Plymouth University in the UK.
However, the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association (OPA), has since issued an objection to the public hearing, stating that: “Advocates of bio-based plastics had ample opportunity to speak, but neither the OPA nor any member of the oxo-biodegradable plastics industry had been invited to provide a speaker.”
During the workshop Ton Emans, PRE President, claimed that as little as 2% degradable material in the recycling stream is enough to create quality problems for recyclers.
Reference was made to a study commissioned last year by European Plastics Converters (EuPC), where industrial scale tests were performed on PE films produced with recyclates. This independent study is said to demonstrate “problems caused by degradable materials in the actual recycling streams”.
Professor Richard Thomson made the claim that biodegradable bags are a myth, and discussed the importance of re-use and recycling in order to reduce littering. Other panel speakers expressed concerns that degradable material has to degrade in a defined period of time, which they say means that the material poses “a large threat for this period and this is environmentally unacceptable and creates confusion amongst consumers.”
The opposing statement from the OPA includes a copy of a letter sent to MEP Margarete Auken, by Michael Stephen, Chairman of the OPA itself. Mr Stephen is also Deputy Chairman of Symphony Environmental Technologies, a firm which specialises in oxo-biodegradable additive technologies, amongst others.
The letter expresses concern that the OPA was not invited to contribute to the discussion. It highlights what the group describes as a degree of “ignorance, misinformation, irrelevance and emotional argument”, particularly with regards to distinguishing between compostable plastics and oxo-biodegradable plastics.
The letter continues: “Professor Thompson is not a polymer scientist, and is in no position to make statements on the composition and characteristics of polymers. The plastic fragments found in the oceans, and ingested by birds and fish, are fragments of old-fashioned plastics. They are not fragments of oxo-biodegradable plastics which have degraded.”
On the subject of the above-mentioned EuPC study, the letter refers to findings from an earlier study, which has since been reviewed by the original laboratory in the wake of the EuPC report. “We were aware of concerns expressed by recyclers, so the oxo-bio industry identified an expert laboratory and asked them for a report. Extensive tests were carried out by Roediger Laboratories who reported on 21st May 2012 that ‘Plastic products made with oxo-biodegradable technology may be recycled without any significant detriment to the newly formed recycled product.’ Roediger Laboratories examined the TCKT report [commissioned by the EuPC] and reported on 5th December 2013 that bio-based could not be recycled but they had no reason to change their opinion on oxo-bio.”
Plastics Recyclers Europe says that its members constitute 80% of the European recycling capacity.
The OPA says it has 1,258 members worldwide, comprised of manufacturers, distributors, importers, exporters and commercial end-users.
The original statement can be read on the Plastics Recyclers Europe website by clicking here: http://www.plasticsrecyclers.eu/news/biodegradable-plastic-bags-are-myth
