Oxo Degradable Plastics

Oxo degradable plastic including plastic carrier bags may degrade quicker in the open environment than conventional plastic.

Oxo degradable plastics.

European bioplastics eubp the association of the bioplastics industry in europe strongly welcomes this clear commitment to take action. Oxo degradable material is often found in products such as plastic bags. Spain is the second country in europe to take concrete actions to limit the harmful impacts of oxo degradable plastics. Accordingly epi recommends all manufacturers and companies selling or planning to sell products with tdpa in the eu to abide with the eu s.

The directive foresees a ban on all products made of oxo degradable plastic from july 2021. Oxo degradable plastics will not break down at all or will break down extremely slowly in environments with relatively low concentrations of oxygen such as in marine environments if covered by soil or buried in a compost bin. What happens when oxo degradable plastics enter the environment. The coalition claims it contains additives meant to accelerate the fragmentation of plastics into microplastics.

The normal manufacturing of plastics emits about 4 tons of greenhouse emissions. In july 2015 france prohibited the production distribution sale provision and utilization of packaging or bags made partially or completely of oxo degradable plastics. The exact date of such ban will depend on the applicable legislation passed by each eu member state. Because oxo degradable plastics are only degradable not biodegradable or certified compostable after the bio additives have broken down traditional plastics remain.

The european commission has recommended eu wide measures be taken against so called oxo degradable plastics. The resulting microplastics are left in the environment indefinitely until they eventually fully break down. Even if the small pieces are microscopic the plastic still exists and can easily enter the environment. By using oxo biodegradable plastic we reduce the amount of carbon emissions during the process of manufacturing bioplastics.

However according to a report from the european commission there is no evidence that oxo degradable plastic will subsequently fully biodegrade in a reasonable time in the open environment on landfills or in the. Epi is the world leader and pioneer of oxo biodegradable plastic technology. Oxo degradable plastics are a type of degradable plastic designed to fragment in the presence of oxygen. The oxo degradable sector holds a different view.