Recycling expert: UK government must provide circular economy guidance after consultation finds lacking bioplastics consensus

16 Apr 2021 --- Bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics can have a limited and often damaging impact on the quest for more environmentally sustainable packaging, according to the findings of a UK government consultation.

Launched in 2019, the consultation called on environmental scientists, manufacturers, NGOs, consumers and industry stakeholders to submit evidence and opinions on the capacity of these materials for improving sustainability standards. 

The consultation was run by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. 

Speaking to PackagingInsights, Robbie Staniforth, head of innovation and policy for recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety, says the consultation was needed to combat the “plethora of misinformation” surrounding the materials and their environmental credentials. 

“Their benefits are poorly understood by the wider packaging industry and the expansion in their use poses a risk of unintended consequences,” he notes. 

“Citizens are also confused by the terminology. The growing awareness about the misuse of plastic over the past few years means that greenwashing by providing ‘an alternative’ is rife.” 

He stresses, however, that there are viable applications for bio-based and biodegradable plastics, and Defra’s findings could help to see them appropriately used. 

The results of the consultation will be taken forward into separate, ongoing consultations on how best to implement a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and updated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system in the UK. 

The responses will also inform future policies aimed at tackling single-use plastic, including via the UK Plastic Tax, says Defra. 

UK government definitions:

• Bio-based – Plastics made using polymers derived from plant-based sources such as starch, cellulose, or lignin. Bio-based plastics can be engineered to be biodegradable, but are not necessarily.
• Biodegradable – Plastics that can be broken down into water, biomass, and gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Biodegradability depends on environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, microorganisms present, and oxygen.
• Compostable – Compostable plastics are a subset of biodegradable plastics that break down into water, biomass, and gases under composting conditions. Industrial composting conditions are the most optimal: temperatures of 55-70 degrees C, high humidity, and oxygen. 

Bio-based plastics 
Consultation responses were mixed regarding the potential power of bio-based plastics in creating a more circular economy, with positive views regarding their potential carbon impact compared to conventional virgin plastics. 

Some experts are concerned consumers will see biodegradable labeling as an excuse to litter.Most responses stated that there is a limited role, if any, for biodegradable and compostable plastics in the circular economy as these are likely to be single-use and/or have a short lifespan. 

However, other respondents asserted that returning materials to land, as part of compost or digestate, represented a valid circular economy route. Some questions were raised regarding the nutritional value added by these kinds of plastic, and more investigation is required to clarify this, notes the consultation. 

In the responses, Defra notes there was little hard evidence presented from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies to illustrate the contribution that bio-based and biodegradable plastics could make in a more circular economy.

Staniforth says confusion in the existing evidence stems largely from fierce competition in the market, where many stakeholders are making disputable claims to further their products. 

Biodegradable plastics
There was more consensus on biodegradable plastics, with the majority view being that biodegradable plastics have a “limited but valid role,” primarily in applications where conventional plastic is typically too contaminated to be reused or recycled. 

However, repeated concerns were raised regarding the extent to which plastics marketed as “biodegradable” biodegrade in the open environment. 

Other respondents raised concerns that biodegradable plastics could encourage littering if people consider them in some way environmentally friendly. 

Compostable plastics
Similar issues were raised regarding compostable plastics. However, unlike biodegradable plastics, there is a recognized standard for plastics suitable for industrial composting. 

As with biodegradable plastics, the consultation’s consensus is that compostable plastics should only be encouraged in very specific circumstances. Robbie Staniforth thinks the UK government has missed an opportunity with the consultation findings.

There was a clear consensus concerning plastics containing pro-degradant agents to aid the biodegradation process, typically referred to as oxo-degradable or oxo-biodegradable plastics. 

“Such technologies are unproven and likely to be a source of microplastic pollution. Regarding product labeling, evidence suggests that plastics should not be labeled as ‘bioplastics’ as the term is ambiguous and offers little value to the public,” reads the report. 

Lack of leadership
Staniforth says the current confusion over bio-based plastics is unlikely to negatively impact the circular economy charge as these materials make up a tiny proportion of the total plastic market. 

“It is more about the potential to go down the wrong path that needs to be addressed. One example is that some novel plastics simply break up into microplastics, making the pollution situation worse, not better.”

While Staniforth says he welcomes the summary of responses, there is a lack of policy direction indicated in the report. 

“Having waited such a long time for clarity on a difficult subject area, it is disappointing to see such little guidance,” he remarks. “Tough decisions need to be made by the government, based on the best information and science available.” 

“While it appears that responses led to a lack of consensus, the government has missed an opportunity to provide leadership using their significant resources.” 

By Louis Gore-Langton