In the landfill, biodegradable plastics decompose much slower than non-biodegradable ones. That’s because landfills block out air, sunlight and moisture.
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Biodegradable
There are many bio-based plastics and recycled materials on the market today that claim to be eco-friendly. However, many of them aren't.
A new study from the University of Plymouth found that most of these bio-degradable bags didn't break down at all over a three-year period in all environments they were exposed to. That's not what you want from a garbage biodegradable bags that you're supposed to recycle.
The researchers compared five different single-use plastic bags: one compostable, one conventional polyethylene, and three types of biodegradable options. Two of the bags were oxo-biodegradable, which means they were manufactured in a way that promotes their breakdown differently.
All of these bags disintegrated in water, but not at all if buried in soil or if they were left out in the air for three years. That's more than enough time for a sea turtle to confuse one of the bags for jellyfish, which could cause her to choke on it.
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Compostable
A compostable product is a plastic or paper that can be broken down by microorganisms and oxidized into good-quality compost. Composting involves placing waste in an enclosed pile under conditions of oxygen, moisture, carbon and nitrogen, said WM EarthCare’s director of business development, Michelle Wagner.
Bio bags are made from a biodegradable resin sourced in Italy called Mater-Bi, which is designed to break down and decompose in the composting process. Microbial organisms in the compost pile eat and digest the materials in the bags, creating heat that breaks them down faster, Wagner explained.
Bio bags as well as compostable trash bags are a more eco-friendly option than traditional plastic trash bags, and most communities have a Source Separate Organics (SSO) collection program that accepts them. Whether you use them in a home compost bin or take them to an industrial facility, it’s important to know that bio bags will degrade within 90 days in a home composting environment and in 10 to 45 days in a commercial one.
Recyclable
Bio bags are often labeled "biodegradable," which suggests that they will break down in a composting pile, but this isn't always true. Some of these products are made from long polymer chains that can't be broken down by normal micro-organisms.
These products also can't be placed in the recycling cart with other plastics. This is because they contain non-plastic materials that can become contaminants in the recycling stream.
The best way to find out if a plastic bag is compostable is to look for the BPI, US Composting Council, or European home compost standards. These organizations use scientifically-based standards to certify compostable products that will break down in industrial composting facilities.
In the United States, compostable products such as compostable bags and Eco-friendly paper cups must break down within 12 to 24 weeks in a commercial or industrial composting facility. They must also not harm plant growth or impede the natural composting process.
Greenwashing
Greenwashing is a marketing strategy where a company creates a misleading impression of sustainability. It can be done through renaming, rebranding, and repackaging products to make them look better for the environment than they actually are.
One example of this is the "save the towel" movement in hotels that was designed to save hotel owners money on laundry costs while causing little impact on the environment. Environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term "greenwashing" in 1986, and it's been used ever since to describe companies that misrepresent their sustainable practices.
Besides being an effective way to mislead consumers, greenwashing can also hurt businesses and their stakeholders by putting them at risk of legal action or losing trust in the sustainability claims they make. It can also deter investors who are looking to invest in greener and more sustainable businesses.
