As public awareness about the environmental damage caused by single-use plastic packaging grows, the market for bioplastic products has surged. Items marketed as “plant-based,” “eco-friendly,” “biodegradable,” and “compostable” are becoming commonplace in the food industry. However, biobased, biodegradable, and compostable are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion and potential greenwashing. This report aims to clarify these terms and assess the true environmental impact of bioplastics.
Bioplastic is a broad term that refers to plastics that are either partly or entirely derived from renewable plant materials (biobased), biodegradable, or both. Despite their renewable origins, bioplastics are manufactured using similar processes as conventional plastics, involving numerous chemical additives. Unfortunately, the potential toxicity of these chemicals is even less understood than that of traditional plastics, raising concerns about the overall safety of bioplastics.
The packaging industry promotes bioplastics as a solution to plastic pollution, claiming they degrade faster in the environment, are safer, and have a smaller carbon footprint. However, recent research indicates that some bioplastics might be more toxic than conventional plastics due to their new, unidentified chemical formulations. Furthermore, the environmental benefits of bioplastics are often overstated, as they can still pose significant ecological and human health risks.
A major issue with bioplastics is the lack of federal standards defining and regulating them. In the U.S., manufacturers may follow voluntary industry standards like those from the American Standards Testing Material (ASTM), but compliance is not mandatory. Certification programs, often run by trade associations or advocacy groups representing bioplastics manufacturers, also present conflicts of interest. This lack of stringent regulation leads to inconsistent quality and potential greenwashing.
The end-of-life management of compostable products is another significant challenge. Most compostable foodware is unsuitable for backyard composting and requires commercial composting facilities. However, access to such facilities is limited, and many commercial composters do not accept compostable packaging due to concerns about residual debris or chemical contamination. Additionally, compostable products are typically more expensive than their conventional counterparts, posing a financial burden on businesses.
Given the complexities and challenges associated with bioplastics, the best approach is to reduce reliance on single-use plastics altogether. Single-use plastics constitute nearly half of all plastic production. Eliminating these products and adopting reusable or refillable systems can provide a more sustainable solution. Case studies have shown that reuse systems can save businesses money and reduce waste.
To facilitate the shift towards reusable systems, policymakers must mandate and fund the necessary infrastructure through legislation such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws and container deposit laws (bottle bills). EPR laws make producers responsible for mitigating the environmental impacts of their products, while bottle bills incentivize the recovery of bottles and cans.
The complexities surrounding bioplastics and their environmental impact have led to legal actions addressing deceptive marketing practices. One notable case is the lawsuit filed by the Plastic Pollution Coalition against Danone Waters of America. The lawsuit alleges that Danone Waters engaged in misleading marketing by promoting their products as eco-friendly and biodegradable without sufficient evidence to support these claims.
The Plastic Pollution Coalition argues that Danone Waters’ marketing practices contribute to consumer confusion and greenwashing, undermining genuine efforts to address plastic pollution. This lawsuit highlights the urgent need for clear, enforceable standards and transparency in the marketing of bioplastics. It also underscores the importance of holding companies accountable for the environmental claims they make about their products.
While bioplastics may sometimes offer a preferable alternative to conventional plastics, this should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, requiring full disclosure of a product’s chemical composition. Business owners and consumers must carefully vet bioplastic products, ensuring they are non-toxic and compostable in commercial facilities.
Ultimately, the focus should be on designing non-toxic materials that are better for the environment. Policymakers must pass laws that enforce this, promoting a circular economy prioritizing reuse over single-use products.
