WORLD FRUIT & VEGETABLE EXHIBITION
Excel Conference Centre, London - 8th October 2008
Papers were delivered in the Forum on “Innovation in Packaging” by Michael Stephen, Chairman of the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association and Prof. Gerald Scott DSc, FRSC, C.Chem, FIMMM, Chairman of the Association’s Scientific Advisory Board.
They explained that ordinary plastic and recycled plastic can be made oxo-biodegradable, by including an additive which makes it degrade, then biodegrade, on land or at sea, in the light or the dark, in heat or cold, in whatever timescale is required, leaving NO fragments NO methane, NO heavy metals, and NO harmful residues. They pointed out that oxo-bio can be tested according to American Standard 6954 and is made from a by-product of oil refining which used to be wasted, so nobody is importing extra oil to make it.
They explained that there is little or no additional cost because oxo-biodegradable plastic is made with the same machinery as ordinary plastic and there is no disruption in the supply chain.
Questioned about compostable plastics they pointed out that they are far too expensive for everyday use. They added that there is no point in paying extra for compostables as there are very few industrial composting facilities. Home composting of plastic packaging should not be encouraged, as it is often contaminated with food residues and temperatures may not rise high enough to kill the pathogens. Also, as it is expensive to separate compostables from other plastics, many industrial composters do not want plastic of any kind in their feedstock. Compostable plastics also emit methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) in landfill.
They pointed out that compostable plastics will damage the recycling process if they get into in a normal plastic recycling waste stream, but oxo-biodegradable plastics can be safely recycled. Asked whether compostable plastics are "renewable" they replied that they were not, if you consider the hydrocarbons burned by machines which clear the land, plough the land, make the fertilisers and pesticides, transport them to the farm, sow the seeds, spray the crops, etc etc. Also, it makes no sense to use land, water and fertilisers to grow crops for bioplastics and biofuels, which drives up the cost of food for the poorest people.