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Britain Introduces Standard for Biodegradable Plastic

Companies will need to prove their products break down into harmless wax containing no microplastics or nanoplastics.

By: Beauty Packaging Staff

Currently, most plastic products in litter persist in the environment for hundreds of years, but a recently developed biodegradable plastic may change that.
 
A new British standard for biodegradable plastic is being introduced which aims to standardize confusing legislation and classifications for consumers, reports The Guardian.
 
According to the new standard, plastic that claims to be biodegradable will have to pass a test to prove that it breaks down into a harmless wax which contains no microplastics or nanoplastics.
 
Polymateria, a British company, made the benchmark for the new standard by creating a formula that transforms plastic items such as bottles, cups and film into a sludge at a specific moment in the product’s life.
 
“We wanted to cut through this eco-classification jungle and take a more optimistic view around inspiring and motivating the consumer to do the right thing,” said Nialle Dunne, chief executive of Polymeteria. “We now have a base to substantiate any claims that are being made and to create a new area of credibility around the whole biodegradable space.”
 
Once the breakdown of the product begins, most items will have decomposed down to carbon dioxide, water and sludge within two years, triggered by sunlight, air and water.
 
Dunne said in tests using the biotransformation formula, polyethylene film fully broke down in 226 days and plastic cups in 336 days.
 
Also, the biodegradable products created contain a recycle-by date, to show consumers that they have a timeframe to dispose of them responsibly in the recycling system before they start breaking down.

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