How to prevent the abuse of "degradable" labels on plastic products

Recently, biodegradable plastics have been praised as

A substitute for traditional disposable plastics.

"degradable", "biodegradable" and "compostable"

These nouns can be used to describe

Biodegradability of plastic products.

Unfortunately, these nouns also become

Some industries and brands

Under the guise of false propaganda to obtain illegitimate interests.

In this regard, some countries have adopted legal procedures

(for example, in the United States, there are federal regulations and state laws)

Limit the use of these nouns.

Similar to indicating a product, part, or package.

The text, symbol, or figure of an environmental characteristic.

Collectively referred to as Environmental statement 1.

[note] 1 according to GB/T 24021-2001

China needs to further standardize Environmental Marketing statement

A standardized environmental statement is essential for consumers to identify what is truly degradable plastics and to understand what to do with them after use. So, what can be improved in the environmental declaration norms of our country at present?

In order to effectively prevent non-standard environmental marketing statements, the Technical Committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) issued four standards: ISO 14020, ISO 14024, ISO 14021, and ISO 14025, which are regulated by three different types of environmental statements. In China, it was transformed into recommended national standards in 2000, 2001 and 2009, which made up for the lack of evidence in our environmental marketing market.

[note]

Type I: an environmental declaration made by product manufacturers and sellers without third-party certification, that is, self-environmental declaration (self-declared environmental claim)

Type II: environmental declaration based on third-party certification and issuing licenses authorizing products to use environmental label certificates

Type III: provides an environmental declaration of quantified environmental data based on preset parameters.

But the problem is:

I. there is a lack of mandatory standards or regulations for environmental marketing statements.

Second, according to the current standards, plastic manufacturers, sellers and other relevant parties can make their own "compostable" and "degradable" statements without third-party certification.

The declaration should be based on a strict and sufficient scientific basis

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a revised version of the guidelines for the use of Environmental Marketing statements (Federal Administrative Code, vol. 16, Chapter 260, referred to as the Green Guide) on October 1, 2012.

With the mandatory effect of the regulations, the guide provides detailed guidance for marketers to prevent them from misleading consumers because of non-standard expressions or deliberate ambiguity and exaggeration when publicizing the environmental characteristics of the products.

Let's take a look at how the Green Guide regulates the use of biodegradable-related environmental statements.

Guidelines for the use of Environmental Marketing statements

Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims

To make a compostable declaration (compostable claim), follow:

1. Or directly or implicitly distort the product or packaging as compostable (compostable), deceptive.

two。 The claim that a product can be composted should be based on rigorous and sufficient scientific evidence to prove that all the constituent materials of the product will be safely and timely degraded into available compost in centralized composting facilities or home composting facilities.

3. In the following cases, the marketer should make clear and specific restrictions on the compostable declaration, 4 in order to avoid fraud:

(1) the product cannot be composted safely and in a timely manner in a home composting facility; or

(2) the product has no environmental benefit when disposed of in landfills.

4. In view of the limited municipal or commercial composting facilities, if a considerable number of communities in the product sales area do not have such facilities, the marketer should make clear and specific restrictions.

[note]

3 timely: at the same time as other common composting materials, such as natural plants, the general time limit is one year.

4 restrictive environmental declaration: an environmental declaration that expresses its limitations through explanatory notes.

To make a biodegradable declaration (degradable claim), you should follow:

1. Or directly or implicitly distort the product or packaging as degradable (degradable), biodegradable (biodegradable), oxygen degradable (oxo-degradable), oxidative biodegradable (oxo-biodegradable) or photodegradable (photodegradable), which is deceptive. The following provisions also apply to declarations of biodegradability, oxygen degradation, oxidative biodegradation and photodegradation.

two。 Marketers should limit biodegradable claims unless there is rigorous and sufficient scientific evidence that the whole product can be completely degraded and returned to nature within one year.

3. If the product cannot be completely degraded within one year, it is deceptive to make an open-ended declaration of biodegradability. It is deceptive to make unrestricted claims of degradability for products that may be disposed of in landfills, incinerators or recycling facilities, as these environments do not have the conditions for complete degradation within one year.

4. Marketers should clearly and specifically limit biodegradable claims in the following areas to avoid deception:

(I) the ability of the product or packaging to degrade in its usual treatment environment; and

(2) the rate and degree of degradation.

The declaration should be accompanied by sufficient limitations.

Over the years, California's Public Resources Act has been standardizing and restricting the environmental statements of some plastic products (plastic bags, plastic bottles, etc.).

From January 1, 2013, the revised new law extends the restrictions to all plastic products.

Public Resources Law

Public Resources Code

With regard to the environmental declaration of plastic products, the legislature proposes the following principles:

1. The intention of the legislature is to prevent consumers from mistakenly thinking that plastic products marked with environmental claims, including biodegradable (biodegradation) claims, are less harmful to the environment and aggravate the environmental damage associated with plastic waste.

two。 Statements of "biodegradable", "biodegradable" and "compostable" on plastic products are inherently misleading unless such statements are accompanied by sufficient limitations, the so-called limitation statement includes, but is not limited to, the environmental conditions and time frame required for degradation.

3. In view of the complexity of biodegradation and the fact that most plastic products usually go through a variety of environments from production to final disposal, plastic manufacturers, sellers and other relevant parties do not have the independent ability to make sufficient limiting environmental statements without relying on relevant established scientific standards.

The environmental declaration (environmental claim) for plastic products should follow:

1. Plastic products marked with the terms "compostable" (compostable), "home composting" (home compostable) or "marine degradable" (marine degradable) may not be sold in this state unless, at the time of sale, the product conforms to the relevant ASTM standards or has obtained Vincotte OK Compost HOME certification 5.

two。 Unless the plastic manufacturer, seller and other interested parties obtain the Vincotte OK Compost HOME certification of the product, the product shall not be marked with the word "home composting".

3. Plastic products marked with the terms "biodegradable", "degradable" or "decomposable" or implying that they will