The climate benefits of plant-based or biodegradable plastics are not worth the toxic trade-offs, an anti-plastics group warns in a new report out Thursday.
And the group wants EPA and the Federal Trade Commission to do more to address the pollution concerns and confusion around bioplastics.
More and more businesses are switching to single-use cutlery and cups labeled “recyclable” to those labeled “biobased,” “compostable” or “bioplastics,” all terms that Beyond Plastics says confuse and potentially mislead consumers.
“Many consumers and businesses are genuinely trying to do the right thing when they replace traditional plastic products — like utensils, takeout containers, and straws — with bioplastics that claim to be ‘biodegradable’ and ‘compostable,’ but unfortunately they’re often replacing one harmful material with another,” Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and former Obama-era EPA regional administrator, said in a statement.
