We already see how the industry has used "biodegradable" to promote its product, a clear case of Green washing. In many instances, products take literally decades to biodegrade. While the product may meet the technical definition of biodegradable, from a consumer standpoint biodegradable is normally translated into a timeframe of months, perhaps a year or two, but not decades. I believe their are specific definitions regarding compostable claims which makes it more difficult to "wiggle". Overall, biodegradable claims tend to be misleading to consumers based on the consumer’s definition of the term "biodegradable".

Therefore, I would strongly recommend that some form independent regulation be established. Otherwise, it threatens the fundamental principles and credibility of sustainable packaging.

Claim misuse will always be a problem at early stages of usage, and in the case of compostable and biodegradable claims, there is a fair amount of confusion in the US, even though clear standards for testing do exist.

ASTM D6400-04 Standard specification for compostable plastics

ASTM D6863-03 Standard specification for biodegradable plastics used as coatings on paper or other compostable substrates

ASTM 5338 Standard test method for determining aerobic biodegradability of plastic material under controlled composting conditions

Materials passing these standards should biodegrade suitably in actively managed composting operations.

Europe handles it a bit different, with classifications for compatibility with managed composting, backyard composting or biodegradability performance for litter.

My view is that just as any other property of a material that we might specify is only meaningful in the context of quantified performance against a specific test (think tear resistance of a film, where conditions and specific test method are required for someone to understand what the reported number means), claims about degradability performance must be specific to a standard and method.

Only by holding ourselves to rigor in these claims can credibility be maintained. I'm inclined to believe that self-regulation won't be sufficient, given the tendency of some companies to exaggerate and there will be some labeling guidelines at least for on-pack claims. Users of these material and packages should demand specifics from suppliers before giving any credence to claims.

Hello Sterling

Great topic ...

Personally I would like to see the FTC take leadership here as self-governance does not always translate into due diligence. They seem to be johnny on the spot when it comes to textiles labeling or country of origin marking but until we transition *FROM* a government that only enforces communication protocol that harms people or reduces risk to revenue at the Treasury *TO* a government that places more emphasis on corporate citizenship and environmental liability, I don't think there will be any formal deterrents in the marketplace along this front. Maybe watchdog groups will fill in the gap but I can tell you from my experience that the lack of understanding is pervasive. Not only are the marketing organizations and designers wanting but I have had sales execs from film and resin suppliers in my office selling their product not understanding the difference between additive based oxo/photo and bio-degradability much less compostability. You picked a hot one.

Regards

Sean