CORRUPTION IN THE EU
I was not entirely surprised to see this week that a Vice-President of the European Parliament had been arrested for corruption, and that the homes and hotels of 18 MEPs and officials had been searched by the police, yielding suitcases stuffed with banknotes.
The reason I was not surprised is that I have never been able to understand how it was possible to impose a ban on “oxo-degradable” plastic products (by Art. 5 of the Single-use plastics Directive 2019/904) without any dossier from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) showing any justification for such a ban. To make matters worse, the Commission had actually asked ECHA (under Art 69 of the REACH Regulation) to study whether these products created microplastics. ECHA received hundreds of pages of evidence but were then instructed to terminate the study.
The Parliament and Council then proceeded to legislate, and ignored all the safeguards against arbitrary legislation provided by Arts. 69-73 of REACH. In October 2018 I received an e-mail from the leader of the scientific team at ECHA saying that they had not been convinced that microplastics were formed.
Could it be that there was some corrupt influence behind the scenes? Surely not, but I think the Belgian police should investigate. They could start by reading the article by the editor of Bioplastics News on the campaign against oxo-biodegradable plastic by large German and Italian bio-based plastics companies. See The Anti Oxo History
According to The Sunday Times (18.12.22) “In Roberta Metsola’s attempt to blame a few bad apples, critics see a failure to address a fundamental problem: the extent to which the parliament, which wields real legislative power, is open to manipulation by lobbyists.”
The loser here is Europe’s environment, because ordinary plastic is still being used to make products which get into the open environment every day, where they will lie or float around for decades. They should be made with oxo-biodegradable plastic, which will biodegrade much more quickly and will not leave harmful residues.
This ridiculous, and possibly corrupt, ban needs to be urgently dealt with by the Commission making it clear that it does not apply to oxo-biodegradable (as distinct from oxo-degradable) plastic.
NOT SO COMPOSTABLE!
In the UK Parliament the Government have been asked what assessment they have made of the compostability of plastics certified as home compostable. On 2nd December 2022 the Environment Minister Lord Benyon replied: “The Government consider that compostable plastics must be treated in industrial composting facilities to be broken down and, when processed incorrectly, can be a source of microplastics and contaminate recycling streams. Therefore, our focus will be on reducing unnecessary consumption and working towards a circular economy, not composting of plastics.”
Further, “HM Government notes the findings from UCL’s study into the home composting of plastics. The study has shown that home composting is not a viable destination for managing plastic waste.”
On 14th November 2022 the Minister said “HM Government is not currently providing any specific support for the development of compostable potato starch bag packaging and have not evaluated the commercial viability of using compostable potato starch bag packaging by government agencies.”
“Currently there is insufficient industrial composting capacity throughout England to manage compostable plastics at end of life and our call for evidence suggests these materials are often stripped out at the start of the process and landfilled or incinerated.”
“This packaging also does not contribute to a circular economy in the same way as packaging that can be reused or recycled into new packaging or products do, as compostable plastic packaging is generally intended to be used once.”
So why do the Co-op continue to charge their customers for “compostable” bags, when they know, or ought to know, that the plastic they are marketing as compostable:
1. Does not convert into compost (EN13432 and ASTMD6400 require it to convert into C02 gas)
2. Is designed for a deliberate linear process and is not circular. The material is intended to be wasted by conversion into CO2.
3. Cannot be re-used, recycled, or made from recyclate
4. Leaves microplastics in the compost and in the open environment Biodegradable plastic particles in finished compost
5. Does not deal with the problem of plastic litter in the
environment
6. Is not wanted by industrial composters and local authorities. See Composting
CRY FOR HELP
“European policymakers must act fast and decisively to protect and expand the region’s bioplastics industry” according to Stefan Barot, chairman of European Bioplastics (EUBP) at its Annual Conference. It seems to me that this is typical of the mercantilist approach to business in the EU.
In my view, producers of inferior products which cannot succeed on their merits should make the products better or stop producing them. They should not expect governments to help them.
Mr. Barot asked the customer’s rhetorical question “How can I design my product with a low carbon footprint to make my packaging reusable or find the best end-of-life option? For the beginning of life, bio-based plastics offer a great solution because they allow for a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the start.”
This is dubious, and does not address the whole Life-cycle. See Life Cycle Assessment of Biodegradable, Compostable and Conventional Bags in which the bio-based bag had the worst performance in 10 of the 11 environmental impact categories. Also, wasting plastic by turning it into CO2 in a composting facility is not the best end-of-life option, and is certainly not circular.
He continued “Packaging designed for the protection of food, which, after its use, is contaminated with food, can be designed for composting or the conversion into biogas, resulting in a significantly lower GHG footprint.” The problem with this is that it does not convert into compost and does not have a significantly lower GHG footprint – see above and
EU Talking About Biodegradable Plastic and Compostable Plastics
Michael Stephen
Michael Stephen is a lawyer and was a member of the United Kingdom Parliament, where he served on the Environment Select Committee. When he left Parliament Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc. attracted his attention because of his interest in the environment. He is now Deputy Chairman of Symphony, which is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, and is the founder and Chairman of the Biodegradable Plastics Association.
Earlier Postings in this Column
All articles of Michael Stephen can be found here
- 1/ 1/ 20 – Plastiphobia, Microplastics and A Throw-Away Society
- 7/ 1/ 20 – Recycling, Lab Testing, Bangladesh and the Right Bioplastic
- 14/1/20 – Plastiphobia and Bioplastics Definitions
- 21/1/20 – Composting, the European Union and Unemployment
- 30/1/20 – Plastiphobia, Malaysia and a Case Against Compostables and Paper
- 7/02/20 – Coronavirus, MPs Letter, Montreal, Australia and the Dominican Republic
- 14/02/20 – Oman, MacArthur Foundation, Stifling Innovation, South Africa and Compostable Plastics
- 24/02/20 – Serbia, India, Pakistan and European Bioplastics
- 03/03/20 – Plastic To Protect Health and Common Sense on Plastic
- 10/03/20 – Plastiphobia, Singapore, Compostable Plastics, Doorknobs and Carbios
- 17/03/20 – Greening our Way to Infection, Defra Warns Against Bioplastics and Montreal
- 24/03/20 – Ditch the Plastic Bag Ban and Inn-Probio
- 01/04/20 – The Come Back of Plastic Bags, Compostable Plastic Not Wanted and EASAC
- 16/04/20 – Coronavirus and Agricultural Plastics
- 11/05/20 – Coronavirus, Peru, Barbados and Recycling
- 18/05/20 – Say No to Plastiphobia, False Descriptions and the Recycling Myth
- 02/06/20 – Definitions and More Setbacks for Plastiphobia
- 11/06/20 – BBIA, Food Waste and Testing of OXO-Biodegradable Plastic
- 19/06/20 – Oxo Biodegradation, Independent Reports and Precautionary Principle
- 29/06/20 – Banana Republic, Why Turn Plastic into CO2 and Plastic Waste from Ships
- 13/07/20 – Running Scared, The Daily Telegraph and Market Report
- 20/07/20 – Tipa, Plastics Today and The American Genius
- 27/07/20 – Coronavirus, Plastic Litter, Bahrain and Polymateria
- 17/08/20 – Plastics Europe, Confusing Issues and Paper
- 25/08/20 – Professor Emo Chiellini, Plastics Today, Greenwashing and Coronavirus
- 28/09/20 – Kill the Virus, Marine Degradation, Airports, Brazil Retail, Plastic Growth and Face Mask
- 08/10/20 – Compostable vs Biodegradable, Covid 19 and New British Bioplastic Standard
- 27/10/20 – Power of Lobbying, Paper and Cotton Worse than Plastic
- 02/11/20 – Covid 19 and Five Myths About Plastic
- 09/11/20 – Support for OXO BIO, Westminster Forum, Euractiv and Covid
- 23/11/20 – Toxicity of Bio-based and Biodegradable Plastics, and Covid Scaremongering
- 15/12/20 – Recycling and An Article from Austria
- 21/12/20 – EU Scientific Advisers, China Chose Wrong Bioplastics and Covid Nonsense
- 05/01/20 – EU, Covid Lockdowns, WRAP, British Standards Institution and Polymateria
- 12/01/21 – Intertek and Composting
- 19/01/21 – Recycling and Exporting Plastic Waste
- 22/02/21 – Seaweed Plastic, Orange Peel and Xampla
- 02/03/31 – OXO Biodegradable Plastic
- 08/03/21 – EU Scientific Reports and Paper vs Plastic
- 15/03/21 – India, Australia and Dow Chemicals
- 14/04/21 – Oxomar, UK Government and Microplastics
- 26/04/21 – Plastic to the Rescue of Covid and More News from Brazil
- 04/05/21 – Packaging Digest
- 07/06/21 – Minderoo Report and Korea Herald
- 30/06/21 – Recycling, Is the Use of Biobased Plastics Increasing, Confused Australians and Biodegradable Future
- 12/07/21 – EU Flawed Directive, Thailand and Pakistan
- 21/07/21 – Directors Talk, Confusion, Stir Magazine and Dumping Plastic Waste
- 02/08/21 – Angry Farmers, DEFRA and Substitutes for Plastic
- 06/09/21 – Microplastics
- 13/09/21 – UK Government, Defra and David Newman
- 20/09/21 – Michael Stephen Video Interview on Antimicrobial and Biodegradable Packaging
- 05/10/21 – Freedom of Information and Plastic Waste Solutions
- 14/10/21 – Michael Stephen at Pack4Change Summit
- 22/10/21 – Plastic from Algae and Carbon Dioxide
- 15/11/21 – Defra
- 22/11/21 – Defra, India, Food Service Footprint Magazine and Waste 360
- 30/11/21 – RWM Digital Spotlight and Plastiphobia
- 17/12/21 – Disposal in the Right Way and Defra Consultation Responses
- 04/01/22 – Precautionary Principle, Anti Oxo Campaign and Defra
- 11/01/22 – Microplastics
- 17/01/22 – Michael Laurier, A Saucy Problem and Unilever
- 21/02 /22 – No Alternative for Plastic
- 08/03/22 – Sustainable Agriculture, Canada, Consequence of Banning, United Nations
- 14/03/22 – Plastiphobia
- 04/04/22 – Virgin Mobile, Defra, OXO, Microplastics, End of Life Options
- 11/04/22 – Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- 09/05/22 – Response to Association of Plastic Recyclers
- 16/05/22 – Wrap and More Bad News for Compostable Plastics in UK Parliament
- 30/05/22 – A Threat to Humanity and Market Research
- 13/06/22 – Recycling, OECD and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- 27/06/22 – Recyclass, Unilever, UK Plastic Packaging Tax
- 04/07/22 – Korea, Carbon 13 Study, Defra, Food Shortages and Biobased Plastics
- 09/08/22 – Oxford Analytica, Indonesia, Paper is not the Answer
- 16/08/22 – Video, Canada, The Guardian, Food Waste, Recycled vs Virgin Polymer
- 22/08/22 – Defra and Plastics in Agriculture
- 30/08/22 – Recycling and Food Waste
- 07/09/22 – Microplastics, Environmental Footprints and Coffee Waste
- 21/09/22 – DEFRA
- 4/10/22 – Agricultural Film and Global Plastic Treaty
- 10/10/2022 – Anti-Plastic Zealots
- 17/10/22 – Innovation and the United Nations
- 31/10/22 – Defra Finally Complies with Disclosure Order
- 7/11/22 – Time to Ban Compostable Plastics? Also SUP Legislation in Wales and Scotland
- 12/12/22 – EU Talking About Biodegradable Plastic
Interview with Michael Stephen
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed here by Michael Stephen and other columnists are their own, not those of Bioplasticsnews.com