“These bioplastics just aren’t ready for primetime.”
Cami Ferrell for Environmental Health News
The lack of federal regulations and clear definitions for bioplastics make it increasingly difficult to determine whether or not they are a safe alternative to traditional plastics, according to a new report from Beyond Plastics.
Since 1950 the world has produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, and
about half was produced after 2000. Yet only 9% has been recycled, 12% was
burned and a staggering 79% entered landfills. As the plastic pollution crisis
looms, scientists, industry leaders and environmental advocates are searching
for solutions — among them bioplastics, which are loosely defined as plastic
materials that are either partly or wholly derived from renewable biomass like
plants or are biodegradable or are both. The demand for bioplastics is growing,
with its global market size estimated to go from 7.41 billion in 2024 to nearly
57 billion by 2032.
However, the new report raises concerns about
harmful chemicals potentially making their way into bioplastics, a lack of
regulatory oversight, and potential conflicts of interest in the currently
available certifications.
The new report comes on the heels of an Environmental Health News investigation that
found bioplastics can contain some of the same harmful chemicals as traditional
petrochemical-derived plastic and often will not break down in current
composting facilities.
“We aren’t saying go back to
single use plastics, we appreciate the effort. But these bioplastics just
aren’t ready for primetime,” Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics president and
previous Environmental Protection Agency administrator, told EHN.
Current state of bioplastic regulation
The report outlines the lack of regulation and clear
definitions for bioplastics. There is no universally recognized definition of
bioplastics, but this report understands them as part of two categories,
plant-based plastic or petrochemical based biodegradable plastic.
There is no bioplastic regulation entity in the United States, and that’s the case for much of the world. Bioplastics companies may voluntarily adhere to trade or industry standards and opt for certifications of their products.
In the U.S., the leading independent certifier is the
Biodegradable Products Institute, or BPI. However, the report highlighted
concerns that BPI may have conflicts of interest due to their board members’ affiliations with petrochemical
industry executives and nine major bioplastics manufacturers. This
structure could be a case of the “fox guarding the henhouse” according to Enck.
“I’m not sure how much to trust this self-policing,” she
said. “If I were to run a stop sign, would I actually report myself?”
And this certification — especially in the absence of
meaningful regulation — is key because previous studies have shown that
bioplastics can contain many of the same toxic compounds as traditional
plastics. “Yet, even less is known about the potential toxicity of those
chemicals than the ones in conventional plastics,” according to the new report.
At the time of publication, BPI did not respond to EHN’s request for comment.
Potential bioplastic contamination
See video: Bioplastics
create a composting conundrum (youtube.com)
“The consumer should know the source of where the
biobased materials are coming from, and what the end of the product life looks
like,” Anil Netravali, professor emeritus of fiber science and apparel design
at Cornell University, told EHN.
However, the report notes that knowing the source of
bioplastic materials can be difficult. While Netravali notes that plant-based
proteins and starches used in the products should be non-toxic, concerns can
arise if other chemicals are added or if there is contamination in the process.
For example, a common biobased plastic polylactic acid, or PLA, can be
contaminated by pesticide use from the crops it starts as or potentially
contain PFAS.
These concerns can extend to the end of life for biobased products. There is no
regulation of the buzzwords used alongside these products, like “compostable”
and “biodegradable,” which are often used interchangeably and understood as
such by consumers. However, not all bioplastics are compostable, and the ones
that are, as noted by Netravali and the report, may need to be composted at
industrial compost facilities, as opposed to your garden compost bin.
All of these factors make it difficult for consumers and
businesses to decide whether or not to invest in and use bioplastics.
“There’s just a lot of labels and products out there, it can be super
confusing,” CJ O'Brien Weddle, ocean friendly programs manager at The Surfrider
Foundation, told EHN. O’Brien Weddle manages the Ocean Friendly Restaurants
Program, helping restaurants make more sustainable choices to avoid unnecessary
single use plastic. She notes that Surfrider typically looks for items that are
100% biobased and can guarantee their disposability process is not similar to
how traditional plastics break down.
“At this time, Surfrider does not believe that
bio-single-use plastic is a great alternative to conventional single-use
plastic, because a lot of times these bioplastic items don’t degrade in the
marine environment,” O’Brien Weddle said.
And then there’s the petrochemical-based biodegradable
plastics like PVA, or polyvinyl alcohol, that may appear to dissolve in water
as a dish or detergent pod, that Netravali notes are unsustainable.
Bioplastic regulation possibilities
“I’ll admit, I’m a former federal regulator,” Enck said.
“And I’d like to see this stuff get regulated.”
Enck noted there are no pending regulations at the
federal level, but that Beyond Plastics is advocating for the Federal Trade
Commission to include bioplastics in their Green Guides, which
are not enforceable by law, but are a series of recommendations for proper use
of “green” marketing and terminology. The Green Guides are set to be updated
for the first time since 2012, yet there is no official timeline for when the
guides will publish.
“Ideally we’d like to see the guides published within the next few months,”
Enck said, nodding to the possible administration change.
Bioplastic consumer tips
The Surfrider Foundation and Beyond Plastics recommend
avoiding plastic when possible by starting with refillables and reusables. Ocean Friendly Restaurants follow
a specific criteria set by Surfrider, and often try to minimize plastic use by
only providing disposable materials when requested and even providing
incentives for individuals that bring their own reusable materials. Surfrider
has guides for restaurants wanting to make the switch to becoming
ocean-friendly but don’t know how to choose a product.
“Restaurants are noticing that not only is this helping
the planet, but it’s also cutting their costs,” O’Brein Weddle said.
Beyond Plastics also has a checklist tool within the report to
help consumers and others make decisions.
*Editor’s note: Beyond Plastics is a project of Bloomberg
Philanthropies. EHN receives some funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Cami Ferrell is a bilingual video reporter
for Environmental Health Sciences based in Houston, Texas. Ferrell primarily
reports on the petrochemical buildout in the Texas Gulf Coast.