Biodegradability of Plastics in the Open Environment
The Opinion on the ‘Biodegradability of Plastics in the Open Environment’ is provided in support of the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment. This Opinion intends to contribute to informing the forthcoming Commission’s policy framework related to bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics, and help define the main challenges and policy actions needed in this area. It builds on some of the recommendations of the Scientific Opinion on ‘Environmental and Health Risks of Microplastic Pollution’ published in 2019.
The 2018 EU Plastics Strategy sets out a cautious approach for the use of biodegradable plastics (BDP). While it acknowledges that targeted BDP applications have shown some benefits, it also identifies several challenges and points out that “It is important to ensure that consumers are provided with clear and correct information, and to make sure that biodegradable plastics are not put forward as a solution to littering”. Moreover, “Applications with clear environmental benefits (and criteria for such applications) should be identified, and in those cases the Commission will consider measures to stimulate innovation and drive market developments in the right direction”.
The mandate outlined in the scoping paper requests the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to investigate the following question: ‘from a scientific point-of-view and an end-of-life perspective, and applying to plastics that biodegrade either in the terrestrial, riverine or marine environments, and considering the waste hierarchy and circular economy approach: What are the criteria and corresponding applications of such plastics that are beneficial to the environment, compared with non-biodegradable plastics?’
The recommendations in the report are informed by an extensive review of the scientific literature and evidence carried out by the consortium of European Academies under the Horizon 2020 funded SAPEA grant agreement. In the context of this Opinion, biodegradation of plastic is understood as the microbial conversion of all its organic constituents to carbon dioxide (CO2) (or carbon dioxide and methane in conditions where oxygen is not present), new microbial biomass and mineral salts, within a timescale short enough not to lead to lasting harm or accumulation in the open environment. Here, the term ‘open environment’ (as opposed to a controlled environment) denotes any environment, including agricultural and urban environments, with no or only minimal control over conditions that influence biodegradation. It excludes managed waste systems, such as industrial composting facilities.
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