Study: Biodegradable Products May Be Bad For The ...

Research from North Carolina State University shows that so-called biodegradable products are likely doing more harm than good in landfills, because they are releasing a powerful greenhouse gas as they break down.

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&#;Biodegradable materials, such as disposable cups and utensils, are broken down in landfills by microorganisms that then produce methane,&#; says Dr. Morton Barlaz, co-author of a paper describing the research and professor and head of NC State&#;s Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. &#;Methane can be a valuable energy source when captured, but is a potent greenhouse gas when released into the atmosphere.&#;

And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that only about 35 percent of municipal solid waste goes to landfills that capture methane for energy use. EPA estimates that another 34 percent of landfills capture methane and burn it off on-site, while 31 percent allow the methane to escape.

&#;In other words,&#; Barlaz says, &#;biodegradable products are not necessarily more environmentally friendly when disposed in landfills.&#;

This problem may be exacerbated by the rate at which these man-made biodegradable materials break down. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines call for products marked as &#;biodegradable&#; to decompose within &#;a reasonably short period of time&#; after disposal. But such rapid degradation may actually be environmentally harmful, because federal regulations do not require landfills that collect methane to install gas collection systems for at least two years after the waste is buried. If materials break down and release methane quickly, much of that methane will likely be emitted before the collection technology is installed. This means less potential fuel for energy use, and more greenhouse gas emissions.

As a result, the researchers find that a slower rate of biodegradation is actually more environmentally friendly, because the bulk of the methane production will occur after the methane collection system is in place. Some specific biodegradable products such as bags that hold yard waste and are always sent to composting or anaerobic digestion facilities were not included in the study.

&#;If we want to maximize the environmental benefit of biodegradable products in landfills,&#; Barlaz says, &#;we need to both expand methane collection at landfills and design these products to degrade more slowly &#; in contrast to FTC guidance.&#;

The paper, &#;Is Biodegradability a Desirable Attribute for Discarded Solid Waste? Perspectives from a National Landfill Greenhouse Gas Inventory Model,&#; was co-authored by Barlaz and NC State Ph.D. student James Levis, and was published online May 27 by the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The research was supported by Procter & Gamble and the Environmental Research and Education Foundation.

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Note to Editors: The study abstract follows.

&#;Is Biodegradability a Desirable Attribute for Discarded Solid Waste? Perspectives from a National Landfill Greenhouse Gas Inventory Model&#;

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Authors: James W. Levis, Morton A. Barlaz, North Carolina State University

Published: Online May 27, Environmental Science & Technology

The problem with oxo-degradable plastics is that  they are actually known to create small fragments called microplastics, which, when ingested by animals, can eventually make their way up the food chain. All they do is offer consumers and brand owners a false sense of sustainability.

Regulations are in place in many countries that ban companies from making these unsubstantiated and misleading claims.

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Recyclers are also having problems when these products end up in the recycling streams. Here is what North American Recycling Industry is saying about the use of these degradable additives use in bottles, forms, and films ():

• &#;Degradable additives that weaken products or shorten the useful life of durable plastics have a strongly negative impact of postconsumer plastics recycling
• &#;APR asks those who advocate and specify degradable additives to consider the sustainability implications of degradable additives that lower the functionality of recycled postconsumer plastics when included with recyclable plastics.&#; 

The Association of Post-Consumer Plastics Recyclers in the US says:

• &#;The real concern is the impact of a degradable additive once the plastic is recycled and used in second and successive applications. A great deal of recycled plastic goes into carpeting, geo-textiles, strapping, plastic lumber, and pipe. All are long-lived uses. Some of these products have a 30 plus year expected life span. What happens if the polymer molecules break down during the expected service life? Failure and potentially expensive remediation likely result.&#;

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Biodegradable plastics are made from oil, so they participate in the depletion of a finite fossil source of energy. Fossil fuel extraction and the plastic industry are linked to climate change and significant pollution at all stages of production. They have been found to contaminate land, water and air with chemicals toxic for all living organisms, including human beings.

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