For decades now we have been searching for ways to deal with plastic pollution. The compound is resilient in nature and can persist for thousands of years after being discarded by humans. With many possible solutions in the works, one such solution is making headlines in the UK – Oxo-biodegradable plastic.
A compound, which is already required in 12 countries, and can readily be broken down by bacteria, fungi, and algae, is particularly important for plastic that escapes into the ocean, and can no longer be easily collected. This creates an abundance of problems not only for organisms living in the ocean, but for our future generations that depend on them.
British company, Symphony Environmenetal Technologies PLC, is the leading producer of this biodegradable plastic, and was very excited to hear that prominent British judge, Peter Susman QC (Queen’s Court), has declared the scientific case for oxo-biodegradable plastic to be “clear and compelling”, referring to recent research that, in his mind, proves that this environmentally friendly plastic considerably speeds up the process of degradation. He goes on to explain how the benefits of reducing the current scourge of plastic pollution, on land and at sea, are obvious, and that the objections to this technology, which are that it could potentially encourage littering, are “fanciful and unrealistic”.
This is currently the only oxo-biodegradable product to receive a ABNT ecolabel for it’s achievements. ABNT is a brazilian-run organization that is a part of the Global Ecolabeling Network.
EcoTech 