Now that the City government of Dumaguete is implementing Ordinance 231 to regulate the use of plastic bags, some controversy has arisen referring to the use of the so-called “biodegradable plastic” bags.
“Biodegradable plastics” is a term which can mean that the material can be broken down within a reasonable amount of time into their base compounds.
It can come from Bioplastics which is from renewable raw material, and the traditional petroleum-based plastics containing chemical additives which allow them to disintegrate.
There are safe biodegradable plastics which are plant-based (starch from corn, cassava, wheat, etc…) that are referred to as bioplastics, and are compostable, and what is left behind is humus.
As well as not yet being readily and economically available in the Philippines, they command a hefty price, thus, its usage has not gained ground in the U.S., Australia and Europe.
In addition, its composting/recycling requirements are different from traditional methods, and many composting/recycling facilities refuse to accept them.
And then there is the ethical issue of food security: with so many people in the world going hungry, why plant corn, cassava, wheat to be made into shopping bags?
Whether you’re considering switching your grocery bags or shopping bags, “biodegradable bags” are a great alternative to regular plastic bags, in that they do not harm the environment during their whole life-cycle.
As they are made from 100 percent natural materials, they leave no residue behind, and compost perfectly with organic trash, such as leaves, food, liquids, etc.
Since they are made from natural materials, they go back to nature, just like any fruit or leaf would. Reusable bags from natural materials is the best alternative.
There are various kinds of biodegradable plastic bags in the market, but most are not environment-friendly.
Companies are mostly claiming biodegradability, and unfortunately, the green-wash has taken over the lingo.
Only bags (or any type of biodegradable plastic, for that matter) that conform to compostability standards ASTM D6400 or EN 13432 are truly biodegradable, and can be trusted.
Oxo-degradable, oxo-biodegradable, oxy-degradable, oxy-biodegradable, and degradable plastic bags are not environmentally friendly. They are merely plastic with a chemical additive.
1. Check the vendor’s claims about the biodegradable plastic bags. If the bags contain plastic (or technically called polyethylene), these are not biodegradable bags, but rather plastic mixed with a chemical additive that in a short time interval, breaks the plastic molecular ties, and thus, the plastic disintegrates. This is not an eco-friendly process; it is harmful to the environment.
2. Check if the vendor has a Certification for the material. The only acceptable certification should be ASTM D6400 and/or DIN EN13432.
3. If the price of the biodegradable plastic bags is very close to that of regular plastic bags, you are probably not buying biodegradable but rather, the plastic with the additive mentioned above.
Plastics with the prefix oxo or oxy (oxo-biodegradable, oxy-degradable) are traditional petroleum-based plastics made with an additive, which allow it to degrade when exposed to oxygen and sunlight.
You may no longer see them if they disintegrate into pieces but their toxic leftover will still affect the environment.
There are many ‘standards’ associated with these types of plastics but they almost often refer to the ability of the additive to ‘degrade’ the plastic bag.
Note the word ‘degrade’ as opposed to ‘biodegrade’. What it really means is that it helps the plastic disintegrate into smaller pieces over time.
Common degradation claims are: 5-10 percent in six months; 20 percent in a year; 40 percent in two years.
But in the Philippine real world, this is not attainable because when the plastic is thrown with other garbage, it will eventually be covered with other trash, depleting the amount of oxygen and sunlight exposure — which are key to its ‘breakdown’ process.
Brenda Platt, coordinator of the Sustainable Plastics Project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance wrote: “Oxo-degradable plastics do not meet any standards in place for biodegradability and should not be considered biodegradable.”, while Science & Learning says: “Products made from man-made compounds formulated in a laboratory are in combinations that do not exist in nature and therefore microorganisms are not able to break them down.”
Some Dumaguete establishments have shown some resistance to the provisions of the new City Ordinance, and continue to give out their “biodegradable” plastic bags which are mostly of the oxo-type.
This is creating a stir and disappointment in the community, especially to those establishments that have willingly complied with Ordinance 231, and are no longer using any kind of plastic shopping bag at all.
Giving out free oxo-type “degradable plastic bags” will not result in behavior change. The volume of trash will continue to grow, whether the plastic degrades or not with an added problem. The humus is now mixed with toxic remains of degraded plastic, which will still leach into our waters, and get mixed up with soil used to grow food.
Imagine planting your kalamunggay, papaya or pechay in humus mixed with leftover small bits of oxo-biodegradable plastics. The cancer-causing chemical dioxin will still be present, and you will be eating exactly that, via the fruits or vegetables grown in problematic toxic soil. It will be next to impossible to correct this.
That is why not just any kind of “biodegradable” plastic bag is acceptable. Only those with 100 percent biodegradability and compostability are acceptable which at this time Bioplastics can claim.
This is also the reason why our City Ordinance 231 specifically mentions that a government certifying agency (like the Department of Science & Technology or the Department of Environment & Natural Resources) attests to the safety of a biodegradable plastic, and that claims be verified by a reputable third party international agency.
The question we need to ask ourselves: What do we really want in our community?
We want a safe, healthy environment.
It’s been heart-warming to see many stores and people starting to understand that the responsibility for the environment is also theirs. We see many with their reusable shopping bags. This is the right time to implement our Ordinance.
This Ordinance was approved/signed in August 2011, and there has been plenty of time to prepare for this.
We are looking forward to the City Government of Dumaguete to fully implement this laudable Ordinance. So we call on the City Mayor, the Environment & Natural Resources Office, and Task Force Sagarr to take on the job of taking a firm stand on this. Now is the time to show us your political will.
Esther C. Windler & Leo G. Mamicpic
Friends of the Environment in Negros Oriental Inc.
