BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING
BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC
Breaking down the information
While consumers love the idea of plastic alternatives that decompose harmlessly, there is confusion about what biodegradable really means. Moreover, a lack of wider infrastructure is preventing it from being a truly sustainable solution at present, writes Sarah Parsons
N
cosmeticsbusiness.com
ew kinds of biodegradable plastics are seeping into every aspect of the beauty industry. Skin care brands are now touting compostable options of single-use face wipes, sheet masks are receiving a bioplastic makeover and consumers can opt for ‘guilt-free’ glitter. But are the ‘green’ alternatives really the solution to our plastic waste problem? There’s no denying that there is a worldwide plastic crisis and the beauty industry’s reliance on the affordable, lightweight and formula-friendly material is a contributing factor. The UN estimates that if current levels of plastic consumption continue, by 2050 there will be 12 billion tons of the material in landfills, equivalent to 35,000 Empire State Buildings. Meanwhile, the annual awareness campaign Zero Waste Week reported that more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, most of which are not recyclable. In October, a ban on cotton buds came into effect in the UK in an attempt to prevent many of
the 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed buds that are used in Britain every year from entering the waterways. The UK government also published its draft plastic packaging levy last month, outlining how there will be a £200 per tonne tax rate for packaging with less than 30% recycled plastic. This year, Selfridges toughened its stance on plastic waste by expanding its ban on single-use wipes to prohibiting products with plastic-based glitter by 2021. Currently, only about 1% of plastic products globally are considered bio-based, compostable and/or biodegradable (European Bioplastics e.V., 2020b). But as consumers, legislation and retailers call for greener options, ditching single-use plastics for biodegradable or compostable versions may seem like a win-win for brands and the planet.
Biodegradable plastics have been engineered to break down more quickly and can be made from petroleum-based plastics, as well as plant-based (known as bioplastic) materials, such as corn, sugarcane, potato and castor oil, or lignin, from
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