Oxo-degradable plastic

The process of oxo degradation with - in theory - subsequent biological degradation

Oxo-degradable plastics ( English oxo-degradable plastics ) are plastics that have the desired property that they rapidly fragment according to its use. This is achieved by adding metal ions - cobalt , manganese , iron , etc. - to conventional polymers such as polyethylene . In the presence of UV light or heat as well as oxygen , the oxidation and the chain breakdown , i.e. the fragmentation process, are triggered. This leads to the formation of small fragments - invisible to the naked eye - which, contrary to what is often claimed, are hardly broken down any further. Depending on the environmental conditions, fragmentation can take place very slowly. After exposure at a depth of 60 cm in the port of Plymouth for 40 weeks, less than 2 percent of the sample material had decomposed.

The “oxo-degradation” should not be confused with biological degradation. A fragmentable plastic is a plastic that is degradable, but cannot be completely broken down by microorganisms , compostable or biodegradable in accordance with the applicable standards for organic recycling or biodegradability of plastics and packaging .

use

Imprinted on a shopping bag from France

In the agriculture certain fragmentable are mulch films used. These are left on site after use. There are also coated fertilizers ( fertilizer beads ) with what is known as “controlled release” (slow release of nutrients into the soil ), where fragmentable plastics are also used. Instead, either recyclable or fully biodegradable plastics should be used. In Switzerland, objects made of oxo-degradable plastic have little relevance on the market, e.g. a. because the large retail companies are aware of the associated environmental risks and therefore deliberately refrain from marketing them.

regulation

In 2017, more than 150 organizations around the world supported a statement by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation proposing to ban packaging made from oxo-degradable plastics worldwide.

In January 2018, the authorized European Commission , the ECHA a proposal for a restriction of oxo-degradable plastics to work out. Since January 1, 2019, there has been a ban on the use of products or materials in France that are made entirely or partially from fragmentable plastic in agriculture, vegetable growing , forestry , landscaping and horticulture . In June 2019, a ban was passed in the EU, which will come into force in 2021. In Switzerland, a motion by Isabelle Chevalley aiming at a ban on oxo-degradable plastics was adopted by the Federal Assembly in June 2020 .

See also

• Microplastics
• Plastic litter in the sea

literature

• European Union (Ed.): The impact of the use of “oxo-degradable” plastic on the environment: final report . Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg 2016, ISBN 978-92-79-61828-4 , doi : 10.2779 / 992559 .
• EU Commission: REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the impact of the use of oxo-degradable plastic, including oxo-degradable plastic carrier bags, on the environment , Brussels, January 16, 2018.

Web links

• Case Study: Compostable vs Oxo Degradable. In: naturbag.com. (English). 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Oxo-degradable plastic packaging is not a solution to plastic pollution, and does not fit in a circular economy. (PDF; 4 MB) In: ecostandard.org. New Plastics Economy, accessed April 27, 2018 . 
2. ↑ A european strategy for plastics in a circular economy. (PDF; 675 kB) In: europa.eu. European Commission , p. 14 , accessed on April 27, 2018 . 
3. ^ Timescales for degradation. (PDF; 91 kB) In: biodeg.org. Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association, archived from the original ; accessed on June 14, 2018 . 
4. ↑ T. O'Brine, RC Thompson: degradation of plastic carrier bags in the marine environment. In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. Volume 60, number 12, 2010, pp. 2279-2283, doi: 10.1016 / j.marpolbul.2010.08.005 , PMID 20961585 .
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Notification details: Prohibition of fragmentable plastics in agriculture. (Draft). In: europa.eu. Retrieved April 27, 2018 . 
6. ↑ Helene Wiesinger, Magdalena Klotz, Zhanyun Wang, Yaqi Zhao, Melanie Haupt, Stefanie Hellweg: The Identity of Oxo-Degradable Plastics and their Use in Switzerland . Ed .: ETH Zurich . 2020 ( admin.ch [PDF]).
7. ↑ ECHA to consider restrictions on the use of oxo-plastics and microplastics. ECHA , accessed on June 25, 2018 . 
8. ↑ Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 5, 2019 on reducing the effects of certain plastic products on the environment
9. ↑ When will oxo-degradable plastics be banned? In: parlament.ch , accessed on June 4, 2020.