Call to Ban Biodegradable, the Term That Is

The Food Packaging Institute (FPI), with help from Kala Linck at TSN Communications, would like to ban biodegradable. Don’t worry, they don’t want to ban biodegradable foodservice packaging, but they do think that the word “biodegradable” should be done away with!  

According to them, there are two main reasons why the word “biodegradable” needs to be ousted: 

1. The use of the word is incorrect from the definition of the word. Consumers often think using “biodegradable” packaging is good because it will decompose if littered or tossed in a landfill. There are two problems right there. First, packaging should NEVER be littered, no matter what it’s made from. Second, the theory that using a biodegradable product is better for landfills is also not a sound one because packaging shouldn’t end up in landfills in the first place. There are much better end-of-life – or second-life, as the case may be – options for packaging, such as recycling, composting or energy recovery. 

2.   The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on this marketing guideline: It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, that a product or package is degradable, biodegradable, oxo-degradable, oxo-biodegradable, or photodegradable.

To find out more, visit www.fpi.org.