Trish Hyde, CEO of the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC), recently discussed the biodegradability of plastic parts with Planet Experts. She acknowledges that while plastics have a very useful role in extending a product’s life, safety and usability, people often read too much into the “biodegradable” aspect, and this is undoubtedly harming our natural environment.

“We face a difficult situation,” she says. “The concept of ‘more environmentally friendly plastics’ is contextual, and needs to be treated with care. Telling a consumer that a package is biodegradable has benefits and is accurate, but it may lead to the perverse outcome that a consumer thinks it is OK to leave it in the environment. That is what we have seen in Australia. Ultimately, there need to be clearer guidelines.”

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