The Retailer Autumn Edition 2021

THE RE TA I L ER

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THE BIOPLASTICS CONUNDRUM: ARE THEY AS GREEN AS THEY APPEAR?

Catherine Sheehy Global Lead For Sustainability Partnerships UL

Alicia Levine EDF Climate Corps Fellow UL

S trategies for Making

2. Ensure accuracy of claims In light of the broad definition and abundance of bio-based plastics available, it’s important to ensure the plastic material is as represented. By requiring their suppliers to present third- party certification of the bioplastic’s particular environmental claim, retailers can confirm that the materials offer the stated benefits. This helps reduce liability and build trust in their own brand. Under the newU.K. standard, PAS 9017, introduced by the British Standards Institute (BSI), within the next two years all plastic will have to break down into organic matter and carbon dioxide in the open air to be classified as biodegradable. This standard is designed to prevent greenwashing associated with biodegradable labels that may not meet this definition. The best way to comply with this standard and to select bioplastics that achieve their sustainability claims is to require third-party testing from suppliers. Consult the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs green claims guidance to ensure you are making clear, defensible, market facing claims. 3. Prioritize based on your goals When prioritizing sustainability initiatives, understand your brand’s goals and capabili- ties. Selecting bioplastic packaging because that appears to be a priority for other retailers may not be the best option for your organiza - tion. It may be possible to consider alternative solutions that could achieve similar – or better – benefits. For example, is it possible to reduce the use of plastic packaging by some other means? Some retailers offer discounts to cus - tomers who arrivewith reusable containers. In other cases, it may be possible to transition to cardboard packaging or other alternative materials. By approaching the problem in a different way, it may be possible to identify innovative ways to accomplish the same goal.

What are retailers to do? With some level of confusion and contradiction now surrounding bioplastics, how can retailers select bioplastic products that will ultimately achieve greater sustainability? 1. Consider conditions required to secure sustainability benefits With so many bioplastic formulations and prod - ucts, the selection of truly environmentally beneficial materials can be confusing. As an example, the terms biodegradable and com- postable are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Plastic that is com - postable is always biodegradable, but not every plastic that is biodegradable is compostable. The term biodegradable must be qualified by the environment in which the material will biodegrade, e.g. soil orwater, and the timeframe of decomposition. Compostable plastics must biodegrade into compost, must decompose at a rate similar to other materials being com- posted, and must leave behind no toxic residue that would affect the ability of the compost to support plant growth. Not all compostable materials are suitable for backyard composting; in fact, most bioplastic labelled compostable is intended for an industrial or commercial facility. If these facilities are not easily accessible to the consumer, then the majority of plastic material is just as likely as petroleum-based plastic to end up in landfills or waterways. When selecting bioplastic, think about the infrastructure required and how it is possible to establish or partner with others to estab- lish that infrastructure to treat the material. Is it possible to design a collection program to intercept plastic materials and direct them to industrial composting facilities? Or are regional strategies needed to select bioplastics in regions that have local recycling collection programs? Consider the conditions required to secure the desired sustainability benefits. in our landfills and oceans”. ‘‘

Bioplastic Decisions That Have Meaningful Impact

Retailers of all stripes are pursuing greater sustainability. Driven by cost savings and per- formance benefits, pressure from consumers, regulatory bodies and the investment commu- nity, retailers consider sustainability a priority. One initiative retailers are exploring to improve environmental performance is the use of bio- plastics for foodservice and other packaging. Demand for bioplastics is surging. According to the 2020 Annual Market Update from European Bioplastics, the global bioplastics production capacity is set to increase from 2.1 million tonnes in 2020 to 2.8 million tonnes in 2025. While the term bioplastics triggers notions of biodegradability, renewable resources and reduced waste, the bioplastics market can include a variety of different products and may or may not achieve commonly perceived sustainability benefits. What are bioplastics? Bio-based plastics refer to plastics made from living matter (biomass). The intent behind using bio-based plastics is to reduce the amount of petroleum-based plastic, which uses fossil fuels that, when disposed of improperly, fill landfills and waterways with materials that take hundreds of years to decompose. However, bioplastics refer to a wide range of materials that may be grouped into three categories, according to European Bioplastics: 1) bio-based or partly bio-based, non-biodegradable plas- tics; 2) plastics that are both bio-based and biodegradable; and 3) plastics that are based on fossil resources and are biodegradable. For example, some bio-based PETs are not biode- gradable and others are petroleum-based, like polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), which is a polymer designed to enable com- postable packaging. Engineers design these bioplastics with a primary objective in mind and may not meet all consumer expectations of these materials.

With a greater understanding of bioplastics and some strategic planning, retailers help reduce plastic waste