Reading through the responses to the DEFRA consultation, there is one point which arises time and time again – it is that biodegradable plastic must be disposed of “in the right way.”
This is true for plastics marketed as “compostable” because they are tested according to EN13432 and ASTM D6400 to biodegrade in the special conditions found in a composting facility, where they are required by those standards to convert into CO2 gas within 180 days. Compostability is therefore a waste-management option, but not a very useful one, because these plastics do not convert into compost, and cannot be recycled. This process cannot therefore be regarded as recycling or recovery, and is not circular. In any event, the composters and AD operators do not want plastic of any kind in their facility.
Symphony Environmental Technologies plc (LON:SYM) is a world leader in the development of additives to make ordinary plastic biodegradable and protective technologies to enhance plastic products.