Biodegradable Materials Shady: 4 Industry Chaos Exposed by Experts
The Gray Area Behind Green Packaging
2024 The latest survey of international environmental protection organizations shows that the global market for biodegradable materials has reached $22 billion, but 42% of these products have false environmental protection propaganda. What is even more alarming is that the microplastic pollution caused by these "pseudo-biodegradable" materials is 3-5 times higher than that of traditional plastics.
The first big shady secret: laboratory data ≠ real performance
The trio of data falsification
Temperature cheating: claiming "degradable" but need 60℃ industrial composting environment (can never be reached in the natural environment)
Shrinking time: labeled "6 months degradation" is actually fragmentation rather than complete decomposition
Hidden conditions: does not state that specific degradation bacterium must be added
Typical case:
A brand of PLA tableware is labeled as "180 days degradation", but the actual Tests show:
Industrial composting (60℃): 92% degradation in 6 months
Natural environment (25℃): only 7% degradation in 18 months
The second black secret: ingredient adulteration has become the industry's "unspoken rule"
Common adulteration techniques
Claimed ingredients Actual additives Identification methods
Pure PLA mixed with 30% PP Black smoke when burned
Starch-based mixed with PE plastics Stratified after soaking in water
Marine degradation Ordinary PBAT No TÜV certification
State of the industry:
China's AQSIQ 2024 found that 68% of "fully degradable" shopping bags are adulterated with traditional plastics
EU RAPEX Early Warning System: Pseudo-degradable product notifications increase by 217% annually
The third big black curtain: the certification mark is arbitrarily stolen
Comparison of real and fake certificates
✅ Features of real certificates:
Official website search number (e.g., OK Compost certificate number)
Specific standards (e.g., ASTM D6400)
Applicable conditions (industrial/home composting)
❌ Characteristics of fake certificates:
Self-created patterns such as "green leaves," "earth" and so on
Vague expressions such as "certified by the international certification"
Unable to provide the test report
Shocking Data:
83% of the "degradation certificates" on the market cannot be found on the official website of the certification body
Fake certificates reduce the cost of the product by 35%, with a profit margin of 200%.
The Fourth Shady Act: Deliberate Destruction of the Recycling System
The Triple Chain of Harm
Polluting Traditional Plastic Recycling: Degradation of Whole Batches of Recycled Materials
Clogging the Composting System: Extra Sorting Required, Increasing Costs by 40%
Ending Up in Incineration: Increasing Carbon Emissions by 15%
Field Research:
A Waste Treatment Plant Sorts 2.3 Tons of Pseudo-Degradable Plastics Every Day
Annual Expenditures on Disposing of this "Eco-Waste" Reaches $1.8 Million
Biodegradable Materials Shady:
Environmental shopping guide t
The ultimate PLA/PBAT/PHA comp
The Truth About Eco-Friendly P
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