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Symphony Environmental defends oxo-degradable plastics

On 11th March the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the UK Government published a Report from Loughborough University entitled “Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Oxo-degradable Plastics Across their Life-cycle.”

A detailed response has been prepared by Symphony Environmental Technologies, a British public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange, developing and supplying Oxo-biodegradable plastic technology under its d2w trademark.The Loughborough Report has confirmed that oxo-biodegradable plastics:

* DO DEGRADE ABIOTICALLY IN A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT

* DO DEGRADE ABIOTICALLY UNDER ELEVATED TEMPERATURES IN LANDFILL

* DO BIODEGRADE

* DO NOT EMIT METHANE EVEN DEEP IN LANDFILL

* ARE SAFE FOR FOOD CONTACT

* CONTAIN NO HEAVY METALS

The report has also confirmed that:

* PRO-DEGRADANT ADDITIVES ARE NOT HARMFUL AND HAVE NO NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN THE PRODUCTION AND USE PHASE

* THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF BIO-ACCUMULATION7 NOR ANY HARMFUL EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

* THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ACCUMULATION OF POLLUTANTS

* THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT DEGRADABLE PLASTICS ENCOURAGE LITTERING

However, the report contains some very strange recommendations about oxo-biodegradable plastics in relation to recycling, composting, and other issues, which are not supported by the evidence.

The report was, prepared by four members of staff at Loughborough, none of whom are professors, and none of whom is a specialist in oxo-biodegradable technology. They state that their recommendations are their own opinions, and that their views do not necessarily reflect DEFRA policy or opinions.

Loughborough University did not do any experiments itself, and none of the Professors in other universities with specialized knowledge of oxo-biodegradable plastics were chosen to peer-review the report.
In fact, two of the three assessors of the Report are engaged in bio-based plastics, which is a totally different product, in competition with oxo-biodegradable plastic. One of them is a well known advocate of bio-based plastics, who appears from his website (www.msu.edu/~narayan/general.htm) to be connected with companies that produce bio-based plastic products.

The Oxo-biodegradable plastics industry was not given a draft of the Report before publication nor asked for its views on the “Key Findings and Recommendations.” Symphony regard this as inappropriate.

For a full copy of the response document, go to d2w.net.

*Above articles are published in 5 other languages:

French: http://www.packagingeurope.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nNewsID=35121&switchlan=2

German: http://www.packagingeurope.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nNewsID=35121&switchlan=3

Italian: http://www.packagingeurope.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nNewsID=35121&switchlan=4

Russian: http://www.packagingeurope.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nNewsID=35121&switchlan=5

Spanish: http://www.packagingeurope.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nNewsID=35121&switchlan=6

Source: Symphony Environmental Technologies and  http://www.packagingeurope.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nNewsID=35121

J-Trend Systems Co. Ltd is the only authorized d2w distributor in Asia (Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea) aim to covert ordinary plastic to degradable & controlled-life plastic to provide value-added plastics that is based on the most commercial viable and cost-competitive technology.

*Oxo-biodegradable plastic technology provides the safest, most cost-effective method of degrading plastic, with control over the degradation time. d2wTM controlled-life plastic are products with proven oxo-biodegradable technology. Before d2wTM oxo-biodegradable plastic starts to degrade, it is as good as ordinary plastic for strength, sealability, printability, and clarity; when it starts to degrade, it does not release methane or toxicity – withouting causing harm and disposal problem to the environment.”