Can you clear up the definitions of degradable and biodegradable? My understanding is that degradable is not compostable – ie, those bags break down into tiny pieces of plastic that will remain in the environment whereas biodegradable (as in BioBags) can compost and break down completely with no harmful effects to the environment.
Absolutely right; the only advantage of degradable bags is they pose less of a litter nuisance once they break down. Biodegradable plastic bags are only better for the environment if they are properly composted – something that isn't widely happening at the moment. As a rule, I take cotton bags on my shopping trips rather than accept free plastic bags. Every couple of months I leave the cotton bags at home and take the plastic bags, which I then use as free pedal binbags.
I know some have pointed to the US as using a lot more paper bags (and as an option), and while it has been a fair while since I was there I do recall these being prevalent.
Surely it rather depends on how they are disposed of? Elsewhere here I have pondered the actual enviROI of paper products being possible carbon sinks if sourced from the proper places and disposed of in the right way. I can see that in a landfill they'd degrade like any organic matter (bad) and burning is a no-no, but what about my kerbside recycling pedal bin?
Feel free to share. I just seek the clear answers without a target, subsidy, agenda or rating getting in the way. Which, sadly, makes me cock an eyebrow at most served up by government, LAs, activists, corporates and the media.
