When it’s Labeled “Biodegradable”

If you are a chronic label reader, chances are you stumbled upon biodegradable signs and logos. Labels are important for conscious consumers because these are their main reference for the things they buy. This is also why some government agencies regulate the usage of logos in labels. It is done to eliminate unsubstantial, misleading and deceptive use of logos in labels. But of course, rules often come with many loopholes which manufacturers never fail to see.

Biodegradable by definition means that a certain substance should be able to break down when biological activity is applied and will not leave any residue at all. For the European Union, a biodegradable material should break down into water, carbon dioxide and organic matter within six months. However, unscrupulous manufacturers applied the term to all substance that breaks no matter how long it will take or how harmful these toxins may be.

As of the moment, there is no independent, official organization handling biodegradable claims. So far, the FTC or Federal Trade Commission released guidelines for biodegradable claims which state that the product should break down or decompose within reasonably short period of time but they acknowledged that the substance may not decompose under different situation.

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