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Hazard profiling of compostable shopping bags. Towards an ecological risk assessment of littering
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This study conducted ecological risk assessment of littering by compostable shopping bags, finding that while these materials degrade faster than conventional plastics, the additives and degradation products may still pose hazards to soil and aquatic organisms.
Littering represents an ecological threat. To date, studies have mainly focused on the formation and quantification of microplastics. Toxicity has generally been considered from the point of view of food safety rather than from an environmental viewpoint. There is an urgent need to develop a framework approach to assessing the ecological hazards associated with litter, particularly packaging litter. In fact, measuring the ecological impacts of packaging and single-use items is clearly a prerequisite for developing a control and mitigation strategy of accidental waste leakage. This study proposes a characterization methodology for the assessment of the ecological hazard of packaging and single-use items made with any material in the event of littering. This preliminary methodology is based on four aspects of ecological hazards: the migration of persistent ecotoxic chemicals by diffusion (type 1); the release of persistent ecotoxic chemicals after degradation (type 2); the physical persistence of the packaging (type 3); and the release of persistent micro-particles due to wear (type 4). A compostable shopping bag was tested using this classification in order to create a preliminary hazard profile. The bag released substances (6-7% of its mass) when soaked in water in less than three days. This leachate showed a high level of biodegradation and caused no adverse effects on germination and root development of cress seeds. The bag, tested according to the EN 13432 standard, does not cause ecotoxic effects after biodegradation when analysed with a plant growth test. The bag fragmented in soil and disappeared in 500 days. The bag, ground to microplastics, showed biodegradability when exposed to soil, with a half-life of 118 days.
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Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs): a new cause for concern?
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This review examined whether biodegradable microplastics present new environmental hazards, finding that many biodegradable polymers degrade slowly under real environmental conditions and can release toxic additives, and that the assumption of biodegradability does not eliminate microplastic pollution risks unless composting conditions are actively managed.
Ecotoxicological insights into biodegradable and compostable plastic bags in freshwater systems: hidden environmental risks of a green alternative
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A review of ecotoxicological studies on biodegradable and compostable plastic bags in freshwater systems found that these materials can fragment into micro/nanoplastics faster than conventional plastics, leach toxic additives, and persist in aquatic environments despite their 'green' labeling. The evidence suggests that biodegradable plastics may not meaningfully reduce microplastic pollution risks and could introduce novel hazards, calling for more rigorous biodegradability standards and ecological risk assessment before widespread adoption.
Compostable and recycled plastics do not improve environmental chemical safety compared to conventional single-use polyethylene.
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Seven commercial compostable plastic bag brands and three polyethylene bag brands were assessed for chemical safety, finding that compostable and recycled plastics did not consistently reduce chemical hazards compared to conventional plastics. Many compostable materials leached potentially toxic compounds, challenging the assumption that they are environmentally safer alternatives.
What happens to biodegradable plastics in soil and compost? : development and comparison of methods
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This thesis investigated the degradation behavior of biodegradable plastics in compost and soil environments, developing and comparing analytical methods for tracking breakdown rates and products. Researchers found that current composting conditions frequently result in incomplete biodegradable plastic degradation before the compost is applied to agricultural soils. The study provides a methodological foundation for standardizing biodegradable plastic degradation assessment, with implications for whether so-called compostable plastics actually prevent microplastic accumulation in soils.
Appraising co-composting efficiency of biodegradable plastic bags and food wastes: Assessment microplastics morphology, greenhouse gas emissions, and changes in microbial community
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Researchers tested composting biodegradable plastic bags with food waste and found that while the bags broke down faster than regular plastic, the process still produced microplastic fragments and affected greenhouse gas emissions. The type of additives in the biodegradable bags influenced both the composting process and the microbial communities involved. This study raises important questions about whether "biodegradable" plastics truly solve the microplastic problem or simply create smaller plastic particles during decomposition.
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