biodegradable plastics

[1lipripper]

I just received this news release:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In the past year or so several new lures have come on the market with claims that they are biodegradable. This certainly is an indication that “green” is the trend in fishing lures. And there’s nothing greener in fishing lures than FoodSource® lures.

FoodSource® lures are made entirely of ingredients approved for use in animal food and even human food. In other words, they are 100% real food. And food is what fish eat.

Other lures claiming to be biodegradable are made from so-called “biodegradable plastics.” These plastic compounds typically are petroleum-based, so they rely on fossil fuels. Even if they biodegrade in a landfill, that's not relevant because that’s not where they are disposed. In the water these plastic products just dissolve into smaller pieces of plastic or jam a fish's digestive tract. That’s not true bio-degradation. In fact, “biodegradable soft plastics” may be a misnomer and oxymoron.

As a senior sustainability executive at a big box retailer said:
"In my opinion, a petroleum-based plastic with a few additives that make it break down is simply not a good idea. In fact, the carbon footprint work I have seen on these substrates suggest that it's actually a negative. Moreover, inside a landfill there is no value to degradation, if it's even possible."
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False or misleading environmental claims – sometimes called “green-washing” -- do a disservice to the industry and consumers. As stated by TerraChoice (TerraChoice - Home) in “Six Sins of Green-washing”:

• Well-intentioned consumers may be misled into purchases that do not deliver on their environmental promise. This means both that the individual consumer has been misled and that the potential environmental benefit of his or her purchase has been squandered.

• Competitive pressure from illegitimate environmental claims takes market share away from products that offer more legitimate benefits, thus slowing the penetration of real environmental innovation in the marketplace.

• Green-washing may create cynicism and doubt about all environmental claims. Consumers – particularly those who care most about real environmental progress – may give up on marketers and manufacturers, and give up on the hope that their spending might be put to good use.

This would eliminate a significant market-based, financial incentive for green product innovation and leave committed environmental advocates with government regulations as the most likely alternative.

What do you think? Could this revolutionize 'plastics'?