NERC in the News
NERC Opposes Degradable Additives in Plastics
Scrap, March–April 2012
The Northeast Recycling Council (Brattleboro, Vt.) has adopted a policy opposing the use of degradable additives in plastic packaging. Recycling is critical to plastic packaging’s environmental sustainability, but degradable additives render the material unrecyclable, NERC says. The use of degradable additives has several negative effects, the council says. For example, the plastics contribute to greenhouse gas emissions as they degrade in landfills, and the additives potentially could affect the quality, performance, safety, and life span of products made from recycled plastics. Plastics containing degradable additives also do not help reduce the generation of potentially harmful marine debris or solve the plastic litter problem. NERC supports additional research on the effects of degradable additives on the recyclability or composting of plastic packaging. It also supports the development of fully recyclable or compostable packaging. View the pdf.
