"Paper or plastic?" The age-old question,
complicated by the creation of biodegradable plastic, has been
broken down more. Many people's misgivings about using
plastic bags were alleviated with the advent of plastic bags that
can carry more weight with less guilt. However, after this
week, there is no question that the FTC is serious about deceptive
claims surrounding biodegradable products.
On Tuesday, the FTC issued warning letters to fifteen marketers
of "oxodegradable" plastic bags. Oxodegradable
plastic is made with an additive intended to cause it to degrade in
the presence of oxygen. The problem, according to the FTC, is
that oxodegradable products will biodegrade, but not in landfills,
where there may not be enough oxygen for the oxodegradable bags to
degrade in the time expected. Under the FTC's
Green Guides, products that are labeled
"biodegradable" must degrade under conditions of
customary disposal within a "reasonably short period of
time." The
