Interestingly, Tesco’s decision to discontinue usage of OBP additive followed shortly after the release of the UK DEFRA report on OBP, which raised questions about OBP performance and appears to have influenced Tesco’s key decision makers.  Unfortunately, the DEFRA report was actually an incomplete literature review of OBP technology, and the erroneous conclusions drawn regarding OBP degradation and biodegradation were based on misconceptions.  EPI participated in the preparation of a strong rebuttal paper that was recently submitted to DEFRA, and which contained a complete scientific validation of OBP technology and OBP performance.

EPI’s oxo-biodegradable technology addresses the problem of the persistence and accumulation of plastic waste in the environment by providing a means for conventional plastics to degrade and biodegrade in the environment.  Conventional plastics continue to be the predominant type of plastic used in plastics bags and packaging applications because economically viable, sustainable alternatives are not available.  In fact, a recent UK Environmental Agency report indicated that plastic bags made from conventional plastics had a lower environmental impact than the alternatives, including bio-based plastic bags.

Bio-based plastics, such as corn starch-based materials, are made from renewable resources and are being widely touted as alternatives to conventional plastics.  However, bio-based plastics use food resources as raw materials, are expensive compared to conventional plastics, and are only applicable to industrial composting as a disposal route.  Using food to make plastics is widely recognized as an unsustainable practice, and therefore bio-based plastics have not made a significant impact on the packaging industry.  Furthermore, composting of bio-based plastics is not widely practiced, so there is no suitable end disposal option.

EPI suggests that Tesco should review its decision as it appears to be based less on facts and more on misinformed notions.  EPI welcomes any opportunity for review of OBP technology.  EPI’s OBP additives provide the most economical approach to achieving plastics degradation and environmental benefit related to conventional plastics usage.

About EPI Environmental Products Inc.:

Established in 1991 in Canada, EPI Environmental Products Inc. (EPI) with its UK subsidiary EPI (Europe) Ltd. has become a world leader in the fight against plastic waste. EPI licenses proprietary technology that causes plastic to degrade.  Plastic bags, plastic film, plastic packaging and other single-use plastics can remain in the environment for decades. When these products are manufactured using EPI’s additives, they will degrade and subsequently biodegrade when discarded in soil, in the presence of microorganisms, moisture, and oxygen.