ASTM’s Updated Marine-Biodegradable Plastic Standard On The Way
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Companies could be in a more comfortable position to use biodegradable plastic microbeads in the US – or in markets where their regulatory status is less dicey – when ASTM International reintroduces its standard for marine-biodegradable plastics, potentially by year-end.
You may also be interested in...
The US Microbead Ban: Are There Teeth, And Would PHAs Pass Through?
FDA likely will need to issue guidance to clarify exactly what materials are covered by the ban on plastic microbead use in selected personal-care products – i.e., a definition of “plastic” – and what the consequences of a violation could be. The issue could be of particular relevance to companies exploring gray-area replacement materials such as biodegradable PHA.
Mango Materials Champions Opportunity For 'Naturally Occurring Biopolymer' Use
The US Microbead-Free Waters Act bans use of plastic microbeads in rinse-off exfoliating or cleansing cosmetics, but Mango Materials’ “naturally occurring biopolymer” isn’t plastic by most standards. Regardless, it can be used in other cosmetic product categories and as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging, so long as future regulation in the US and abroad doesn’t needlessly prohibit the material’s use, the company says.
Overreaching Microbeads Legislation Would Be Disservice – TerraVerdae
It would be "truly unfortunate" if sustainable, biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic microbeads were banned as a result of overreaching legislation, says TerraVerdae BioWorks, which recently launched a line of PHA microspheres for use in personal-care products. Restricting manufacturers' options to traditional natural exfoliants could be a consumer health risk in its own right, the firm's CEO suggests.