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From the article: "Once used, these could be dumped in landfills with a clear conscience." Naturally biodegradable waste is not landfill material. A well-infor

From the article: "Once used, these could be dumped in landfills with a clear conscience." Naturally biodegradable waste is not landfill material. A well-informed reporter not realising that shows how much work there still is to do. The EU single use plastic ban [0] is coming in July 20201. Is there any US equivalent yet? [0] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190321IPR32111/parliament-seals-ban-on-throwaway-plastics-by-2021 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190321IP...

ikiris 6y ago
Yeah Trump banned biodegradable alternatives, and made a coal subsidy.
- redis_mlc 6y ago
  Dumps are anaerobic, so I'm not sure anything is biodegradable once earth is layered on top of it. My understanding is that once something goes into a landfill, it's there for a thousand years or more.
Steve44 6y ago
The EU 1999 Landfill Directive is about the phase-out of biodegradable waste going to landfill. Nothing which composts or biodegrades should be disposed of this way. These cups should not go in this waste stream, the only end of life is commercial composting as I don't believe they are suitable for home composting. https://www.ciwm.co.uk/ciwm/knowledge/landfill-directive.aspx https://www.ciwm.co.uk/ciwm/knowledge/landfill-directive.asp...
INTPenis 6y ago
This always irked me about my wonderful doggie poop bags. For 3 years I've been using Earth Rated bags made out of corn starch but they go into the same bin as all the plastic poop bags. So they literally drown in a sea of plastic because I don't want to just leave them by the road.
- Steve44 6y ago
  I've had a quick look at those bags. They seem to do two types, one has an Oxo-degradable additive which is currently being banned in the EU[1] because all it does is break the bag down into microplastics. The visible litter problem may be reduced but it's not a good solution to anything. Their other bags, the light green ones, are only industrial compostable. They will stay as a plastic bag unless they go down the correct waste stream. People leaving their dog poo bags has been a problem for years, in the UK they are know as Dog Poo Trees and are disgusting. [1] https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/wrap-caught-up-in-degradable-plastics-row/ https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/wrap-caught-up-...
- verall 6y ago
  Your full dog poop bags are not commercially compostable. Dog poop is nominally compostable but if most people were composting their pet's waste the concentration would be way too high. I pick up my dog's shit with BPI approved baggies because I want the plastic to break down, but mass pet waste needs to go into a real landfill with liners and vents and stuff.

ikiris 6y ago

Yeah Trump banned biodegradable alternatives, and made a coal subsidy.

redis_mlc 6y ago
Dumps are anaerobic, so I'm not sure anything is biodegradable once earth is layered on top of it. My understanding is that once something goes into a landfill, it's there for a thousand years or more.

Steve44 6y ago

The EU 1999 Landfill Directive is about the phase-out of biodegradable waste going to landfill. Nothing which composts or biodegrades should be disposed of this way. These cups should not go in this waste stream, the only end of life is commercial composting as I don't believe they are suitable for home composting. https://www.ciwm.co.uk/ciwm/knowledge/landfill-directive.aspx https://www.ciwm.co.uk/ciwm/knowledge/landfill-directive.asp...

INTPenis 6y ago

This always irked me about my wonderful doggie poop bags. For 3 years I've been using Earth Rated bags made out of corn starch but they go into the same bin as all the plastic poop bags. So they literally drown in a sea of plastic because I don't want to just leave them by the road.

Steve44 6y ago
I've had a quick look at those bags. They seem to do two types, one has an Oxo-degradable additive which is currently being banned in the EU[1] because all it does is break the bag down into microplastics. The visible litter problem may be reduced but it's not a good solution to anything. Their other bags, the light green ones, are only industrial compostable. They will stay as a plastic bag unless they go down the correct waste stream. People leaving their dog poo bags has been a problem for years, in the UK they are know as Dog Poo Trees and are disgusting. [1] https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/wrap-caught-up-in-degradable-plastics-row/ https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/wrap-caught-up-...
verall 6y ago
Your full dog poop bags are not commercially compostable. Dog poop is nominally compostable but if most people were composting their pet's waste the concentration would be way too high. I pick up my dog's shit with BPI approved baggies because I want the plastic to break down, but mass pet waste needs to go into a real landfill with liners and vents and stuff.