'Biodegradable' plastic bags may not be as eco-friendly as thought.

A study into ''oxo-degradable'' plastics, often labelled as degradable or biodegradable, found there was uncertainty about their impact on the natural environment.

The carrier bags, bin bags and flexible packaging, made from common plastics with small amounts of chemicals to speed up their breakdown, are also not suitable for recycling with other plastics, reuse or composting, the research by Loughborough University found.

In the wake of the study funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ministers called on the industry not to claim the plastics were better for the environment than more conventional ones. And the Co-operative said it would not be using carrier bags made from that type of plastic in its stores in future.

Oxo-degradable plastics contain additives to help them degrade into smaller pieces more quickly with the help of heat or light. They then have to biodegrade, a process caused by microbes. The report said adding the metal compounds to the plastics did not improve their environmental performance and ''potentially gives rise to certain negative effects''. 

To review the full article as published in The Telegraph in March 2010 please click here.

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