The plastic bags from my two daily papers are handy for picking up after the dog and as trashbags for use in the car. IMO, this kerfuffle about plastic bags is about littering and careless, thoughtless disposal practices, not to mention a humungous volume of rhetorical hot air about "drowning" in plastics waste and "toxic" bags. Utter nonsense!

I do not understand the purpose of degadable bags. In the US, we landfill most solid waste in landfills that are designed and operated to entomb our trash. In other words, MSW in landfills doesn't degrade very much, if at all. If anything, plastics packaging in landfills likely does not contribute to leachate or methane emissions for the simple fact that packaging plastics inert due to the fact they are high molecular weight polymers.

So if there's a changeover to degradable plastic bags, does that perhaps sanction littering as a socially acceptable behavior?

I beleive GP has a problem claiming their bag biodegrades. GP doesn't appear to be familiar with the ASTM Standards for biodegradable polymers. The oxo-additive GP is using is EXCLUDED by the ASTM because it is not an "acceptable environmentally biodegradable polymer". The oxo-additive is common, and does not meet ASTM D6400 Standard for compostable biodegradable polymers. GP also makes claims that the bag will degrade in landfills. GP needs to do some research on the Federal Trade Commission regulations and guidelines in making environmental marketing claims. The FTC says specifically: it is very difficult to substatiate that ANY product will degrade in a modern landfill because modern landfills are designed, by law, to prevent the materials that are buried in them from decomposing.

Hats off to GP PLastics Corporation for being a U.S. manufacturer that is being responsible and moving in the right direction. Mr Fuemmeler, perhaps you do not have a future on the planet but our children do.

For shame for trying to cast negatives on a company that is moving in the right direction. Perhap's you need to put some of that negative energy into planting a tree.

Now instead of talking trash go pick some up!

Way to go GP Plastics keep up the great work!

Peace to all.

GP Plastics is not claiming biodegradable, but oxobiodegradable. The statement that ASTM doesn't recognize oxobiodegradable products is totally untrue (see ASTM 6954). Oxobiodegradable products will not meet ASTM D6400, only biopolymers will meet this composting standard. The biopolymers must be disposed of in an industrial compost facility or they will not degrade. How many of these are around? As far as degrading in a landfill, the press release points out clearly that time to degredation depends on the conditions inside the landfill. The important question that matters is "Does the public want a product that will degrade in a reasonable amount of time?"
As with anything there are multiple solutions to a problem, GP is trying to offer a solution.
Some folks get it, and some never will.

Sounds like GP Plastics is on the right track with their new product. As Mike commented, there's a difference between biodegradable and oxo-biodegradable (which is what GP claims for its product) -- and the difference is simply that oxo-biodegradation requires an added element to start the degradation process. This makes sense. After all, a plastic bag isn't an orange peel; it's not going to disappear on its own.

If we can embrace a new technology that diminishes the environmental impact of plastics, that seems like a win for the industry and the public. As a consultant, I work with companies every day that are trying to show their customers, employees, and investors that they are making smart decisions about the environment. This product could give newspaper publishers a leg up in that race.