The Russian branch of Greenpeace has called on the Russian authorities to abandon their intention to replace plastic goods, containers and packaging with biodegradable options. The organization sent a corresponding letter to the heads of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Russian ecological operator, the document was published on the website of the department.
The authorities are working on a list of products to which they are encouraged to find an alternative. One of the variants of such a list for the Ministry of Industry and Trade was prepared by the Russian Ecological Operator (REO). However, Greenpeace believes that the options proposed by the REO "will not solve the problem of garbage in Russia, but will only aggravate it."
The proposed disposable versions of "biopolymers" and "biodegradable polymers" are "false alternatives," the organization said. As explained by Greenpeace experts, such packaging has significant drawbacks. Among them:
· In Russia there are no standards for the production and labeling of products from biopolymers, and under this name many materials are presented, each of which must be processed and composted in different ways. But in practice, with the current system, it will not be possible to sort them, Greenpeace noted, so all such packaging will go to a landfill, where there are no conditions for decomposition, and partial decomposition will lead to the emission of greenhouse gases;
· Production and widespread use of biopolymers carries additional risks for the environment. For example, plant-based polymers are partially sourced from crops, and increased acreage could lead to deforestation, ecosystem destruction and increased CO2 emissions, Greenpeace warned;
· Oxo-degradable polymers break down into smaller particles - microplastics, which do not completely disintegrate and can move through the environment, including entering the human body with food, water and air. Such packaging should be sent to special landfills, but there are no such packaging in Russia yet, the organization noted;
· Recycling of paper products is difficult because it will be contaminated with food debris and unrecyclable, and there is no industrial composting of paper. In addition, the production of such products will lead to increased deforestation, water pollution and air pollution, Greenpeace said in a letter.
In this regard, the organization proposed to abandon the replacement for biodegradable and paper goods and packaging and switch to reusable options. In addition, Greenpeace asked the authorities to standardize the appearance, methods of use and composition of goods and packaging, as well as to leave the list of materials recommended for restriction open so that it can be clarified and supplemented.