Mr. Anthony D. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the(a) recycling and (b) incineration of (i) oxo-biodegradable plastic and (ii) conventional plastic; [176907]
(2) what assessment she has made of the effect of oxo-biodegradable plastic in combating litter; [176908]
(3) what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on oxo-biodegradable plastics, with particular reference to the contribution they may make to a better environment; [176910]
(4) what assessment she has made of the effect on the environment of making short-life plastic products degradable. [176911]
§ Mr. MorleyThe National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC) recently published a review of current knowledge on the environmental profiles of biodegradable polymers (BDPs). The main focus of the review is on BDPs made from renewable feedstocks such as starch, polylactic acid and cellulose and their environmental performance compared to conventional plastics. The summary report, "Biodegradable Polymers and Sustainability: Insights from Life Cycle Assessment", can be viewed on the NNFCC website at: www.nnfcc.co.uk
The Environment Agency will Follow up this work with two Life Cycle Analysis research projects. The first will consider disposable plastic carrier bags from supermarkets and alternative product systems (e.g. paper and bioplastics) and the other will look at food packaging product systems. Oil-based biodegradable (oxo-biodegradable) plastics are included in the scope of the alternative materials. The results of the research will be reported March 2005.