The EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive prohibits the placing on the market of single-use plastic products made from oxodegradable plastic, and the coalition is calling on the UK to maintain this regulation as it leaves the EU. The letter cites evidence from Defra and the EU refuting the claim that oxodegradable additives can transform polyolefin plastics into biodegradable plastics, as they merely accelerate the fragmentation of plastics into microplastics. Further evidence from the University of Plymouth in 2019 found that oxodegradable bags actually remained intact in the sea and soil after three years. These plastics are also unable to be recycled as they contain powders that render plastic polymers unstable when recycled together, while they are also unable to be composted, leading to confusion among consumers and retailers who consider them biodegradable as if they were compostable. A wide coalition of signatories led by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation called for a ban in 2017 and reiterated that call in 2018. The UK coalition again reiterates the call to ban oxodegradables. Members of the coalition include the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), the Environmental Services Association (ESA), the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA), the REA, Greenpeace, A Plastic Planet and Recoup.
