Biodegradable plastic as an integral part of the solution to plastic waste pollution of the environment

Biodegradable plastics are promising alternatives to conventional, persistent plastics. In this opinion article, we discuss the benefits of biodegradable plastics in combination with appropriate disposal systems. We argue that the most beneficial environmental value of biodegradable plastics is in the areas of packaging, single-use items, and agricultural plastic mulches. While biodegradable plastics need to be an integral component of strategies to minimize plastic pollution of the environment, they have to be used and managed with specific end-of-life scenarios. Disposal in the environment, except for agricultural plastic mulches, must never be an end-of-life option. International standards ensure the ‘intrinsic biodegradability’ in compost, anaerobic digesters, or soil, but additional test methods are needed to verify rates of biodegradation in natural environments. Furthermore, attention needs to be paid to additives used in biodegradable plastics to ensure these additives do not pose an environmental hazard. •Biodegradable plastics are an important component of the circular economy model.•Biodegradable plastics are not a silver bullet to prevent plastic pollution.•Further research needs to demonstrate rates of biodegradation in environmental systems.