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8
October 2024
Symphony Environmental
Technologies Plc
("Symphony", the "Company" or
the "Group")
Further research validating
oxo-biodegradable technology
Symphony Environmental Technologies
Plc (AIM:SYM), the global specialists in technologies that make
plastic and rubber products smarter, safer and more sustainable, is
pleased to announce articles and papers published by three
independent and highly credible institutions that support
Symphony's oxo-biodegradable technologies:
-
American
National Standards Institute ("ANSI");
-
Lambton
Manufacturing Innovation Centre;
and
-
US Environmental Protection Agency ("US EPA").
The CEO of Symphony, Michael Laurier
commented that: "Our d2w technology is now at the forefront of the
sustainable plastics revolution and we are delighted that these
three highly credible papers expand upon an ever growing body of
evidence and underpin a growing realisation that this
oxo-biodegradable technology is a key solution, available
now, to deal with plastic in the open environment. Their
conclusions are resonating with our current and prospective d2w
customers, and we anticipate that this will accelerate d2w sales
over the medium term."
"More specifically, these papers
confirm that, far from being "problematic plastics" Symphony's d2w
oxo-biodegradable plastics are essential to prevent the
accumulation of plastic waste in the environment which has escaped
from the circular economy and cannot be collected for recycling.
They do biodegrade if they become litter, without leaving
microplastics, but they can be recycled if they get
collected."
ANSI
article
This article entitled "ASTM
D6954-24: Plastic Biodegradability" from ANSI was published in
March 2024 and states:
"Using oxo-biodegradable technology
can prevent future contributions to the accumulation of plastic
waste that has escaped into the environment. Oxo-biodegradable
plastic serves as a solution to littered plastic because it is
recyclable and will degrade without releasing methane."
ANSI continues "It is important to
note that oxo-biodegradable
plastic is not the same as oxo-degradable plastic.
Oxo-degradable plastic (i.e. conventional plastic) does not
biodegrade but breaks into microplastics which are then released
into the environment and cause significant harm, especially to
ocean life. They quickly fragment into smaller and smaller pieces
(i.e., microplastics) that do not break down at the molecular or
polymer level like biodegradable and compostable plastics. The
resulting microplastics are left in the environment indefinitely
until they fully break down over a very long period of
time."
"By contrast, oxo-biodegradation
means degradation resulting from oxidative and cell-mediated
phenomena, either simultaneously or successively [CEN/TR15351]. The
plastic degrades by oxidation until its molecular weight is low
enough to be accessible to bacteria and fungi, who then recycle it
back into nature. These plastics are tested for degradation,
biodegradation, and ecotoxicity according to ASTM
D6954-24."
Lambton Manufacturing Innovation Centre (in Ontario,
Canada)
Scientists at
Lambton
Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Ontario, Canada have also reported on "Degradation of
plastics, and microplastics formation" in September 2024. Their
paper concluded that oxo-degradable plastics [ie conventional
plastics] create microplastics, but oxo-biodegradable plastics do
not."
They continue "Oxo-biodegradable
plastics are both bioplastics and biodegradable plastics.
They consist of a conventional plastic containing a masterbatch.
The masterbatch causes the molecular chains to be dismantled by
oxidation so that the material is no longer a plastic and becomes
biodegradable. Light and heat will accelerate the process,
but it will continue even in dark, cold, conditions. Moisture
is not necessary for oxidation and does not prevent it."
"Ordinary plastic and
oxo-biodegradable plastic lose their strength and fall apart at
about the same time when exposed to sunlight, but the fragments of
ordinary plastic have a molecular weight which is much too high for
biodegradation."
They conclude "In summary it is
clear that if plastic products are made with an oxo-biodegradable
masterbatch and get into the open environment intentionally or by
accident, the molecular-weight of the plastic will reduce much more
quickly and it will become a waxy substance which is no longer a
plastic. It will then have become a source of nutrition for
naturally occurring micro-organisms."
"The European Chemicals Agency
(ECHA) were asked to study this type of plastic in December
2017. They made a Call for Evidence, and advised after 10
months that they were not convinced that it creates
microplastics. We agree with them, and have seen no evidence
that microplastics from this type of plastic have ever been found
in the environment."
US
EPA
As previously announced by Symphony
in March of this year, the US EPA has also published a paper
entitled "Accelerating Polymer Degradation using pro-oxidant
additives" in 2021, which says that it is possible to eliminate
persistence of plastics by adding a safe pro-oxidant to make a
low-cost biodegradable plastic.
Whilst this paper does not
explicitly reference Symphony's d2w technology, the Board consider
it to be a safe pro-oxidant, consistent with that described in the
US EPA paper.
Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony,
concluded "Following the
Oxomar and
Queen
Mary University studies, these
further third-party endorsements are important to our continued
programme to explain to governments and stakeholders the importance
of this proven technology, and why they should not be misled by
misinformation. As defined by CEN/TR15351 and now confirmed
by ANSI and Lambton, oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable plastics
are not the same."
Enquiries
Symphony Environmental Technologies
Plc +44 (0) 20 8207 5900
Michael Laurier, CEO
Ian Bristow, CFO
www.symphonyenvironmental.com
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Symphony Environmental
Technologies plc
www.symphonyenvironmental.com
SYMPHONY'S BUSINESS
Symphony has a diverse and growing
customer-base and has established itself as an international
business with over 70 distributors around the world. Products made
with Symphony's plastic technologies are now available in nearly
100 countries and in many different product applications. Symphony
itself is accredited to ISO9001 and ISO14001.
Symphony is a founder-member of The
BPA (www.biodeg.org) and actively participates in the Committee
work of the British Standards Institute (BSI), the American
Standards Organisation (ASTM), the European Standards Organisation
(CEN), and the International Standards Organisation
(ISO).
Further information on the Group can
be found at www.symphonyenvironmental.com and twitter
@SymphonyEnv See also Symphony on Instagram. A Symphony
App is available for downloading to smartphones.
D2W TECHNOLOGY
Symphony has developed a
biodegradable plastic technology which addresses the problem of
persistent microplastics, by turning ordinary plastic at the end of
its service-life into a waxy substance which is biodegradable. It
is then no longer a plastic and can be bioassimilated in the open
environment in a similar way to a leaf without leaving
microplastics behind. The technology is branded d2w® and appears as
a droplet logo on many thousands of tonnes of plastic packaging and
other plastic products around the world, much of which has been
recycled. In some countries, oxo-biodegradable plastic is mandatory
for short-life plastic products.